The Political Institutions and Theories of the Hindus: A Study in Comparative Politics c12.s1.t3.17

c12.s1.t3.17

The Senate or general assembly of the Lichchhavi *gaṇa* appears to have been a very large body. In the stories of the *Ekapanna Jâtaka* ² and the *Chulla-Kalinga Jâtaka*,³ the conventional number of congressmen or senators, known usually as *râjâs*, is given as 7707. Evidently the "young and old" are to be included in the huge membership of this folk-parliament. These *râjâs* were not only legislators, but seem to have been "viceroys" (vice-presidents?), generals and treasurers" as well. In other words, they were "given to argument and disputation" not only over the questions of custom or law, but also over those affecting the bureaucratic administration, national defense or peace and war, and public finance. All the interests of the state must have been publicly discussed by the central council of the republic.⁴ The cabinet of this mammoth assembly was however quite a manageable body. It consisted of nine *gaṇa-râẏâṇas*⁵ (i. e., ministerial chiefs or kings) to represent the entire state. Corresponding to the *Yajnas*¹ or sacrifices and anointments of all monarchies, Hindu and Christian, the Lichchhavis had an investiture ritual too. A sprinkling² of the senators with the waters of the tank at Vesâli was apparently an incident in the political ceremonial of the *gaṇa*.