Consider the following statements regarding the Vedic assembly known as the 'Sabha': 1. It functioned as an exclusive council comprising elders and nobles. 2. Unlike the Samiti, it did not admit women as active participants. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Sabha in early Vedic society was a select body of elders, distinguished individuals, and nobility who assisted the tribal chief with judicial and administrative matters, unlike the general assembly called Samiti. Historical records indicate that women did participate in tribal assemblies like Samiti and Vidatha during the early Vedic period, but the Sabha was more aristocratic. Vedic assemblies served as democratic checks on royal authority.