Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times c28.30

c28.30

The best test of the success of a state system is the length of *life* which it can secure for the state. The republican system of India, as a class, proved very successful in securing longevity. As pointed out above the system is mainly post-Vedic. Taking then the age of the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa as our earliest landmark, the Satvat Bhojas had a life of about 1000 years. If the Uttara-Madras and Pāṇini's Madras were identical, they lived for about 1300 years, otherwise for 800 years. The Kshudrakas and Mālavas had long existed free before 326 B.C., as they told Alexander. The Mālavas continued on in Rajputana up to *c.* 300 A.C. They thus enjoyed free life for about 1,000 years. And so did the Yaudheyas. The Lichchhavi record covers a full millenium. The principles regulating the life of Hindu republics thus stood well the test of time.