Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SÚTRA
[Ch. III
According to the interpretation of Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar the passage suggests a federation of 7707 kings who enjoyed autonomy in their local administration but ceded the supreme powers to the Sangha (republic) to conduct the state affairs.
Dr, R. C. Mazumdaris of opinion that the above number of kings only indicates the size of the great supreme assembly represented by a number of kings each of whom maintained a body of officers for running the administration of the state, while Dr. Ghosbale accepts only the number of the kings as true but rejects those of deputy-kings, generals and treasurers.
Dr. Altekare supports the contention of Dr. D. R. Bbandar" kar about the number of kings.
It appears from the study of the above views of all the scholars on this controversial passage that each king maintained a contingent of personal officers and individual treasury. In a real sense the Licchavi Republic cannot be called a democratic state but an oligarchy, because the right of citizenship was granted only to the heads of the permanent residents of the Ksatriya" community but was not extended to the total population of 1,68,000 including inner and outer Vaiśālians. From this it is apparently clear that the sovereignty of the state was vested in those republican chiefs who were entitled to equal rights, privileges and powers in the supreme assembly (Gana),
Though it appears theoretically that every king of the Gaņa had the right to govern the state, in actual practice the administration of the government was run by the experienced elderly members, as it is reflected in the famous dialogue of Lord Buddha that the Vajji elders should be honoured and supported.'
i Carmichael Lectures, p. 154, D. R. C. Bhandarkar. 2 Corporate Life, pp. 93-4 (Ist edition), Dr. R. Mazumdar. 3 I. H. Q. XX, pp. 334 ff. 4 Homage to Vaiśāli, The constitutional history of the
Licchavis. 6 Hoernle, J. A, S. B., 1898, p. 40. 6 Mahāvastu-Trišakuniya, ed. Senart. 1, pp. 256, 271 ;M. V.
and L. V. are the later works but they contain old tradition. 7 Dialogues of Buddha, pt. II, p. 80.