Local Government in Ancient India c13.104.2

c13.104.2

Similarly, the Licchavi assembly was composed of numerous members who are mentioned in the Jātakas as holding their meeting in a ‘royal rest-house’ (IV. 7–24), once to discuss a marriage proposal (IV. 145), and at another time to make arrangements for the reception of a prince of a neighbouring royal house (IV. 146). In some of the Smṛtis (e.g. *Bṛhaspati*) one of the duties of the village assemblies (called *samūha*) laid down is the maintenance of public halls, while in one of the Nāsik inscriptions cited above there occurs the expression *nigama-sabhā*, or the town-hall where the charitable or religious endowments were publicly proclaimed, accepted by the guilds, and registered in their archives. Similar evidence is forthcoming in the South Indian inscriptions. No. 104 of 1908 mentions the Sabhā meeting in the hall called *Doyāpañjaram* in the temple, and no. 105 speaks of its meeting at the foot of *Uraṅgāppuli*. No. 326 of 1910 mentions an assembly meeting in the ‘big hall’ called *Gaṇḍarādittan* while no. 332 mentions the same assembly meeting at the foot of a tamarind tree. No. 140 of 1909 mentions a Sabhā meeting at the foot of a tree on the banks of a canal. One of the Ukkal inscriptions (no. 7 of *S. I. Ins.*, vol. III, p. 12) mentions the assembly meeting in the front hall of the Puvanimāṇikka-Viṣṇugṛham in the village (Sans. *mukha-maṇḍapa*). Nos. 28 and 30 (ibid.) refer to the assembly meeting in the *brahmasthāna* of the village, while nos.