Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c11.s1.13

c11.s1.13

The Nāyas are directly mentioned in the Buddhist Pāli works in connection with the *Nigantha Nātaputta*.⁷ The northern traditions in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese sources also make mention of the *Nirgrantha Jñātaputra*⁸ but mainly in connection with the chief opponents of the Buddha at the time. Buddhist sources do not enlighten us further on the political history of the Nāyas. The Jaina Prākrit texts, as already noted, also mention the Nāyas and occasionally allude to their republican or quasi-republican institutions.