Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c15.s4.t1.12

c15.s4.t1.12

We cannot say definitely in the face of the controversy discussed above, whether the Keśin of the *Śatapatha* refers to a king of the Keśins or to a sage who was a Keśin. If the text is to be believed, there were Keśin people and the question whether Dārbhya was king or sage is of no relevance for our present purpose. According to the *Kāṭhaka Saṁhitā*, as we have noticed above, the Keśins belonged to the Pāñcālas.¹ It is most likely that the Keśins were related to the Kālāmas of Kesaputta,² as were the Moriyas of Pipphalivana to the Mauryan dynasty of Magadha. We have seen that most of the republican peoples of northeast India appear to have been descended from Aryan pioneers who followed the example of Videgha Māthava³ in their eastward march. It would be quite in harmony with the texts if we suggest that some Keśins of Pāñcāla also established a settlement in the northeast, designating it after their tribal name Keśaputra or Kesaputta of the Pāli texts.