Political Structure in the Later Vedic Period

The later Vedic period started from 1000 BC and continued up to 500 BC. In this period, a monarchical political system was formed. The largest unit of political organisation was known as the ‘Janapada’ or ‘Rashtra’, and it was ruled by a king. The king was usually a Kshatriya, maintained an army and was considered a divine character. The two assemblies from the early period, that is, the Sabha and Samiti continued but changed in character in this period, and the king held most of the power. The Vidhata, which was the earliest tribal assembly, completely disappeared. The Sabha gained more importance than the Samiti. Both the assemblies were dominated by rich nobles and chiefs. Also, unlike in the Early Vedic period, women were not allowed to participate in the Sabha.  

Transformation in the Political Structure 

• The concept of territory came into existence in this period
• A territory or a state was referred to as a ‘Janapada’ or ‘Rashtra’
• The ‘Rajan’ from the early Vedic age later became Kshatriyas and held power over ‘Janapada’ or ‘Rashtra’
• Earlier wars were fought for cattle; however, in this period, wars were fought for the occupation of land
• During this period, the king started maintaining ‘Ratnis’ (council of advisors)
• The taxation system began in this period
• Two officials, the ‘Bhagadugha’ (tax collector) and the ‘Sangrihitri’ (treasurer), were appointed to take care of the taxes
• Two taxes from this period were the ‘Bali’ and the ‘Bhaga’
• The Sabha and the Samiti continued but were not powerful enough to influence the king
• The Sabha did not have political discussions; however, it took judicial decisions
• The expansion in the power of the king led to the decline of these two bodies
• Bigger kingdoms were formed in this period, which made the king more powerful

The King

In the later Vedic period, the king became the absolute power. Since he fought wars, the king was usually a Kshatriya. He ruled over the ‘Janapada’ or ‘Rashtra’. Several taxes like the ‘Bhaga’, ‘Bali’ and ‘Sulka’ were deployed by the king. The king was not answerable to any authority and could not be punished for any deed. The Samiti helped the king in making decisions regarding the war and other fiscal policies. 

The king performed the ‘Rajsuya Yajna’, which is a ritual in the Vedic religion, when he was crowned. He also performed the ‘Ashwamedha Yajna’, a ritual where a horse was sacrificed and was believed to help in the expansion of the realm.

Officials

The king was assisted by a large number of officials in the later Vedic Period. The officials who assisted the king in the work of administration were known as Ratnis (jewels). The Ratnis and some other officials of the king are listed as follows:

• Kulapati – Head of the family
• Gramani – Head of the Village
• Senani – Commander of the army
• Madhyamasi – Mediator of disputes
• Purohita – Chief Priest
• Spasas – Spies/messengers
• Vrajapati – Officer of pastures
• Bhagadugha – Collector of revenue
• Jivagribha – Police officer
• Mahishi – Chief queen
• Akshavapa – Accountant 
• Suta – Charioteer
• Athapati – Chief judge
• Sangrihitri – Treasurer
• Kshatri – Chamberian
• Takshan – Carpenter
• Palagala – Messenger
• Govinkartana – Keeper of forests and games

Judiciary

The judicial administration changed in the later Vedic period. The judicial administration in this period saw the active participation of the king. The power of the king was sometimes assigned to the ‘Adhyaksha’. Sometimes, the cases were also adjudged by the tribes.

The ‘Gramyavadin’ (village judge), along with other court members, decided on the petty cases at the village level. The punishments in this period were very severe. For example, if a person was held guilty of theft, he was given a death sentence, or his hands were incapacitated.

Certain ordeals were also regarded as a way of punishment. A fine was imposed in minor cases. The most heinous crime was the murder of a Brahmin, and that was punished severely. In matters of civil cases, the king passed judgement with the help of assessors. 

Conclusion 

A monarchial form of government was formed in the later Vedic period. The largest unit of political organisation was termed a ‘Janapada’ or ‘Rashtra’ and was ruled by a king. The Sabha and Samiti lost their importance, and the Vidhata discontinued. 

The king was usually a Kshatriya and maintained an army. Taxes were imposed by the king during this period. There were many officials who assisted the king. These officials were known as Ratnis (jewels). The king was not answerable to anyone and could not be brought to punishment.

A judicial system was formed in this period. The King participated in the judicial administration and decided on civil matters. Petty matters were decided by the village judge (Gramyavadin).