Editing Republic (section)

===Indian subcontinent===
{{main|Gaṇasaṅgha}}
Early republican institutions come from the independent [[Gaṇasaṅgha|{{transliteration|sa|gaṇasaṅgha}}]]s{{Mdash}}[[gana|{{transliteration|sa|gaṇa}}]] means 'tribe' and [[sangha|{{transliteration|sa|saṅgha}}]] means 'assembly'{{Mdash}}which may have existed as early as the 6th century BC and persisted in some areas until the 4th century AD in India. The evidence for this is scattered, however, and no pure historical source exists for that period. [[Diodorus]], a Greek historian who wrote two centuries after the time of [[Alexander the Great]]'s invasion of India (now Pakistan and northwest India) mentions, without offering any detail, that independent and democratic states existed in India.<ref>Diodorus 2.39{{full citation|date=December 2024}}</ref> Modern scholars note the word ''democracy'' at the time of the 3rd century BC and later suffered from degradation and could mean any autonomous state, no matter how aristocratic in nature.<ref>Larsen, 1973, pp. 45–46{{full citation|date=December 2024}}</ref><ref>de Sainte, 2006, pp. 321–3{{full citation|date=December 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png|right|250px|thumb|The [[Mahajanapadas]] were the sixteen most powerful and vast kingdoms and republics of the era; there were also a number of smaller kingdoms stretching the length and breadth of [[Ancient India]]. Among the mahajanapadas and smaller states, the [[Shakya]]s, [[Koliya]]s, [[Malla (tribe)|Mallaka]]s, and [[Licchavi (tribe)|Licchavi]]s followed republican government.]]
Key characteristics of the {{transliteration|sa|gaṇa}} seem to include a ''gaṇa mukhya'' (chief), and a deliberative assembly. The assembly met regularly. It discussed all major state decisions. At least in some states, attendance was open to all free men. This body also had full financial, administrative, and judicial authority. Other officers, who rarely receive any mention, obeyed the decisions of the assembly. Elected by the {{transliteration|sa|gaṇa}}, the chief apparently always belonged to a family of the noble class of ''[[Kshatriya]] [[Varna (Hinduism)|Varna]]''. The chief coordinated his activities with the assembly; in some states, he did so with a council of other nobles.<ref>Robinson, 1997, p. 22{{full citation|date=December 2024}}</ref> The [[Licchavi (tribe)|Licchavis]] had a primary governing body of 7,077 ''gaṇa mukhyas'', the heads of the most important families. On the other hand, the [[Shakya]]s, [[Koliya]]s, [[Malla (tribe)|Mallaka]]s, and [[Licchavi (tribe)|Licchavi]]s,{{Clarify|reason=There seems to be an apparent nonsequitur with the previous sentence regarding the Licchavis.|date=August 2023}} during the period around [[Gautama Buddha]], had the assembly open to all men, rich and poor.<ref>Robinson, 1997, p. 23{{full citation|date=December 2024}}</ref> Early republics or [[Gaṇasaṅgha|{{transliteration|sa|gaṇasaṅgha}}]],<ref name=Thapar>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-5irrXX0apQC&pg=PA147 |title=Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300|last=Thapar|first=Romila|author-link=Romila Thapar|year=2002|publisher=University of California|pages=146–150|access-date=28 October 2013|isbn=9780520242258}}</ref> such as Mallakas, centered in the city of [[Kusinagara]], and the [[Vajjika League|Vajjika]] (or Vṛjika) League, centered in the city of [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]], existed as early as the 6th century BC and persisted in some areas until the 4th century AD.<ref>Raychaudhuri Hemchandra (1972), ''Political History of Ancient India'', Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.107</ref> The most famous clan amongst the ruling confederate clans of the Vajji [[Mahajanapadas|Mahajanapada]] were the Licchavis.<ref>{{cite book|title=Republics in ancient India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcoUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA93|publisher=Brill Archive|pages=93–|id=GGKEY:HYY6LT5CFT0}}</ref> The [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Empire of Magadha]] included republican communities such as the community of Rajakumara. Villages had their own assemblies under their local chiefs called ''gramakas''. Their administrations were divided into executive, judicial, and military functions.

Scholars differ over how best to describe these governments, and the vague, sporadic quality of the evidence allows for wide disagreements. Some emphasize the central role of the assemblies and thus tout them as democracies; other scholars focus on the upper-class domination of the leadership and possible control of the assembly and see an [[aristocracy]].<ref name="Bongard">Bongard-Levin, 1996, pp. 61–106</ref><ref name="Sharma">Sharma 1968, pp. 109–22</ref> Despite the assembly's obvious power, it has not yet been established whether the composition and participation were truly popular. This is reflected in the ''[[Arthashastra]]'', an ancient handbook for monarchs on how to rule efficiently. It contains a chapter on how to deal with the {{transliteration|sa|saṅgha}}''s'', which includes injunctions on manipulating the noble leaders, yet it does not mention how to influence the mass of the citizens, indicating that the {{transliteration|sa|gaṇasaṅgha}} are more of an aristocratic republic, than democracy.<ref>Trautmann T. R., ''Kautilya and the Arthashastra'', Leiden 1971</ref>