South Asia’s republican legacy

Buddha during the time of his passing (~400BCE) said,

“Ananda, so long as the Vajjians hold these full and frequent public assemblies, meet together in concord and carry out their undertakings…and act in accordance with their ancient institutions…so long as they honour and esteem, revere and support the Vajjian elders…and hold it a point of duty to hearken their words…so long may the Vajjians be expected not to decline but to prosper.”
– Mahanibbana Sutta, Buddhist canonical text

Buddha was referring to the republican government of the Licchavi clan of the Vajji state. One of the chief 16 states existing since 600 BCE in the subcontinent. He was so impressed by the house of of 7,707 representatives which discussed all important questions, by its conduct of proceedings and management of the Vajjian and other republican state affairs that Buddha adopted this democratic constitution for the Buddhist Sangha.

A memorial of Buddha created after his death. An oversized foot imprint showing the Dharma chakra which was the inspiration for the Ashoka chakra found on the Indian tricolour today.

This is just and example of the multiple states which were republican in nature during 600 BCE in South Asia. The operation and management of the political theory of these states have been well recorded by the Greek and the Chinese historians and the indigenous scholars. Most of the states which repelled Alexander’s inavasion were in fact republican in nature.

Panini the grammarian, in his work Ashtadhyayi (~600BCE) recounts that atleast 14 states had republican governments. Firmly placing the history of South Asian republican governments 200 years earlier than Greek republican governments.

Very interestingly the author of Shanti parva (Chp 107) from the great epic Mahabharata states a fact about democratic republics that has remained relevant through these millennia. He proposes that democratic republics face two main dangers of disunion and dissension. To counter these the principal members of these states should have forbearance and tolerance. It is the internal dangers fomented by the enemies by creating disunion and corruption, that a democratic republic should guard against. The external danger is is not of much importance.

Cultural cross bridge

North meets South India. A cultural cross bridge.

After the fall of Maurya in 230 BCE an Empire called the Satavahana (also known as Andhra) arose in the central Indian peninsula.

Their dynastic rule remained unbroken for 450 years and were the Empire that withstood the onslaughts of Indo-Scythians (Sakas), Ionian Greeks (Yavanas) and Indo-Parthians (Pahlavas) from the west.

The Satvahana Empire was right in the centre of south Asia, forming a cultural corridor between the north and the south. 230 BCE- 210 CE.

Their military and naval might was something to boast about as Megasthenes the Greek chronicler wrote that Andhras possessed 1,00,000 infantry, 2000 cavalry, 1000 elephant units and 30 well fortified towns.

The most important aspect of Satavahana Empire according to us was that it brought about an intermingling of cultures from north India to the south. Racially, the people of Deccan -where the Empire was located- had a diverse ancestry. A mixture of aboriginal Dravidians, Sakas, Pahlavas and the Yavanas.

Even though Satavahana kings are known for the spread of Hinduism, a lot of evidence exists in the form of sculpture and temples that they promoted all forms of extant philosophies.
Relief work on a Stupa at Sanchi, India showing Buddha walking on water, belonging to the Satavahana period.

On a rock edict found in the Empire- “Here in the king’s domain among the Yavanas, the Khambhojas, the Nabhakas, the Nabhapamkits, the Bhojas, the Pitinikas, the Andhras and the Palidas, everywhere people are following Beloved-of-the-gods’ instructions in Dhamma.”

Coins produced in the Satavahana Empire sometimes had inscriptions in Prakrit on one side and Tamil on the other.
This lead coin shows a bull with inscriptions in Bramhic script.

The Satvahanas played a vital role in trade, transfer of ideas and culture from the Indo-Gangetic plain to the southern tip of India and beyond to south-east Asia.

A stupa arch with relief work showing the tale of Vasantara and his selfless generosity from ‘The Jataka Tales’.

Bodhisena

Bodhisena, also known as Baromon Sojo or Boddai Senna in Japan

Bodhisena was a south Indian Buddhist monk (704 CE- 760 CE). He was invited by the Japanese Emperor Shomu to perform the “Eye opening ceremony” of the Buddha statue at Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan, 752 CE.

The statue of Buddha upon which Bodhisena performed the “eye opening” ceremony at Todai-ji, Nara, Japan, 752 CE.

He was joined by two very important figures from Japanese history during his Journey. Genbo, who carried with him 5000 fascicles of the Chinese Buddhist canon and Kibi no Makibi, who was a poet and has been credited with developing the modern japanese alphabet called Katakana. It was during this journey that Bodhisena influenced Genbo with his Buddhist philosophy, setting up the Kegon school of Buddhism in Japan. The heavy influence of Sanskrit alphabet on Kibi’s Katakana has also been attributed to this journey. The arrangement of Japanese syllabary based on the Sanskrit system is linked to Bodhisena’s influence in Japan, which, according to Riri Nakayama, “will continue as long as the Japanese language continues to exist”.

Japan’s traditional court dance and music still preserve some of the forms introduced by Bodhisena into Japan.

Daian-ji temple, Nara, Japan where Bodhisena lived until his death in 760 CE.

Bodhisena lived out his life in the Daian-ji temple in Japan where he died in 760 CE.