Local Government in Ancient India c8.20

c8.20

The position of the foreman of the guild is also indicated in *Jāt.* II. 12. 52¹ and III. 281² where he is an important minister in attendance upon the king. In *Jāt.* IV. 43³ there is a reference to an office of judgeship of all the merchant guilds—an office which did not exist before, and to that office was appointed the king's treasurer. The heads of guilds (*seṇiyo*) are called *pamukha* (president) and also *jeṭṭhaka* (elder, alderman), the distinction between the two terms not being apparent. *Jāt.* II. 18 mentions the division in one of the large centres of wood-craft of the population of 1,000 families into two equal groups each under one *jeṭṭhaka*. Similarly the groups of mariners (*Jāt.* IV. 137),⁴ garland-makers (*Jāt.* III. 405),⁵ caravan-traders (*Jāt.* I. 368⁶; II. 295),⁷ the moss-troopers numbering 500 of a ‘little robber village’ in the hills, e.g. near Uttarapañcāla (*Jāt.* I. 296.