Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c13.s2.92

c13.s2.92

That the administration of the Sakyan republic was in the hands of an assembly or Sakya-*gaṇa* with a chosen single head, is evident from a number of references to their conducting public business in their *santhāgāra*.⁶ In the *Dīgha Nikāya* there is a dialogue between a Brāhmaṇa named Ambaṭṭha and the Buddha. The subject of this *Sutta* is the conduct and behaviour of the Sakyas. "Once Gotama," says Ambaṭṭha, "I had to go to Kapilavatthu on some business or other of Pokkharasādi's, and went into the Sakyas' Congress-Hall. Now at that time there were a number of Sakyas, old and young, seated in the hall on grand seats, making merry and joking together, nudging one another with their fingers; and for a truth, methinks, it was I myself that was the subject of their jokes; and not one of them even offered me a seat."¹ The *Bhaddasāla Jātaka*, as we have noted above, informs us that King Pasenadi's proposal of marriage with a Sakya girl was discussed in the assembly of the Sakyas.² The *Kuṇāla Jātaka* speaks of Sakyan *bhojakās*,³ "headmen," literally "enjoyers"—probably of rights on land or as landholders. The *bhojakās* might have been those Sakyans who took an active part in colonizing the area and hence had a right to the land like the barons of mediaeval Europe. We also hear of *amaccās* or councillors, and *uparājās* or viceroys⁴ who, along with serfs, labourers and attendants, sallied forth to fight against the Koliyas.⁵