Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.103

c7.103

Shama Sastri argues that at first a leader was occasionally elected to execute some given expedition, but that this did not "seem to have answered their purpose after they settled themselves in the country." This statement, together with his belief that the people "felt the need for the election of a permanent chief to be at their head and carry on the internal administration of their settlements,"⁴ does not correspond with the sources. The only thing these suggest is that in some tribal governments kings occupied the chiefship not because their fathers had been kings, but because they were put there by the important members of their community.