________________ The Glory that was Vaisali 141 said, "There are chariots in sight, my lord". "Then tell me", said he, "when they all look like one chariot"; when they all in a line looked like one, she said, "My lord, I see as it were the head of one chariot." "Take the reins, then." said he, and gave the reins into her hands; he stood upright in the chariot and strung his bow. The chariot-wheel sank into the carth nave-deep. The Licchavis came to the place, and saw it; but turned not back. The other went on a little further, and twanged the bow-string; then came a noise as the noise of a thunderbolt, yet even then they turned not, but pursued on and on. Bandhula stood up in the chariot and shed a shaft and it cleft the beads of all the five hundred chariots, and passed right through the five hundred kings in the place where the girdle is fastened, and then buried itself in the earth. They not perceiving that they were wounded pursued still, shouting, "Stop, holloa, stop !" Bandhula stopped his chariot, and said, "You are dead men, and I cannot fight with the dead". "What !" said they, "dead, such as we now are ?" "Loose the girdle of the first man", said Bandhula. They loosed his girdle, and at that instant the girdle was loosed, he fell dead. Then he said to them, "You are all of you in the same condition; go to your homes, and set in order what should be ordered, and give your directions to your wives and families, and then doff your armour". They did so, and then all of them gave up the ghost. And Bandhula conveyed Mallika to Savatthi. She bore him twin sons sixteen times in succession. From the Jataka and other contemporary literature we learn that true democratic spirit prevailed in Vaisali, that important matters were discussed in the assembly and "what was desired by 10 was opposed by 20", that the Senapati was the head of the State and that the executive was controlled by the Assembly even in minute details. Simha, the fatherin-law of Bimbisara, became Senapati being elected to that post by the Assembly. The city of Vaisali was divided into three residential quarters based on wealth. There was restriction of marriage between equals in each quarters. Thus the constitution, though it was democratic, did not imply social equality. Of great social interest is the news that a foreigner, Khanda by name, and the courtesan Amrapali were assigned quarters in the highest quarters of the city. The Gana declared that Amrapali being the most accomplished woman in Vaisali (Vaisali-striratna) should not marry, but remail a common object of pleasure. This coupled with the fact that Amrapali was assigned residence in the highest quarter, shows the flexibility of social rules on merit and special circumstances. We are told that in order Rajagtha, the Magadhan capital, might not
