Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c5.t3.43

c5.t3.43

Lastly there was the institution of the presidents (*pāmukhā*) or aldermen (*jeṭṭhakā*), which indicates the presence of a certain form of organization. We have instances of such aldermen in the case of smiths (*kammārajeṭṭhaka*).⁴ garlandmakers (*mālākārajeṭṭhaka*)⁵ and carpenters (*vaḍḍhakijeṭṭhaka*).⁶ We are not told anything about the power or the functions of the aldermen. Their offices were probably hereditary as all others in that period, though not strictly so. These leaders of the guilds are sometimes described as quite important persons, wealthy of course, and favourites at the Court. "The principal smith," says for instance the *Suci Jātaka*,⁷ "was a favourite of the king, rich, and of great substance." Nothing is given out as to how these presidents of the guilds were inter-related. One *Jātaka*,⁸ however, inentions an officer, the *Bhaṇḍāgārika* to wit, who was the supreme head or the judge of all the guilds, besides being the 'treasurer,' literally the "houser of goods." The institution of such a post must have been the result of some quarrelling among the guilds, as Mrs. Rhys Davids has suggested.¹ About the office of this *Bhaṇḍāgārika*, also we know very little. "It was not confined to the custody of moneys.... it is possible that it referred to a supervision of the goods made or dealt with by a guild or guilds and not only to the king's exchequer."²