Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times c20.13

c20.13

*Bhakti* literally means 'sharing,' 'exclusion,' and secondarily 'attachment.' Separate rules to denote territorial and political *bhakti* over and above the rules to denote the country of origin or domicile of a man, suggest the idea of an artificial citizenship. By sharing Madra- or Vṛiji-*bhakti* one would be called *Madrka* or *Vrijika*. A Vṛijika therefore might not have been a born Vṛiji, and a Madraka, a born Madra. It has to be noticed that Kauṭilya, in mentioning the king-consul republics, uses the form Vṛijika and Madrka. The Jaina Sūtra also uses the forms Malla k[i] and Lechchhavi[ka]. The 'Vrijikas' included Vrijis and non-Vrijis owning a common Vriji allegiance, which might include people originally conquered by the Vrijis or people voluntarily amalgamated with the Vrijis.