Buddha is also known as Sakyamuni. Siddhartha, before he became Buddha, is represented as a royal prince. But his father Suddhodana was not a hereditary King, nor was there monarchy in Sakya region where he was born.
Sakya was one of the republics of the era. All the chiefs of Sakyas, who were probably large and wealthy landowners, were called kings. The eldest son would inherit the position of the chief in the assembly and was called uparaja or prince. The multiplicity of chiefs or kings in Sakya is referred to by several scholars. Thus Buddha was not a crown prince the way we understand the term these days.
Sakya was founded by a cadet prince of the Ikshvaku dynasty of Lord Rama. The Buddha fondly mentioned this fact many times in his life. Probably because of this connection, in later Puranic tradition, he was incorporated as Vishnu’s incarnation.
Buddha attained Parinirvana at Kusinagara, which was in the Malla republic. Sakyas claimed a share in his relics and later built a stupa at their capital town. Both the Mallas and Lechcchavis are supposed to have requested Buddha to deliver a sermon during the opening of their assembly hall.
Sakya was controlled by Kosala, the neighbouring monarchy, but was not fully subordinate to it, and had its own identity. However, during Buddha’s time, the Sakya state was invaded multiple times by the king of Kosala; and soon after destroyed. Literature mentions how the Sakya assembly met, discussed and voted to surrender, a republican way even in the dissolution of power!
Source: KP Jayaswal, “Hindu Polity”
A S Altekar, “State & Government in Ancient India”
Koenraad Elst, Lectures on Buddha available on you tube.
Picture Credit: Root Buddha at Ayuthaya, Thailand. S. R Ramanujam
Buddha is also known as Sakyamuni. Siddhartha, before he became Buddha, is represented as a royal prince. But his father Suddhodana was not a hereditary King, nor was there monarchy in Sakya region where he was born.
Sakya was one of the republics of the era. All the chiefs of Sakyas, who were probably large and wealthy landowners, were called kings. The eldest son would inherit the position of the chief in the assembly and was called uparaja or prince. The multiplicity of chiefs or kings in Sakya is referred to by several scholars. Thus Buddha was not a crown prince the way we understand the term these days.
Sakya was founded by a cadet prince of the Ikshvaku dynasty of Lord Rama. The Buddha fondly mentioned this fact many times in his life. Probably because of this connection, in later Puranic tradition, he was incorporated as Vishnu’s incarnation.
Buddha attained Parinirvana at Kusinagara, which was in the Malla republic. Sakyas claimed a share in his relics and later built a stupa at their capital town. Both the Mallas and Lechcchavis are supposed to have requested Buddha to deliver a sermon during the opening of their assembly hall.
Sakya was controlled by Kosala, the neighbouring monarchy, but was not fully subordinate to it, and had its own identity. However, during Buddha’s time, the Sakya state was invaded multiple times by the king of Kosala; and soon after destroyed. Literature mentions how the Sakya assembly met, discussed and voted to surrender, a republican way even in the dissolution of power!
Source: KP Jayaswal, “Hindu Polity”
A S Altekar, “State & Government in Ancient India”
Koenraad Elst, Lectures on Buddha available on you tube.
Picture Credit: Root Buddha at Ayuthaya, Thailand. S. R Ramanujam
