Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c6.s1.35

c6.s1.35

While we may claim to have added something to the works of Rhys Davids, Jayaswal, Majumdar, Altekar, and the other authorities, the account presented here, based mainly on the passing references in the Vedic, Buddhist and Jaina sacred literature, is of necessity fragmentary and not always definite. This is mainly due to the nature of the sources which were composed by the adherents of different religious sects, and are biased in favour of their own creeds and followers. This must have led to exaggerations and perhaps to deliberately false statements. An Indologist, whether writing on religion or philosophy, sociology or history, is sometimes faced with contradictions in the sources themselves. This being the case, we have frequently been compelled to state the conclusions in provisional or hypothetical terms. Although in this and in other respects our picture of the rise, development, organization, administration and decline of the republics is still lamentably defective, we trust that our work will serve to clarify some points and to act as a catalyst for further research on this most significant aspect of early Indian polity.