Local Government in Ancient India c13.3

c13.3

With regard to the actual administrative machinery evolved or adopted by these local bodies we have to depend upon the evidence of the later Smṛtis such as those of Bṛhaspati, Nārada, and Yājñavalkya. According to Bṛhaspati they are to be governed by a board of from two to five persons selected from the best men of the community. Says he: ‘Honest persons, acquainted with the Vedas and with duty, able, self-controlled, sprung from noble families, and skilled in every business, shall be appointed as heads of an association’ (XVII. 9).¹ Again, ‘Two, three, or five persons shall be appointed to look after the welfare of the association’ (XVII. 10).² These executive officers were called *samūha-hita-vādinaḥ* and *kārya-cintakāḥ*. According to Yājñavalkya these governors should be well-grounded in religion (as embodied in the Śrutis and Smṛtis), pure in body and mind, and free from avarice (II. 191).¹ They were entitled to the obedience of the members of the corporation. The king was required to enforce their authority by penalty, and the disobedient member was fined by the first amercement. But their authority thus binding on the assembly was also respected by the king himself. As Bṛhaspati states, ‘Whatever is done by those (heads of an association) ... must be approved by the king as well, for they are declared to be the appointed managers of affairs’ (XVII. 18).² This is certainly an advance upon the earlier law on the subject. In the case of disputes, however, between these heads and their associations it is ruled that the king shall act as the umpire between them and bring them back to their duty (XVII. 20).³ Lastly, the heads of associations themselves were also authorized to mete out punishment to all offenders in the guild, whom they could censure, reprimand, and ultimately forsake (XVII. 17).¹ It should also be noted that, as the appointment of these officers vested with the public bodies, so also did the power of punishing them. Their decisions regarding them were formally notified to the king who enforced them, if they could not.