Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c15.s4.t1.1

c15.s4.t1.1

The Kālāmas of Kesaputta are the least documented of the republican communities that flourished at the time of the Buddha and Mahāvīra. The striking similarity of the name of their town to the Keśins of the *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa* ¹ has led historians to connect these peoples with the Keśins of the Brāhmaṇic period. Kesaputta (Sanskrit *Keśaputra*) and Keśin both are connected with the Sanskrit word *keśa*, meaning hair or mane. The connection between the two seems phonetically and linguistically obvious, but a discussion of the sources is necessary before deciding the issue.