Gaṇasaṅgha

Gana-Sangha (Sanskrit: गणसङ्घ) or Gana-Rajya (Sanskrit: गणराज्य) was a type of clan structure oligarchy in ancient India. The word (ˈgʌnə; Sanskrit: गण) in Sanskrit and Pali means group of community. It can also be used to refer to a body of attendants and can refer to any assemblage or association of men formed for the attainment of the same aims, denotes the gathering of a given community. The word sangha in Sanskrit means association, assembly, company or community. For instance, in Buddhism, sangha refers to the monastic community of bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns). The phrase gana sangha can be translated as (rule by) tribal assembly. In ancient Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya which make frequent reference to the great states in ancient India, the texts often use the phrase to refer a type of oligarchical rule, contrast to monarchy (साम्राज्य saamarajya in Sanskrit). Among the Mahajanapadas, the sixteen great states in ancient India, two followed the gana sangha rule: Vajji and Mallakas. Many smaller states and tribes near these great states also had the gana sangha form of government, such as the Koliyas, and the Shakyas, the small tribal state which Gautama Buddha was born to. The gana sanghas were generally located in the periphery of the major ancient Indian states, both geographically and culturally, and tend to occupy the higher ground near the Himalayas. The gana sanghas of Vajji, Malla, Koliya, and Shakya mentioned above all situated at the foothills of Himalayas, near eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Terai region of Nepal. In contrast, the states which followed a monarchical government (saamarajya) were generally located in the flood plains of the Ganges. According to the Buddhist sources, key characteristics of the gana sangha seem to include a monarch (raja), and a deliberative assembly (sangha). Elected by the gana sangha, the monarch apparently always belonged to a family of the noble class of Kshatriya Varna. The monarch coordinated his activities with the assembly; in some states, he did so with a council of other nobles.

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Concepts associés (26)

Kushinagar

Kushinagar, en hindi hi, est une ville rurale de l'État de l'Uttar Pradesh en Inde du nord. Au , connue aussi sous le nom de Kasia, elle était la capitale du royaume des Malla, et est importante pour le bouddhisme. Kushinagar est située à 52 kilomètres de Gorakhpur et de Kapilavastu. La ville est considérée comme l'un des quatre lieux saints du bouddhisme. En effet, à cet endroit, le bouddha historique Siddhartha Gautama est décédé sous des arbres dénommés shalas; les croyants disent qu'il a atteint le parinirvana.

Gaṇasaṅgha

Clan Licchavi

Les Licchavi étaient un clan important dominant la confédération de Vrjji (ou Vrijji, Vajji, Briji) dans l'actuel Bihar, capitale Vaisali, à l’époque du Bouddha et de Mahavira (Ve-IVe siècle av. J.-C.). Ils sont cités dans le canon pali, en particulier dans le Licchavi Sutta, le Ratana Sutta et le Petavatthu, ainsi que dans le Vimalakīrti nirdeśa sūtra du canon mahāyāna. Ils obtinrent une partie des reliques du Bouddha et la moitié de celles d'Ananda et de Mahaprajapati Gautami.