[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) › c7.335 # Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.335 Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.335 - **Language:** English ### [c7.335](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.335) This implies that the king derived maintenance from the \*samiti\* as the priest from the rich man and the bull from the woods. It is also not impossible that here \*samiti\* has its later meaning of "battle."⁴ Verse 5 indicates that the people greatly respected those who provided them with protection and repelled the \*dasyus\*. This hymn also strengthens our view that the "nobles" and the \*samiti\* existed side by side in this type of non-monarchical government and that unconscientious nobles often missed the sessions of the assembly. In this hymn the word \*viś\* does not figure, but the \*jana\* or "tribe" occurs, probably indicative of a larger community than that implied by the \*viś\*, "clan."⁵ Those tribal governments which had a more complicated political machinery probably ruled over a larger territory,⁶ and (this was definitely a more refined and elaborate type of government than had existed in the earlier popular monarchies.) - [Previous: c7.334](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.334) - [Next: c7.336](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.336) - [Up: c7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.335](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.335) · Pramāṇa