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Lord Mahāvīra and His Times
overlordship of 80,000 villages was apportioned ; he collected together the chiefs (Gamikas) of these villages and gave them instructions in worldly things. . JUDICIAL ADMİNISTRATION.
In times of peace, the principal work of the king was to attend to the administration of justice. In the Rājovāda Jātaka, it is said of the king that he gave decisions in law-suits. The final decision in law-courts as well as the final word regarding the punishment for breaking the law remained with him. The legal life of the smaller towns and villages passed very much out of the direct sphere of action of the king and remained a matter for his representatives as long as no appeal was made against the judgments of these to the king as a higher authority.
The Ministers, especially the Vinichchayāmachcha, and also the Purohita and the Senapati, both took part in the administration of justice, advised the king and, in some cases, had some influence upon his judgments. Vinichchayāmachcha was the Minister of justice. His judgment was final in the case of aquittal; in other cases, the matter was referred to the Vohārikas. He not only gave judicial decisions, but also advised on matters of law and morality. The Grāmabhojaka also exercised judicial powers in the village. The penal code in the reign of Bimbisāra included as punishments imprisonment in jails (Kāra), mutilation of limbs, and the like.3 MILITARY ORGANIZATION
As wars and frontier troubles were very common in those days, the state had necessarily to keep and maintain a wellcquipped and organized military force always at its command. The army consisted of four branches, namely, chariots (raha) clephants (gaja), cavalry (haza), and infantry (pāyatta).
1. Ja, 11. . 2. l'ohuritas-SX.Vyacahārikas are not found in the Jatakas. In Mv, 1.40,3
and in the Chy, VI, 4.9, they have been mentioned. They were judicial
officers, 3. l'inara, VII, 3, 5.
