Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c9.s4.68

c9.s4.68

In the *Niryāvalikā Sūtra* of the Jainas,³ *rājā* Ceḍaga is represented as an all-powerful king who is assisted by a council of nine kings when he dealt with Licchavian affairs.⁴ Actually he was one of the nine Licchavian kings who ruled the republic in the name of the Assembly.⁵ The Buddhist works do not even mention Ceḍaga, the king of Vesālī, but they tell us that the governing power of Vesālī was vested in a Senate composed of the nobility and presided over by a king who shared the power with a viceroy, a general-in-chief and a treasurer.⁶ In the Jaina books we also find traces of this “curious government” of the Licchavis.⁷ In the *Niryāvalikā* Ceḍaga consulted “the 18 confederate kings of Kāsi-Kosala, the nine Licchavis and the nine Mallakis” before taking a final decision against the Magadhan king.⁸ Again, on the death of Mahāvīra the 18 confederate kings, mentioned above, instituted a festival commemorating that event,¹ but no separate mention is made of their pretended sovereign Ceḍaga. It is probable that Ceḍaga was simply one of these confederate kings and their peer. Jacobi seems to belittle Ceḍaga’s position, but the emphasis placed upon him in the Jaina texts indicates that at least he headed the Licchavian Council, though no great power was attached to this office. Actual power was vested in the Council of nine. Thus, we may understand why the Buddhists took no notice of him; his influence was not very great and, moreover, was apparently used in the interests of their rivals, the Jainas.²