Question

What was 'sabha'?

Answer 1

Hint: The king in the Early Vedic era did not have absolute control over making decisions and had to consult two bodies, sabha and Samiti, before any resolution or verdict. The Samiti was a diverse assembly where every member of the group was able to share his/her opinion on the issues being discussed.

Complete answer: (i) On the other hand, the sabha was a smaller assembly of important members of the group or kingdom who assisted the king and supported him in making decisions. In such assemblies, women would take part as well.
(ii) Sabha was an important unit of self-government in Hindu society. It was essentially a group of individuals with similar interests, such as members of the same caste or occupation, for example, a mazdur sabha, or association of labourers or an association of businessmen.
(iii) The sabha was different from the panchayat, which is a council of elders, reason being that its reach was much larger; it addressed issues of general interest rather than judgment on individuals and village matters.
(iv) One example could be The Vaishya Mahasabha, the executive of the Vaishya conference, whose objects were the propagation of education and social change and the reduction of expenses for celebrations like weddings and festivals for its members who came from various castes and were merchants and artisans.

Note: The name of the sabha is given to the two houses of the Parliament of India, the Lok Sabha which is the House of the People and the Rajya Sabha which is the Council of States.