Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c4.t2.186

c4.t2.186

The above report of the proceedings of an assembly³ would be of immense interest if we wish to compare it with the procedures followed in the Buddhist 'Sanghas' which were, as Jayaswal says, modelled after the Political Sanghas of the time. There is an unusual likeness between the procedure in the Jātaka and that followed in modern political assemblies—the reading of the resolution thrice, vote-taking, the walking out—all are so familiar to us. It is not unreasonable to infer from the nature of the evidence before us "that if the question of the election of a sovereign did ever come up before an assembly (or ministers or citizens?) the procedure followed was generally of the type disclosed in the above story. There might be several candidates for the throne proposed by different individuals. Votes were taken and success depended upon the final decision of the House."⁴