[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) › c7.492 # Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.492 Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.492 - **Language:** English ### [c7.492](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.492) Zimmer held the view that the \*vidatha\* sometimes meant a "smaller assembly" than the \*samiti\*.⁴ This view has been rightly criticized by the writers of the \*Vedic Index\* who say that "we have no ground to be certain that such smaller assemblies ever existed at an early date in India or elsewhere among the Aryan peoples."⁵ In Jayaswal's opinion religious life was organized through the "\*vidatha\* assembly, which had existed even earlier than the \*samiti\*". "It seems", he writes, "to have been the parent folk-assembly from which the \*sabhā\*, \*samiti\* and \*senā\* differentiated, for we find the \*vidatha\* associated with civil, military and religious functions."⁶ This, however, is too adventurous a view and cannot be substantiated by our sources.⁷ Professor Thieme, somewhat following Oldenberg, attempted yet another etymology and derived it from \*vi-dhā\*, primarily meaning "verteilen, zuteilen", and also "order" in the secondary sense.⁸ In Thieme's view these meanings can fit almost all the contexts.⁹ We do not support his hypothesis because in our opinion this interpretation of \*vidatha\* seems to be valid only for a few occurrences of the word.¹⁰ - [Previous: c7.491](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.491) - [Next: c7.493](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.493) - [Up: c7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.492](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.492) · Pramāṇa