Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.23

c7.23

Similar attempts to establish a unified theory about the development of Indian political institutions and forms of constitution are beset with great difficulties.⁴ The Vedic literature reveals different forms of government existing almost simultaneously in the Vedic period. If we might make any statements about the evolution of different constitutions in Vedic India on the basis of such precarious evidence, we would hypothetically suggest that, apart from hereditary kings, some Vedic political communities "selected" one of their members for the chieftainship of the tribe.⁵ After some time, in the same communities, kingship vanished and an aristocracy represented by the *sabhā* became the governing power of the tribe.¹ In others, however, the *sabhā* and the *samiti* shared power, though the chief power would appear to have been in the hands of the former, which was composed of the best, richest, and strongest men of the community. This stage is reflected in some of the hymns of the *Atharva Veda* where the *sabhā* and the *samiti* both occur together.²