Local Government in Ancient India c7.36

c7.36

The existence of these various terms is in itself strong evidence demonstrating the reality of the institutions designated. We shall now go into the details of that evidence scattered throughout our literature, and shall try to piece them together so as to trace the continuity of the life and history of these ancient local institutions and unfold the process of their evolution through the ages. As has been already stated, we shall first of all deal with the development of self-government in the sphere of industrial and commercial interests, and shall accordingly trace the history and evolution of what may be called the ancient Hindu guilds.