Vedic Polity
Vedic Polity
CONCLUSION
THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE STATE LIKE THE FIXED
TERRITORY,A REGULAR SOURCE OF INCOME AND
THE STANDING ARMY WAS ABSENT IN THE VEDIC
PERIOD.
THE PEOPLE WERE MORE ATTACHED TO THE KIN
RATHER THAN TO ANY TERRITORY.
THE TRIBUTES WHICH THE VICTORIOUS KING
RECEIVED FROM THE VANQUISHED,WERE
OBLIGATORY BUT NOT REGULAR.
THIS IS ALSO TRUE OF THE ARMY WHICH SEEMS TO
BE AN IMPOVERISHED ONE MOBILISED OUT OF THE
TRIBESMEN,WHENEVER THE NEED AROSE.
BUT THE PROCESS WHICH GAVE RISE TO THE STATE
ORGANS HAVE ALREADY BEGIN IN THIS PERIOD.
TRIBAL ASSEMBLIES
VIDATHA..
IT WAS THE EARLIEST VILLAGE FOLK ASSEMBLY
ATTENDED BY MEN AND WOMEN ,PERFORMING ALL
KINDS OF
FUNCTIONS,ECONOMIC,MILITARY,RELIGIOUS AND
SOCIAL.
IT ANSWERED THE NEED OF THE PRIMITIVE WHICH
HARDLY KNEW THE DIVISION OF LABOUR OR
DOMINATION OF MALE OVER THE FEMALE .
THE KEYSTONE OF THE VIDATH SYSTEM WAS THE
CO-OPERATION.
IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE TAKEN ACTIVE
PART IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
SABHA
SABHA A ND SAMITI ARE REGARDED AS THE TWIN DAUGHTERS OF THE LORD PRAJAPATI.
THE SABHA AT FIRST WAS THE ASSOCIATION OF THE KINSFOLK,BUT LATER BACAME
ALSO AN ASSOCIATION OF MEN BOUND TOGETHER EITHER BY TIES OF BLOOD OR LOCAL
CONTIGUITY.
IT WAS A CENTRAL ARISTOCRATIC GATHERING ASSOCIATED WITH THE KING AND CAN BE
LABELLED AS THE POLITICAL COUNCIL.
IT WAS A TRIBAL ASSEMBLY WHERETHE MEMBERS DEBATED OVER THE DOMESTICATION
OF CATTLE,PLAYED DICE AND OFFERED PRAYERS AND SACRIFICES.IN THE LATER VEDIC
TIMES WOMEN ALSO ATTENTED THE SABHA BUT IT WAS DISCONTINUED LATER IN THE
VEDIC TIMES.
THIS ASSEMBLY CAME TO ASSUME A PATRIARCHIAL AND ARISTOCRATIC CHARACTER IN
THE LATER VEDIC PERIOD.
ALTHOUGH IT WAS COMPOSED OF THE MEMBERS OF HIGH CHARACTER AND
INTEGRITY ,LEARNING AND BEARING------IN OTHER WORDS MEN OF DISTINCTION AND
HIGH SOCIAL STATUS.
THE SABHA TRANSACTED BOTH POLITICAL AND NON-POLITICAL BUSINESS.IT
DELIBERATED OVER THE PASTORAL AFFAIRS AND MATTERS CONCERNING RELIGION.IT
ALSO FUNCTION AS THE NATIONAL JUDICATURE.
THE SABHA CONDUCTED ITS BUSINESS BY DEBATE AND DISCUSSIONS.FREE AND FRANK
DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD BEFORE ARRIVING AT UNANIMOUS DECISIONS.THE DECISION
OF THE SABHA WERE BINDING ON ALL.THE KING ATTENDED THE MEETING OF THE
SABHA AND CONIDERED ITS ADVISE TO BE OF SUPREME IMPORTANCE.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE SABHA WAS CALLED SABHAPATI.
SAMITI
IT IS SOMETHING LIKE A LOWER HOUSE ,A MORE COMPREHENSIVE BODY
CONSISTING OF ALL THE COMMON PEOPLE ---THE BRAHAMANS AND THE
LOWER AND RICH PATRONS
IN OTHER WORDS ,IT WAS AN AUGUST ASSEMBLY OF A LARGER GROUP OF
PEOPLE FOR THE DISCHARGE OF TRIBAL BUSINESS AND WAS PRESIDED
OVER BY THE KING.
AMONGST ITS FUNCTIONS MENTIONS MUST BE MADE OF THE THE
ELECTIONS OF THE KING.IT COULD EVEN RE-ELECT THE KING WHO HAD
BEEN BANISHED.
ALL THE MATTERS OF THE STATE ,MILITARY AND EXECUTIVE AFFAIRS WERE
DISCUSSED AND DECIDED BY THE SAMITI.
QUESTIONS WHICH WERE NON-POLITICAL IN CHARACTER WERE ALSO
DISCUSSED BY THE SAMITI .AS A NATIONAL ACADEMY ,IT TESTED THE
KNOWLEDGE OF EDUCATED PERSONS.
AS A DELIBERATIVE BODY,THE PROCEEDING OF THE SAMITI WERE
CONDUCTED BY DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS WITH A VIEW TO ACHIEVING
CONCORD.
EMPHASIS WAS LAID ON THE CONCORD BETWEEN THE KING AND THE
ASSEMBLY AND ON THE SPIRIT OF THE HARMONY AMONG ITS MEMBERS.