Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c9.s4.86

c9.s4.86

However, in some cases a strong, worthy and popular president might well have continued in his office for a longer period of time covering some 25 to 30 years, but this would be unusual. In the more democratic Athens, Cleisthenes, the founder of that democracy, is said to have governed for 31 years,³ but such a long period of office was not the general rule. In our opinion it is unlikely that the elected head of the Licchavian *gaṇa* held office for more than 10 to 15 years, except in very exceptional circumstances. The case with the *uparājā* would be similar. But the change in the office of the *bhaṇḍāgārika* might have been less frequent as at that time it would have been difficult to find an experienced and expert treasurer. We do have definite evidence from a Buddhist Sanskrit text, the *Cīvaravastu*, that the *senāpati* was appointed for life.⁴ No difficulties seem to have arisen from the life-tenure of the general similar to the events at Rome leading to the Civil Wars. The admiration won by the general during the successful anti-Magadhan campaigns does not seem to have made the assembly fearful of the power he could wield after the immediate threat was over. The Civil Wars in Rome which witnessed the downfall of the Republic were directly caused by the struggles between the all-powerful generals who had been too long retained in office because of this very quality of efficiency in the battlefield.