[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968) › c13.s2.65 # Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c13.s2.65 Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c13.s2.65 - **Language:** English ### [c13.s2.65](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c13.s2.65) B.C. Law associates the name with the \*śāka\* tree. He relies in this respect on Bharata, the commentator of \*Amarakoṣa\*, but gives no reference to the passage. However, Law translated the relevant piece from the \*Koṣa\*, "\*Śāka\* is a kind of tree. A king of the Ikṣavāku dynasty is known as Śākya because he lives near the \*śāka\* tree. His posterity was known as Śākyas."⁴ This bears a close resemblance to the Pāli passage quoted above, which is also found in the \*Sumaṅgala Vilāsinī\* and the \*Sutta Nipāta\* commentary.⁵ The Tibetan Buddhist tradition also refers to the manner in which they came to be known as Śākyas: "King Virūḍhaka thought one day of his comely sons, so he asked his courtiers what had become of them; then they told him their adventures. 'The daring young men! The daring young men', he exclaimed; and from this they became known as 'Śākyas'."⁶ Both the Tibetan tradition and that of Bharata derive their information from the \*Dīgha Nikāya\* account. - [Previous: c13.s2.64](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c13.s2.64) - [Next: c13.s2.66](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c13.s2.66) - [Up: c13.s2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c13.s2) ## Cites (2) - [Suttanipāta](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.theravada.sp.khuddaka.suttanipata) — Pāli - [Nāmaliṅgānuśāsana (Amarakośa)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.art.kosa.paryaya.amarakosa*bo) — Classical Tibetan --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c13.s2.65](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c13.s2.65) · Pramāṇa