Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c21.5

c21.5

2 We have seen that the country was divided into small principalities which were either governed by the king or had republican constitutions. Generally, the kings were autocrats and the judicial arrangements were not sound and efficient. Very often innocent persons were charged and sent for execution. Various offences such as robbery, adultery, murder were prevalent and most severe punishments were inflicted on the culprits. Prison-life was very hard. The rājadhānī or the capital city was the seat of government. There were big cities with busy markets and the villages which populated with the teeming millions of India.