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1. DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS:
SABHA SAMITI VIDATHA PAURA-JANAPADA
Sachin Kr. Tiwary

2. Democratic Institutions
1. Sabha
2. Samiti
3. Vidatha
4. Paura-Janapada

3. Sabha
Samiti

4. INTRODUCTION
• Villages has popular assemblies called sabha and samiti.
• Sabha and Samiti enjoyed high prestige in Vedic period.
• In, Rigvedic period, the political affairs control through Sabha and Samiti.
• Brahmana and Smrutis also referred their authority over the administration and the
king
• King took particular care to be in good grace of Sabha and Samiti
• Loss of the favor and support of Sabha and Samiti regarded as dire calamity to king.
• The exact relations between the Sabha and the Samiti cannot be deduced from the
available evidence.
• The Vedic Assemblies consisted of two Houses the twin daughters of Lord Prajaprati.
• There is a great deal of controversy among scholars about the precise duties and
functions of Sabha and Samiti.

5. SABHA
• The Sabha is mentioned eight times in the Rigveda.
• And seventeen times in the Atharva Veda.
• Sabha denotes a hall where people held their meeting (Meeting Hall).
• The gathering of Sabha was organized probably for administrative
purposes.
• Sabha referred to a "body of men shining together”.
• It was a gathering of elders, Brahmins.
• One function of Sabha was act as judicial department (national judicial).
• The Sabha was called ‘trouble’ and ‘vehemence’ in the Paraskara Grihya.

6. Sabha
District
Court
Assembly
hall

7. SABHA: AS ASSEMBLY
• Rigveda speaks of Sabha as the dicing and the gambling
assembly.
• It was also used for popular amusements such as dancing and
music.
• Sabha was also associated with witchcraft and magic.
• The Sabha discussed pastoral affairs.
• Cattle being one of the main sources of livelihood of the people.

8. HISTORIOGRAPHY OF SABHA
Rigveda:
• When Assembly (sabha) met, sacrifice was offered
• The fire used being called “sabhya”
• Maitrayani Sanhita:
a) Women's can attend the Sabha
b) Women can take part in political meetings
c) Sabha also called as Village court house (District Court)

9. SABHA AS A COURT HOUSE
• Sabhasad and sabhachar were members of the court house
• Court house, village judge (Gramya-vadin) mention more
often in Yajurveda
• It indicate, sabha met usually for Court house than political
meetings
• Yajurveda: Chief of the sabha called as “Sabhapati”
• Taitriy Sanhita: Guardian of the sabha probably called as
“Sabha-pal”

10. MEMBERS OF SABHA
1. sabha-vin (keeper of the gambling/assembly hall);
2.sabha-saha (eminent in the assembly);
3.sabha-pati (lord of the assembly);
4.sabheya and sabha-yogya (worthy of the assembly);
5. sabha-chara, sabhasad, and sabhyas (member of the assembly);
6.sabha-vati (woman member of the assembly); and
7. sabha-pala (guardian of the assembly).

11. Dicing, Social
discussions, Debates,
Entertainment
Political Discussion
Court house
Assembly hall
Sabha

12. NATURE OF SABHA
• Sabha, was noteworthy constitutional organisation in the Vedic and later
period.
• Prayer for co-operation in the Sabha shows the political importance of
Sabha.
• The Sabha is called narishta - a resolution that cannot be broken.
• A resolution of the Sabha was considered binding on all and inviolable.
• Free discussion was held in the Sabha.

13. FUNCTIONS OF SABHA
1. Discussion on cattle
2.Gable hall
3.Social club
4.Simple village government
5. Matters of village disputes
6.Matters of communal safety
7. Association of king for social gathering than political

14. Samiti

15. SAMITI
• Samiti finds mention in 9 places in the Rigveda and 13 times in
Athrav veda.
• All six come from Book one and ten: later than Sabha.
• It is generally recognized that early Samiti was a folk assembly
• In which the people of the tribe gathered for enacting tribal
business.
• Early functions of the Samiti embraced several political
activities.
• Philosophical questions too were discussed.
• It was concerned with religious ceremonies and prayers.

16. POLITICAL NATURE OF SAMITI
• It seem Political functions more prominent than others.
• References suggest that the king was elected and re-elected by
the Samiti.
• Election of the King in case of elective monarchies was carried
only by the vis who assembled in the Samiti,
• All the prayers and ceremonies, charms and counter charms,
were directed to one end alone- to get better of one’s rivals in
debate.

17. FUNCTIONS OF SAMITI
1. Election of the King,
2.Re-election of a king who had been banished
3.Discussion of the State matters .
• The king attended the Samiti.
• It was thought necessary that he should do so.
• The Rigveda has “a true king going to the Samiti”.

18. Religious Discussions
Samiti
Prayers and
Ceremonies
Political Matter:
Election of King

19. NATURE OF SAMITI
• Various issues were discussed in the Samiti.
• The Samiti had its Pati or Ishana (President).
• He is referred to as the “lord” (Isana) of this assembly (chief).
• The speaker wanted to prove himself to be contradicted.
• In discussions, the speakers were to make speeches agreeable the assembled Samiti.
• Its seems it act as Central Assembly
• The Samiti had a very long life.
• Its continuous existence is attested from Rigveda and later by the Chandogya
Upanishad (800 to 700 B. C.).
• It disappears before the time of the Jatakas (600 B.C.E)

20. SAMITI
• In Vedic texts:
• After completing the education the youngsters presenting
himself before the samiti.
• Samiti acting as a sort of Academy.
• The Speaker wanted to prove himself “brilliant” in the samiti.
• Samitis another functions was to develop a society

21. SAMITI
• According to Altekar
1. Learned gathering
2.King pay visit to Samiti
3.Political Assembly of central government
4.Control over military
5. Control over central administration
6.Example. If Samiti assumed an obstructive attitude, the life of the king
become miserable.
7. Samiti which important during Rigveda and Atharvaveda, disappear in
later Sanhita's and brahmana.

22. Samiti
Political
Discussions
Philosophical
questions
Religious
ceremonies
Central
Assembly

23. DISCUSSION ON SABHA & SAMITI
• Difference between Sabha and Samiti are not very clear.
• Zimmer: Sabha was the assembly of the villages while Samiti denotes the central
assembly of the tribe attended by the king.
• R.C. Majumdar agrees with Zimmer’s viewpoint.
• Jayswal: Samiti was national Assembly while Sabha was its standing body
• Macdonnel: believes that it is quite evident that the king went to the Sabha just as
much as the Samiti.
• Hillebrandt sees no distinction between the two and considers them as one and the
same.
• Ludwig believes that Samiti was the assembly of the whole people (Lower House)
and the Sabha was an analogue of the council of elders, rich men and Priests
(Upper House).

24. OBSERVATIONS
• Different scholars put forth different views regarding the two institutions.
• However, it is clearly indicate that these bodies were an assembly of people be it
local or central.
• Sabha and Samiti were important centres of discussion and deliberation of social,
political and economic lives of the people.
• Sabha and Samiti played an important role in the election of kings in some places,
judicial roles in others.
• Discussions on economic matters and daily lives can be clearly inferred from the
above.
• Sabha and Samiti seems to be providing a platform for the freedom of speech,
debate, tolerance etc.
• It presents picture of ancient democratic elements.

25. Vidath

26. VIDATHA
• Vidatha was another administrative elements of ancient
India
• Rigveda mentions 97 verses (more than sabha and samiti)
• Atharv veda: 20 hymns
• Vidatha derived from vid: to know
• Vidatha also mean “ordinance”
• Vidatha was a religious assembly.
• Vidatha existence can be traced earlier than samiti

27. VIDATHA
• Vidatha may associated with civil, military and religious functions
• The Vidatha was an assembly in which both men and women
participated.
• Altekar: it was big assembly, representing entire tribe
• Altekar: reference of people being arranged in groups in Vidatha and
singing and dancing.
• Women role was prominent in Vidatha.
• It functioned as centres for settling disputes, redistribution, and
provided a place for performing sacrifice.
• Rarely king represented in Vidatha.

28. VIDATHA
1. Altekar: Vidatha indicated a religious or sacrificial gathering
and rituals required the highest knowledge
2. According to Roth: Vidatha is a body which gives order
3. In some verses the Vidath occurs in sense of gathering and no
political connections.
4.Geldner: Vidatha means knowledge, wisdom
5.Zimmer: Vidatha means smaller assembly than samiti
6.Jayaswal: Religious assembly

29. Religious Discussions
Vidath
Civil & Military issues
Religious Assembly

30. Paur
Janapada

31. PAUR JANAPADA
• K.P. Jayaswal: Sabha and samiti of Rigvedic period letter known as Paura-
Janapadas.
• Paura-Janapadas: References are found in texts.
• Paura-Janapadas: two bodies of town and villages.
• Paura-Janapadas: constitutional body consisting representative of the capital and the
country.
• Paur: Capital Assembly
• Janapada: State Assembly
• Paura-Janapadas was very prestigious organizations
• References mentioned that the state would often refuse to grants any relief to the
person who was working against Paura-Janapadas.

32. REFERENCE OF PAUR JANAPADS
According to K.P. Jayaswal
• Evidence of such bodies
1. Ramayana
2.King Khravela of chedi dynasty, Odisha
3.Law of Janpadas by Manu

33. PAURA-JANAPADAS
According to Dr. Altekar
1. There were no twin assemblies of Paura-Janapadas in ancient India
2.Expressions of Paura-Janapadas is generally used in plural (Paura-
Janapadas:
2.1. It Denotes generally citizens not twin assemblies

34. PAURA-JANAPADAS
• Ramayana: mentions Paura-Janapadas in plural
• Ramayan; Altekar: Paura-Janapadas in Ramayana is denotes generally citizens of Paura-Janapadas not
any constitutional or representative body.
• Paura-Janapadas: means ordinary citizens who accompanied (along with Bharata)
• Hathigumpha Inscriptions:
• Line 7: King conferred many favors (anugrahas) amounting to or numbering hundreds of thousands on
the Paura-Janapadas.
• Jaiswal: Anugrahas here is Constitutional Privilege conferred upon the
a) City-Cooprations
b) Realm-Corporations
• Altekar: not refer to any central assembly
• Altekar: Not Excepted .

35. CONCLUSION
• Sabha and Samiti are mentioned together
four times in the Atharvaveda and every
time Sabha appears first and Samiti next.
• Thus, Samiti, it can be inferred gained
importance only towards the end of the
Rigveda period.
• This again suggests Sabha is older than
Samiti.
• Vidath was also a socio-political and
religious set up.
• Existence of Paur janapadas are not
widely excepted now.
Sabha
Samiti
Vidath
Paur-
Janapada
Oldest + political Assembly
Elected the King, Central Assembly
Military & Religious functions
Dr. Jaiswal views are not accepted
by Dr Altekar.