Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c9.s4.127

c9.s4.127

There was no need for elections to be held for the General Assembly as the 7,707 were the heads of the Kṣatriya ruling families.⁶ Aristotle also mentions such a form of government as having existed at Massalia, Istros, Heraclea and Cnidus. It was called the “aristocracy of heads of houses,” and it is probable that the Opuntian Locrians had a similar system.⁷ In Altekar’s view the 7,707 probably represented the original families of the Kṣatriya settlers who had colonized the Muzaffarpur district. “The leaders of the colonizing families claimed and enjoyed the privilege of royal coronation and royal title”.⁸ The Council of nine, as we have suggested, was elected. Although the *Vinaya* texts ¹ give us a detailed and elaborate account of elections, procedure, etc., in the Buddhist *saṅgha*, this is apparently idealized and was not regularly followed in practice as far as the republics were concerned. Probably the procedure of the Licchavi Assembly was far more simple than the texts would have us believe.