Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c13.s2.153

c13.s2.153

In our opinion Rhys Davids' suggestion that votes were never taken in the deliberations of the Buddhist republics seems rather timid, though it may well apply to the Vedic assemblies.² As regards Jayaswal's theory of "deliberation in Hindu republics," we find it historically false. No early text refers to the Sakyas as deliberating and deciding the issue by a vote of the majority. The whole story is a late one, and though it may contain historical recollections, it is hardly sufficient as a basis for the view that majority voting was a regular feature of the procedure. We concede to Jayaswal's view that the Sakyas deliberated on important matters, like any other republic of the time, and probably also had a simple voting system either by raising hands or by the use of wooden chips. But there is no evidence for a much more elaborate system of deliberation. The truth probably lies somewhere between what Rhys Davids suggested and a simpler procedure than that gleaned from the *Cūllavagga*. It could hardly be, we might add, the detailed picture presented by Altekar.³