Jainism

Author(s): N R Guseva
Publisher: Sindu Publications P L

Page 23

THE RISE OF REFORMATORY
of the Aryans by the local population extremely original, ethnical and socio-economic conditions were formed in the eastern regions. These conditions were not similar to those in which the processes of assimilation went on in the period of much later and much massive settlements of Aryans in India.
Precisely these original conditions, which were taking shape in the eastern part of the Gangetic plains were the most important factor, ensuring extensive development of new religious teachings, in particular of Jainism and Buddhism, in the middle of the first millennium B.C.
The republics— Janapadas of the eastern regions, as also the republics, which were existing in other regions of India are widely known as Kshatriya republics in the Indological literature. Here, on the territory of modern Bihar and the eastern regions of the state of Uttar Pradesh, republics of Shakkya, Koliya, Lichchavi (Vaishali), Videha, Bhana, Bali, Malla, Mariya etc. were situated. In some republics, monarchic mode of rule soon took shape, other republics pretty soon captured the neighbouring republics or united with them in confederations, carrying the common name. In the middle of the first millennium B.C. almost all of them were subordinate to the neighbouring monarchic slave-owning state of Magadha, but in the course of the subsequent sixth-eighth centuries often fell away from it, again came under its power or under the power of other strong rulers and as Altekar considers, ceased to exist only by the fourth century A.D.12
In this small work, we cannot delve deeper into the detailed explanation of the ethnical composition of the non-Aryan population of these republics. This is the subject of profound and special research. Here we will make an attempt to state briefly and in general outline, our view as to how the ethnical processes took shape in the north-west regions.
If until the beginning of the invasions of the Aryans, the population of the eastern part of the Gangetic plains was probably comparatively small, then the number and density of this population must have inevitably grown as a result of the penetration of the Aryans, and probably because many a tribe and possibly parts of strong and developed peoples
12.
A. S. Altekar, State and Government in Ancient India, p. 137.