TRAVIS LAMAR SMITH -- Ph.D. Columbia University – Professor at University of Florida

Dear Jonathan,

I don't think I would be able to provide evidence for your thesis - the sources
are just not there...."

All the best,

Travis

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NANDITA PUNJ – Ph.D. -- Professor University of Delhi

Dear Sir,

I do agree that the ancient Indian states-rajyas (monarchies) and ganas/sanghas (oligarchies) might not have been averse to factional politics. Warfare (and as you said, truce), military alliances, marriage alliances were important aspects of the relations amongst these states, the most powerful being Magadha, Kosala, Vatsa and Avanti.

There are instances in literary traditions which indicate that the basis of rivalries leading to war might sometimes be based on personal issues but it is difficult to determine whether there is any historical basis to these stories. For example, the Buddhist tradition speaks of one such situation where the Sakyas (clan to which the Buddha belonged) tricked Prasenajit , the king of Kosala. Prasenajit being a follower of the Buddha wanted to marry a Sakyan princess but Sakyas  handed over a slave girl born of a Sakyan chief and a slave woman. The truth it seems was revealed to a son born of this marriage who avenged the trickery by a massacre of the Sakyas.

To be able to validate your thesis a detailed study might have to be made of the power equations in these monarchies and oligarchies, the former showing powerful brahmanical elite and the latter favoring a more powerful Kshatriya elite. Quest for power and status by these elites who also had a strong voice in the political affairs of the time might have triggered some of the political conflicts.

In the overall context of your research, Upinder Singh’s work on ancient and early medieval India might be helpful and provide you with further references for detailed study on this aspect.

I hope my response is somewhat helpful. I will be happy to call if you’d like to discuss further.

Regards,

Nandita

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