Story of Nation Buddhist India

Author(s): T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: T Fisher Unwin Ltd

Page 44

TIE (LAUS AND NATIONS
23
There are several other names of tribes of which it is not yet known whether they were clans or under monarchical government. We have only one instance of any tribe, once under a monarchy, reverting to the independent state. And whenever the supreme power in a clan became hereditary, the result seems always to have been an absolute monarchy, without legal limitations of any kind.
The political divisions of India at or shortly before the time when Buddhism arose are well exemplified by the stock list of the Sixteen Great Countries, the Sixteen Powers, which is found in several places in the books. It is interesting to notice that the names are names, not of countries, but of peoples, as we might say Italians or Turks. This shows that the main idea in the minds of those who drew up, or used, this old list was still tribal and not geographical. The list is as follows: 1. Angā
9. Kurū 2. Magadhā 10. Pancālā 3. Kāsī
II. Macchă 4. Kosalā
12. Sūrasenā 5. Vajji
13. Assakā 6. Mallā
14. Avanti 7. Cetī
15. Gandhāră 8. Vamsā
16. Kambojā 1. The Angas dwelt in the country to the east of Magadha, having their capital at Champā, near the
E.G., Anguttara, 1. 213; t. 252, 256, 260; Vinaya Texts, 2. 146.