Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c4.t2.160

c4.t2.160

From the above instances it appears that sometimes if not always, the prince was refused the right of succeeding to the throne if he was found deficient intellectually or otherwise.⁴ Heredity, then, was not the sole qualification, if it be so called, by which a prince could claim his right to the throne. The hereditary principle was to be qualified by that of capacity. Another thing that must be observed in this connection is, that as far as they did not vitally affect the people in general, such cases of succession as noticed above were settled by the ministers.⁵