[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) › c7.220 # Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.220 Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.220 - **Language:** English ### [c7.220](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.220) The qualities that made some Vikings leading men of their nation included strength, sense of justice, and ability to compose good poetry. It appears that the Vedic “councillors” had to a great extent these very qualities in common with the Vikings. The little commonwealth of Iceland manifested a “living unity and its \*Althing\* or General Court, established in the year 930 A.D. is today beyond comparison the oldest national assembly of the world.”¹ This assembly, as we have noticed already, was composed of 39 members. We cannot, however, determine the exact number of people who sat in the Vedic \*sabhā\* and carried out the administration of their political community, but their number would probably be counted in terms of hundreds, rather than of thousands. - [Previous: c7.219](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.219) - [Next: c7.221](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.221) - [Up: c7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.220](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.220) · Pramāṇa