Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.288

c7.288

This hymn confirms our view about the distinction between the *sabhā* and the *samiti*, and the placing of the *sabhā* first shows its prime importance in the body-politic. This hymn also confirms the point that not all the people were entitled to attend the *samiti*. If the personnel of both were identical there would be little point in mentioning them separately, or the army (*senā*), which follows *sabhā* and the *samiti*. This hymn shows that these three—the *sabhā*, *samiti* and *senā*—were the three most important institutions in such political communities. Their respective numerical strength was probably in the following order. Firstly, all able-bodied male members of the tribe composed the army. Secondly, the heads of families could attend the *samiti* and had full rights of free-citizens as in the *viś*, the archaic body of heads of families from which the *samiti* probably developed. Thirdly, the *sabhā*, the composition and function of which we have already discussed at length, consisted of the most important, strong, wealthy and influential tribesmen.²