History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.148

v4.c63.148

E. vol. 36 p. 238) there is a passage about certain *bhikkhus* in the 'city of Righteousness' (*dhammanagara*) who are styled 'dhammāpaṇikas' (dealers in dharma) and are described as follows: '(Bhikkhus), who in the spirit and the letter, in its arguments and explanations, its reasons and examples teach and repeat, utter forth and recapitulate the ninefold word of the Buddha; such bhikkhus are called, O king, lawyers in the blessed one's city of Righteousness' and on p. 239 there are 'dhammaseṭṭhino' (bankers of dharma), which word reminds us of the śreṣṭhin in the Mṛcchakaṭika. The dhammāpaṇikas probably correspond to such lawyers as Smārtadurdhara mentioned above. The rules of Śukra make a near approach to the modern institution of the Bar and the fees prescribed by Śukra are similar to those allowed by the Bombay Regulation II of 1827 and by Schedule III to the Bombay Pleaders' Act (Bombay Act XVII of 1920). The first legislative enactment in India to deal with lawyers for representing parties passed by the British Government was the Bengal Regulation VII of 1793 which defined the privileges, the fees (five per cent up to 1000 and then on a sliding' scale) and responsibilities of *vakeels* (which word originally means 'agent').