The state of democracy in Ancient India

It is often thought that democracy originated in west and then it was introduced to India after its independence but this is a wrong belief. Democracy originated in west from two major events, let us try to understand them.

In 1215, King John of England was pressurized by his parliament under the threat of a civil war to sign a document that stated that neither the King nor his government was above the law. This move by the English parliament crippled much of the authoritarian powers of the King of England who would not be able to make arbitrary decisions based on his own desires now. This famous document was known as Magna Carta.

There were several significant outcomes of signing this document:

·         This guaranteed the rights of women and children who inherited property. Before this, there were no property rights for women and children in England.

·         It stated that people could not be punished for crimes unless they were lawfully convicted.

·         It established a limit to the taxation to the king’s people.

This document would later on become the basis for English common law and eventually influence the American law also. But how is the signing of this document related to birth of democracy in Europe?

One of the major consequences of the signing of Magna Carta was the now all the power of the kingdom did not solely rest in the hands of the King only. Now the power to make important decision and take important actions was also in the hands of the members of the parliament. This act of diluting the power can be understood as the first step towards democracy because now more and more people can take part in the decision making process rather than the king only.

The second event that spurred the genesis of democracy in Europe was the French Revolution.

In the 18^th century France was on the brink of bankruptcy due to its involvement in the American Revolution and King Louis 16^th’s extravagant spending. The society was divided into 3 main classes- The Nobility, the Clergy and the commoners where the nobility and the clergy were benefitted from the hard work of the commoners and treated them like slaves. This made the French society extremely unequal. The royal officials were also corrupt and there was a wide spread economic hardship among the French people. The straw that broke the camel’s neck was the time when the King of France needed more money and for this he kept on increasing taxes, this led to a revolt by the French people on 5^th May 1789. This revolt is called the French Revolution.

The major outcomes of this revolution were:

·         It marked the absolute end of monarchy in France.

·         It ended the feudal privileges of nobility.

·         The power of clergy was curbed.

·         A new middle class emerged.

·         The people of French promoted unity among themselves and this gave birth to the concept of Nationalism in Europe.

·         It upheld people’s sovereignty and gave rise to liberal constitutional governments in Europe.

·         It also promoted the concept of human rights.

These changes that were brought about by the French Revolution would eventually become foundations upon which democracy was introduced in Europe.

This shows us how democracy was born in Europe but what is not known is that democracy was present in India almost 3000 years before the Signing of Magna Carta!

RC Majumdar and KP Jaiswal are two of the best historians of Ancient India who have researched and written about the state of democracy in Ancient India. The books that I am referring to are ‘The Corporate Life in Ancient India’ by RC Majumdar and ‘Hindu Polity’ by KP Jaiswal. Both of these show us the nature and the timeline in which democracy was practiced in Ancient India.

According to RC Majumdar, the practice of democracy is mentioned in the Rig Veda itself.

Indra election campaign(RV), Assemblies, Rich people with more cows turn voting results in their favour, Upnishads encourage young people to speakup for themselves and debate in the assemblies, Sabha word also found in Mahabharata, Concept of Janapadas also in MB, Bhishmapitamaha talks about democracies, Sabha, Janapada etc on his deathbed, Licchavis janapada was democratic, they were ruled by multiple kings, they had a constitution of their own, Buddha told Ajatshatru that their strength lies in their unity/democracy(Jataka tales), Chanakya in AS told that how he planned to destroy democracies.

Here are some of the verses of the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, Chandogya Upnishad, Arthashastra and Jatakas to show us that the practice of democracy was very well known in Ancient India.

Rig Veda

1. RV 10.191.2-4:

   • "Assemble, speak together: let your minds be all of one accord, As ancient Gods unanimous sit down to their appointed shares The place is common, common the assembly, common the mind, so be their thought united."

   • This verse emphasizes unity and collective purpose in assemblies, drawing a parallel to the harmonious actions of ancient gods .

2. RV 8.4.9:

o   "O Indra, thy friend is beautiful and rich in horses, chariots and cows. He is always provided with excellent food, majestically goes he to the Sabha.”

o   This verse shows that the Sabha was the meeting spot for both rich and poor and the rich men were there in full splendour.

Page no 38: Indra…..

Atharva Veda

1. AV VII.12.1-3:

   • "Let both assembly (sabha) and gathering (samiti), the two daughters of Prajapati, accordant, favor me; with whom I shall come together, may he desire to aid me; may I speak what is pleasant among those who have come together, O Fathers."

   • This hymn is used in ceremonies for gaining victory in debates or deliberations of an assembly .

2. AV VI.94:

   • "We bend together your minds, together your courses, together your designs; Ye yonder who are of discordant courses, we make you bend (them) together here."

   • This is a verse used in rites for promoting harmony within the assembly .

3. AV XII.1:

   • "I am overpowering, superior by name on the earth; I am subduing, all-overpowering, vanquishing in every region."

   • This verse is recited to assert dominance and superiority in an assembly .

4. AV XV.9:

   • "After him moved out both the assembly and the gathering and the army and strong drink."

   • This refers to the movement of the assembly and other entities, symbolizing their importance .

5. AV V.31:

   • "What (witchcraft) they have made for thee in the assembly (sabha)—I take that back again."

   • The given verse is used in rituals to counteract magic or malevolent influences in the assembly .

6. AV VII.88:

   • "Fixed, unmoved, do thou slaughter the foes; make them that play the foe fall below (thee); all the quarters like-minded, concordant; let the gathering (samiti) here suit thee."

   • Prayed for ensuring agreement between the king and the assembly .

Upanishads

1. Chandogya Upanishad, V.3.6:

   • Mentions the participation of kings in assemblies, underscoring the integration of political and spiritual duties .

Ramayana

1.     Ramayana (Ayodhyakanda):

o   When Lord Rama was to be consecrated as the King of Ayodhya, King Dashratha would gather an assembly of all of his subordinate kings and ask them whether Lord Ram was a suitable candidate for bring a king or not. The assembly members voted that Lord Rama should be their next king.

Mahabharata

1. Santi Parva, Section 107:

   • Discusses the importance of assemblies (sabha) and councils (samiti) in the context of governance and administration, highlighting their roles in political life .

Vajasayena Samhita. (II. 45 ; XX. i7.):

o   “We expiate by sacrifice each sinful act that we have committed, in the village, in the wilderness and in the Sabha.”

o   This verse throws light on the working of the Sabhas.

Arthashastra

1. Book 1, Chapter 15:

   • Discusses the role of assemblies and councils in statecraft, including their organization and functions in the administration .

These excerpts provide a comprehensive view of how ancient texts referenced and integrated assemblies and councils into the political and social fabric of ancient India.

From Jataka Tales: The democracy and constitution of the Licchavis are discussed in various Jataka tales within "Corporate Life in Ancient India." Here are the key points from the verses and stories:

1. Ekapaiina Jataka (No. 149, I, 504):

   • It mentions that in the city of Vaishali, there were always 7,707 kings who governed the kingdom, along with an equal number of viceroys, generals, and treasurers. This indicates a large and complex administrative structure with shared responsibilities​​.

2. Chullakalinga Jataka (No. 301, III-I):

   • Provides similar information to the Ekapaiina Jataka, with additional details. It mentions that the ruling family of the Licchhavis comprised 7,707 members, all of whom were known for their argument and disputation, highlighting the democratic nature of their assemblies where active debate was common​​.

3. Bhadda Sala Jataka (No. 465, IV. 14a):

   • This tale refers to a tank in the city of Vaisali, reserved for the ceremonial sprinkling by the families of the kings. It describes how the commander-in-chief of Kosala violated the tank's sanctity, leading to a confrontation with 500 angry Licchhavi kings. This story emphasizes the sacred and organized nature of their societal structures and the collective authority held by numerous leaders​​.

These accounts from the Jataka tales collectively depict the Licchhavis as having a well-established and large democratic system where governance was distributed among many rulers, and active participation and debate were integral to their political culture.

As we have seen that it is evident from above verses that the concept and practice of democracy was alive and kicking from Rig Vedic era to the Pre Mauryan era. The true end of the democracy came in Ancient India came when Chanakya decided to make Chandragupta Maurya one of the greatest kings of Ancient India.