Monarchies and early republics

The mahājanapadas built on the janapadas' ways of ruling, but in two different ways.

Most were monarchies: the rājā had the final say, helped by ministers and an assembly of elders. The position was hereditary: usually the rājā's son became the next rājā.

A monarch's jobs:

• collect taxes
• keep law and order
• build strong fortifications round the capital
• keep an army to defend the land or fight neighbours

Every one of these costs money, which is why collecting taxes comes first.

The most powerful monarchies were Magadha (in today's Bihar), Kosala (today's Uttar Pradesh), Avanti (today's Madhya Pradesh) and Vatsa.

But at least two mahājanapadas, Vajji (Vṛijji) and its neighbour Malla, worked differently. Their assembly had more power and made big decisions by discussion, and if needed by voting. It even chose the rājā!

These states were called gaṇas or saṅghas. They weren't monarchies; we might call them democratic, since the assembly chose the ruler and made the main decisions. Scholars call them early republics, among the earliest in the world.