[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968) › c7.167 # Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.167 Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.167 - **Language:** English ### [c7.167](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.167) The second type of non-monarchical tribal government, we suggest, was that in which the \*sabhā\*, or an aristocratic council, wielded the supreme power.³ This variety can be understood as a mixture of aristocratic and oligarchic elements. These political communities, unlike the first type of tribal government,⁴ had no king; and further unlike another variety to be discussed below,⁵ had no \*samiti\* or tribal assembly. Our main evidence to support the claim that in some political communities only the \*sabhā\* existed, comes from the \*Ṛg Veda\*. In the older \*maṇḍalas\* of the text the term \*sabhā\* occurs at least three times,⁶ while it appears twice each in the first¹ and the tenth,² and once in the eighth \*maṇḍala\*.³ Altogether there are eight references to the institution of the \*sabhā\* and not once does the \*sabhā\* have a role in selecting the king.⁴ In fact, in \*Ṛg Veda\* the word \*rājan\* is not found in the context of the \*sabhā\*. This suggests that tribes thus governed had presidents called \*sabhāpatis\*. - [Previous: c7.166](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.166) - [Next: c7.168](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.168) - [Up: c7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.167](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.167) · Pramāṇa