Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c15.s4.t2.10

c15.s4.t2.10

The *Aṅguttara Nikāya* and its commentary are the only known sources which allude to the status of the Kālāmas and indicate that they had a republican form of government. The former text says that once the Buddha, while touring amongst the Kālāmas and accompanied by a great body of monks, stayed “at the *nigama* of the Kālāmas, named Kesaputta”.⁴ In general, *nigama* ⁵ seems to imply a settlement somewhat smaller than a *nagara* or *pura*,⁶ and the use of this term indicates that they were quite a small people, perhaps not much more than a thousand families. In Malalasekera’s opinion Kālāma was probably the name of a *gotra* or family.⁷ This evidence would show that the region occupied by them was limited to the countryside around their town. As they are placed in the Kosalan country by the text, there is no doubt that they were under the supervision of the Kosalan king, as the Bhaggas were under king Udayana.