Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c13.s2.122

c13.s2.122

The administrative business of the republic and the more important judicial acts were carried out in the public assembly.⁷ All the meetings were held in the *santhāgāra*, "a technical term never used for the council chamber of kings''.¹ The main Sakyan *santhāgāra* was at Kapilavatthu, and the *Majjhima Nikāya* attests to the existence of a similar hall at Cātuma.² From the existence of such assembly-halls at Vesāli, Pāvā, Kusinārā, Kapilavatthu and Cātuma it appears that all the republics had one at their capital towns, and no doubt the more important settlements also had their own assembly-halls.