Most Ancient Aryan Society

Author(s): Ram Chandra Jain
Publisher: Institute of Bharatalogical Research Sriganganagar Rajasthan

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( 203 ) character as the secrets could not be maintained. Their republics per force became circumcised, Now all the people could not be associated. Only heads of the villages or other units could be consulted. That explains the existence of 7707 Lichchhavi Gañarājās. The Eastern republics borrowed the Brahmäryan institution of Gaņa, to some extent, to give effective military opposition to the foreign invaders while retaining their republican character of cohesive leadership. It is to this character of Vajjian republic that Buddha refers to the Magadhan chancellor through his disciple Ananda in his famous dialogue contained in Dīghani kāya ; Mahäparinirbāna Sutra. It is an irony of history that the victors in Greece developed the political institution of Tribal Democracy while in Bhärata ; the vanquished developed the institution of Republican Oligarchy. The vanquished in Greece did not survive to accomplish that. That accounts for the further historical events of Bhārata and Greece (and consequently in Europe, America and Australia) in different directions.
We, thus, find that the Gaņa-Way is the tribal way. Its association with Republic Way gave birth to two hybrids, in Greece and Bhārata, the Tribal Democracy and the Republican Oligarchy. The Gaņa-Way was triumphant in Greece. It hopelessly met with disaster in Bhārata.
References 1. K. P. Jayaswal ; Hindu Polity ; 1955; Pages 77-78. 2. K. P. Jayaswal; Op. cit.; Page 48. 3. Bcniprasad ; Political Theory and Administrative System
(Chapter XVII in The Age of Imperial Unity); 1953 Page 331. 4. B. C. Law; North India in sixth Century B. C. (Chapter I in
Age of the Imperial Unity); 1953 Pages 4, 7. 5. Aitareya Brahmaņa ; 1.14. 6. K.P. Jayaswal ; Op. cit.; Page 184.