Bharat Ek Khoj 09: Republics & Kingdoms

Bharat Ek Khoj—The Discovery of India
A Production of Doordarshan, the Government of India’s Public Service Broadcaster
Episode 9: Republics & Kingdoms

With K.K. Raina as Virudhaka, Virendra Saxena as Mahanama, Utkarsh Majumdar as Sudakka, Virendra Razdan as Ambarish, Rakesh Shrivastava as lllissa, Surendra Sharma as Messenger, Ravi Kemmu as Town Crier, and Alopi Verma, Mahendra Raghuvanshi Yusuf Khurram, and Sanjiv Virmani as Councilors.

There is a widespread aerial view of ancient India. Nehru observes that in all probability, this India was a collection of small agriculturally based states. There were many tribal republics, some of which covered large areas. There were also petty kingdoms and even city-states with powerful guilds of merchants. Nehru notes that whatever the form of organisation, the tradition of city or village autonomy was very strong, and even when an overlordship was acknowledged, there was no interference down the line with a prevalent primitive kind of democracy.

The above is illustrated in the working of the four principal kingdoms in Central and Northern India: Kashi, Koshala, Panchala and Magadha. The local autonomy is seen as greatly prized. In the dramatic narrative, there is an altercation when the traders‘ liberty is severely interfered with cross-border taxation by neighbouring kingdoms and royal councils take up consequent complaints. In the ensuing discussion, local autonomy is emphasised, class affiliations are mentioned and the elders quote legends of a king’s army being defeated by the sages performing yajnas and sacrifices with primitive weapons. What emerges is the essential dichotomy between the democratic council of Shakyas and the autocratic kingdom of Koshala. Despite the Buddha Tathagata’s advice to his clan-people to resist if attacked, a treacherous Koshala army which does not honour their commitment of honourable détente routs them. The floodgates open to Koshala’s control with a superior military force and all-round devastation wrought in the Shakya community.

Nehru points out that kingship, originally elective, became hereditary according to the rule of primogeniture. Women were normally excluded from this right of the first-born child. The king (or leader) was held responsible if anything went wrong. There was a council of ministers (or advisers) and some kind of state (or autonomous) assembly. Where there was a king, he was fairly autocratic, though functioning within established conventions. The high priest had an important position in court as an adviser. That the subjects‘ happiness was the king’s happiness was best enumerated in the Rama legend from the Ramayana and held as the ideal epitome of kingship.

Видео Bharat Ek Khoj 09: Republics & Kingdoms канала PublicResourceOrg