Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c4.t3.5

c4.t3.5

The king was the highest personage in the state. He was absolutely necessary. All the circumstances we noticed before, *viz.*, the dire necessity of a king, the people's anxiety to perpetuate the line, the traditional high status of the king, all these would, naturally, force the people to repose confidence in him and not to interfere with his doings, so long as they did not vitally affect them. But to idolize him was never their attempt. They were not merely submissive, as their frequent risings will show.¹ The tyrant was not always tolerated.