Local Government in Ancient India c13.79

c13.79

We should note in this connexion the total number of members expected to form a meeting of the assembly. The number should be at least that of all the various sub-committees put together, which will thus come up to forty-two. I have found but one inscription (no. 466 of 1912, in *Report* for 1912–13) which incidentally indicates the number by mentioning a deed of gift signed by about fifty persons, evidently the members of the assembly. It may however be reasonably assumed that the assembly was numerically a much larger body than any of its committees. There is not unfortunately much available evidence regarding the average strength of these Sabhās or Mahāsabhās. I have found but a few inscriptions out of several thousand to throw light on the subject. No. 509 of 1913 represents the meeting of an assembly of 1000 members to make a grant of land. In no. 12 of 1907, the Sabhā of Tiraimūr is said to consist of 300 men. As regards the strength of the committee, there is another inscription, no. 1332 of Kielhorn's list of southern inscriptions, which mentions a committee of 36 persons who are named. No. 525 of 1914 mentions an assembly of ‘120 great men’ making a grant of land. No. 62 of 1914 mentions an assembly of 80 persons. No. 429 of 1917 mentions an assembly of as many as 512 members. No. 688 of 1904 mentions a committee numbering 200.