[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) › c7.550 # Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.550 Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.550 - **Language:** English ### [c7.550](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.550) We have quoted, at the beginning of this section, a representative sample, consisting of about one-third of the total of 117 passages, which refer to the institution of the \*vidatha\* in the two \*Vedas\*. They include most of the passages used by Professor Sharma in his argument. It is evident that the \*vidatha\* was a popular institution of the Vedic Indians, but its occurrences are independent of, and comparatively fewer than, those of \*jana\* and the \*viś\*, denoting tribe or people, which occur 275 and 271 times respectively.¹ If the \*vidatha\* were a tribal organization, as Professor Sharma gives us to understand, one would expect it to be associated either with the \*jana\* or \*viś\*. But in fact there is not a single hymn in the entire \*Ṛg\* collection which associates \*vidatha\* with these two words. Hence, it can be fairly concluded that the \*vidatha\*, unlike the \*sabhā\* and \*samiti\*, did not have a tribal connotation. - [Previous: c7.549](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.549) - [Next: c7.551](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.551) - [Up: c7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.550](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1968.c7.550) · Pramāṇa