Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c4.t2.175

c4.t2.175

When the election of the successor took place in the way described above or in some other form, the new king was not necessarily a Khattiya or a scion of a royal family. Sometimes, he was the son of a poor man, born in the street ;² at other times he was the elephant trainer.³ The instance of a Brāhmaṇa having been anointed king is furnished by the *Saccamkira Jātaka*.* We have already referred to an instance⁵ where a deceased king's temporal and spiritual adviser, a Brāhmaṇa, is installed on the throne. Again, in the *Padakula-mānava Jātaka*,⁶ it is a Brāhmaṇa who after instigating a revolt against a thievish king and thus bringing about his death is placed on the throne by people. It is quite apparent from all these instances that, non-Khattiya kingship was not unknown in those days. Fick observes: "The legendary character of this narrative does not allow this to be taken as a proof that Kingship did not lie always in the hands of the Khattiyas but that persons belonging to other castes might occasionally be in possession of it. There are however some passages which seem to support such a theory. Even the lawbooks speak of kings who do not belong to the Kṣatriya caste and understand by these kings of low origin who have usurped the throne."⁷