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[168]
The Upasaka Dasanga Sutra was pleased. She bowed and paid homage to the Lord. After bowing and paying homage, she said, "O Bhagavan! I have faith in the Nirgrantha teachings (I believe in the Nirgrantha teachings, the Nirgrantha teachings are pleasing to me, O Bhagavan! This is so, this is true, this is the truth, this is desired, this is accepted, this is desired and accepted), as you have expounded, so it is. O Devānupriya! Just as many of your fierce guardians, ministers of the king of enjoyment (members of the council of advisors of the king of the Rajanya, officials of the Kshatriya dynasty, Brahmanas, Subhatas, warriors, soldiers, administrators, members of the Mallaki republic, members of the Lichchhavi republic, and many other kings, powerful, sword-wielding, arrogant, wealthy, wealthy commanders and merchants) etc. have become monks, having renounced their household life, I am unable to become a monk (by renouncing my household life and entering the Anāgāra dharma). Therefore, I wish to take the five Anuvratas, the seven Shikshavrata, twelve types of Shravaka dharma from you.
When Agni Mitra said this, the Lord said, "O Devānupriya! Do what makes you happy, do not delay."
**Discussion**
The words Mallaki and Lichchhavi in this Sutra point to a very important period in Indian history. While today, Europe, especially England, is often called the birthplace of democracy (mother of democracy), in India, the successful use of a democratic system of government took place millennia ago. In the time of Bhagavan Mahavira and Buddha, there were many such states in what is now eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where people elected representatives to govern according to their own special republican system. The word "king" was used for them too, but it did not denote the owner of a hereditary kingdom. The word "king" is used for both Bhagavan Mahavira's father Siddhartha and Buddha's father Shuddhodana, but they were elected kings or members of the council of government of the confederate states, who were responsible for the governance of a particular area.
These confederate states are described in many places in ancient Pali and Prakrit texts. Some confederacies would join together to form a larger confederacy. The Vajji confederacy was famous, which included mainly the Lichchhavis, Nāyas (Jñātrikas), and Vajjis. The Shakyas of Kapilavastu, the Mallas of Pava and Kushinara, the Mauryas of Pippalivan, the Videhas of Mithila, the Lichchhavis of Vaishali, and the Nāyas were very famous in the confederate states of that time. The word Mallaki used here is for those associated with the Malla confederate state, and the word Lichchhavi is for those associated with the Lichchhavi confederate state. Bhagavan Mahavira's father Siddhartha was associated with the Lichchhavi and Nāya confederacies. The head of the Lichchhavi confederate state was Chetaka, whose sister Trishala was married to Siddhartha. That is, Chetaka was Bhagavan Mahavira's maternal uncle. The Kalpasutra mentions a federal community consisting of nine Mallakis, nine Lichchhavis, and eighteen republics of Kashi and Kosala.