Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c15.s3.t2.10

c15.s3.t2.10

Most of the sources mentioned above merely strengthen the evidence for the existence of the Bhaggas and their chief town Suṁsumāragiri at the time of the Buddha, without giving much information about their political institutions. Yet one significant fact emerges from the study of the Bhaggas, that they had no hereditary kings, like the Vatsas, the Kosalans and the Magadhans. This suggests that they were a non-minarchical community like the Bulis, Moriyas, Koliyas, etc. However, they were not one of the claimants for the remains of the Buddha at his death. Hence, the Bhaggas might not have been absolutely free, other possible alternatives are that they were either too far away and had not heard the news, or that they were not very sympathetic to Buddhism. The mention in the *Majjhima Nikāya*,⁶ the *Vinaya Piṭaka*,⁷ and the *Dhonasākha Jātaka*⁸ of the Vatsan prince Bodhi's having a palace called Koṅkaṇḍa built for himself at Suṁsumāragiri could suggest the control and influence of the Vatsan king on the Bhaggas.