Delving into the oldest literature of our race, the Vedas reveal that the national life and activities of the earliest recorded times were manifested through popular assemblies and institutions. The most eminent of these institutions was the Samiti of our Vedic forefathers. The term Samiti (sam + iti) signifies \'meeting together,\' or an assembly. The Samiti functioned as the national assembly for the entire populace, or Viśah(विशः)^[1]. It was within this assembly that the whole people, referred to as the Samiti, elected and re-elected the Rājan, or King.^[2] It was expected that the entire populace would be present in the Assembly.

It\'s Function

The functions of the Samiti can be discerned from various references. We have already observed that its most critical duty was the election of theRājan.^[3] Additionally, the Samiti possessed the authority to re-elect a king who had been banished.^[4] Thus, from a constitutional perspective, it functioned as a sovereign body. The Atharva-Veda (VI. 64), a prayer-hymn for unity and harmony, and the Rig-Veda (X. 191.3) both contain prayers for a common Samiti and a unified state policy, a shared aim, and a collective mind (स॒मा॒नो मन्त्र॒: समि॑तिः समा॒नी स॑मा॒नं मन॑: स॒ह चि॒त्तमे॑षाम्).^[5] This signifies that state matters (referred to as \'mantra\') were deliberated upon within the Samiti.

The King and Samiti

The king attended the Samiti, and it was deemed essential for him to do so. The Rig Veda states, \"like a true king going to the Samiti\" (राजा न सत्यः समितीरियानः).^[6] This implies that it was the king’s duty to attend the Samiti, and if he did not, he would be considered \'untrue,\' a point that gains further significance in the context of the Vedic Coronation ceremony. The practice of the king presenting himself before the Samiti likely persisted as long as the Samiti existed. The Chhāndogya Upanishad, one of the later Vedic texts, recounts the visit of Śvetaketu Āruneya Gautama to the Samiti of the Pañchālas, noting that King Pravāhana Jaivala was present in the Samiti. ^[7]

Deliberations

In deliberations, speakers were eager to deliver speeches that would be agreeable to the assembled Samiti (ये संग्रामाः समितयस्तेषु चारु वदेम ते).^[8] Each speaker aimed to prove himself \"brilliant and unassailable\" in the Samiti.^[9] This competitive spirit in debates is further reflected in the Atharva Veda, (II. 27), which contains the prayer:^[10]

\"May the enemy not win the debate... Overcome the debate of those that debate against us, render them devoid of force!

\"Overcome thou the debate of him that is hostile to us, O Indra! Encourage us with thy might! Render me superior in debate.”

Samiti, an Institution of Developed Society

It is noteworthy that references to the Samiti in the Rig-Veda are found only in the sections considered to be the latest. Thus, we may infer that the Samiti was a product of the developed, rather than early, Vedic age. The advanced stage of debate, characterized by the right to free discussion and the debaters\' eagerness to persuade others, indicates a sophisticated culture. In contrast, the Germanic folk-assembly featured noblemen speaking while the ordinary people expressed their approval merely through the noise of arms,^[11] showing that the stage of debate was not yet known to them. Therefore, it is inaccurate to compare the Samiti (as some European scholars have done) with the early folk-assemblies of Western Europe.

Constitution of Samiti

It is evident, as previously noted, that the entire populace was considered to be present in the Samiti. However, when Śvetaketu attended the Samiti of the Pañchalas, where philosophers and statesmen convened, it would be hardly probable that the whole nation, without any principle of representation, would be actually present.

During the Vedic period, the principle of representation was both appreciated and implemented in various forms. For instance, the Grāmaṇī, or leader of the town or village, served as a representative persona in the coronation ceremony^[12], alongside representatives of trade. The Atharva-Veda\'s “Hymn to the Land ” (ये संग्रामा समितयः) mentions the Samitis of the entire land, suggesting that those assembled (samgrāmāḥ) were the villages united (samgrāma).

The village as a collective unit is well-documented. For example, Śaryāta Mānava \"wandered about\" with his grāma (Śatapatha, IV. 1, 5, 2, 7). ^[13] In later times in legal texts, villages resolved legal disputes and could even be fined. The Grāmaṇī was central to the village constitution, and villages often adopted the name of their leader.^[18] The Taittiriya Samhitā mentions the \"village-together\" meeting (samgrāma) seeking agreement (संग्रामे संयन्ते समयकामः). ^[14] Thus, it appears that the village constituted the foundation of the Samiti\'s structure, if not originally, then certainly in later times.

Historical Career of Samiti

The Samiti enjoyed a remarkably long existence. In the Vedic age, it was regarded as eternal, being referred to as a daughter of Prajapati, the Creator.^[15] This suggests that it was an ancient institution even during those times. Its continuous presence is documented in the Rig-Veda and the Atharva-Veda, and later, in the Chhāndogya Upanishad (circa 800-700 B.C.), which marks the close of the later Vedic period. The period covered by these records spans several centuries.

The Samiti did not survive much beyond the later Vedic age, as it did not persist into the epoch that witnessed the rise of empires. This is corroborated by the Pāraskara-Grihya-Sūtra (circa 500 B.C.), which refers to the Samiti (also known as the Parishat or Parshat) as a memory.^[16] In Pāraskara, the ancient tradition of the Samiti is merely applied to the Sabha, as indicated by the opening sentence (अथातः सभाप्रवेशनम्). The Samiti had disappeared by the time of the Jātakas (circa 600 B.C.). Thus, we trace the history of the Samiti from the latter part of the millennium of the Rig-Veda to about 700 B.C., encompassing a lifespan of over a thousand years, if not longer. In the imperial epoch, the Samiti ceased to exist, but another institution, as discussed in Chapter XXVII of the Hindu Polity, arose from its legacy like a phoenix from the ashes.

References:

[1]: In Vedic times, Hindu Society was divided into Janas, tribes or nations, e.g., Anus, Yadus, Kurus. But, at the same time, they were conscious of the fact that they all belonged to one common race, for .all of them called themselves “Āryas\" आर्याः The people or the tribe were called Viśah (विशः), from which the word Vaihya (‘one of the people — \'the commoner’) is derived. On Vedic Society, consult ’ ‘Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, See also MIacdonell and Keith, Vedic Index, sub. Arya, Jana, etc.

[2]: विशस्त्वा सर्वा वाञ्छन्तु Rig-Veda(RV), X. 173, 1. Atharva-Veda, VI. 87-1.

[3]: नास्मैः समिति: कल्पने; Atharva Veda(AV), V. 19. 15.

[4]: See Ch. XXIII on Vedic Kingship from thr book “Hindu Polity” by K.P. Jaisawal.

[5]: “ Same be their cotinsel, same their assembly, same their •aim, in common tlieir thought\"—Bloomfield, S.B.E., XLII. 136.

[6]: RV, IX. 92. 6;

[7]: Chh. Up., V. 3,

[8]: A.V., VII, 12.1; XII. 1.56

[9]: “ When he has arrived at the Samti, he should murmur Superior (to my adversaries) I have come hither, brilliant, not to be contradicted! ’ अभिभूरहमागमविराडप्रतिवाश्याः — a Vedic text quoted in Pāraskara-Grihya-Sūtra , III. 13. 4. See The Satapatha Brahmana(S.B.E.), XXIX, p. 363.

[10]: S.B.E., XLII, 137-38.

[11]: Tacitus, Morihus ei Populis Germanioe, c. ii.

[12]: See Ch. XXIII on Vedic Kingship from thr book “Hindu Polity” by K.P. Jaisawal.

[13]: Cf, “In several passages, the word (grama) occurs with what appears to be the derivative sense of ‘ body of men\'.”  Macdonell and Keith, Vedic Index, I. 245.

[14]: II. 1. 8. 451. Cf, आर्थियैस्सुहृद्भिरैकमल्यं समय:। शतृभिः सन्धिरिल्यन्यै। Bhatta Bhāskara Mirśa on TS. Inter-village gathering for war purposes gave the secondary meaning of ‘war’ to the expression samgrāma.

[15]: A.V. , VII.12.

[16]: Parishat, lit. means the ‘great session’. The meeting of the Samiti came to denote the Samiti itself. The form parshat is also occasionally found. (Cf.  Baudhadyana Dh.-S., I. 1. 9.)

(The Hindu Polity by K.P. Jaisawal)