The First King of Trigarta

Bhumi ordered Vikram's body to be recovered and buried with proper rituals. He also signed his last order as the elected leader of Trigarta - the order that allowed him to be crowned the King of Trigarta.

The capital was decorated quickly for the occasion and most people were fine with having a king. That is what their friends in neighboring countries had - Kings. They had grown tired of being ridiculed for being a democracy. The time for that idea would come some seven thousand years later when monarchies would be overthrown across the world. For now, monarchy was the "In" thing.

The people dressed up for the occasion and gathered outside the central courtyard which was separated from the rest of the ancient fort city by a huge wall. Bhumi was told by his guru to sit on a very comfortable looking throne which had also been made out of brass and gold in a single night. The priests chanted vedic hymns and completed the rituals placing the ceremonial gold crown on Bhumi's head.

Finally, Bhumi was hailed among the inner circle as the King. His guru then said,

"O Rajan! Rise now and address your people."

Bhumi rose and walked towards the closed gate of the central courtyard. The gates were opened and a wooden platform was kept on which he climbed and waived to the waiting crowds.

"All hail the King!" said a citizen.
"All hail the King!" everyone said in unison.

The crowd cheered at every wave of their King. Finally, after much jubilation, Bhumi jumped down from the platform and went back into the central courtyard.

A soldier then went up on the platform and opened a roll of parchment and announced,

"Citizens of Trigarta, in view of the crowning of our new King-
Rajan Bhumi Chandra Katoch: 
All citizens will be freed from paying this year's grain taxes,
All households will receive ten silver tablets each,
All children will return from the Gurukuls for a month,
All reserve soldiers will return home for a month,
And all young warriors will be allowed to participate in a month long special recruiting games.
All of Trigarta will celebrate for the whole month.
So is the first order of our great King! All hail the King!"

"All hail the King!" the jubilant crowd replied. Everyone dispersed feeling happy.

As the noise finally died down outside, Bhumi sat on his thrown, his most trusted advisors and friends sat on the other lower seats. The Guru's seat was a throne made out of silver, and it was kept higher then the king, as was the custom. Guru Brahmaputra was no ordinary sage, he was the most revered warrior sage in all of the civilized world. His strategy was both feared and respected by all kingdoms. Just like other sages, he was free to travel across all kingdoms and was a great diplomat.

Guru Brahmaputra raised his hand, signalling a call for absolute silence.

"Rajan! You have gifted your people many gifts. But, one thing still confounds me?"

"Yes Guruji! Please tell me what confuses a thinker like you?"

"Rajan! We hold annual recruiting games in our arenas in which many young men showcase their talents. Why then have we declared special recruiting games just now?"

"Guruji! I first apologize for not having discussed this with you or this assembly before declaring the celebrations. However, the special games are not just a gift for the valorous young men who want to be part of our legendary military."

"Then, what is it O King!"

"Guruji! It is preparation for war!"

"WAR???" gasped the Guru and the other advisors in unison.

The Ancient Democracy of Trigarta

Sitting at the edge of a vast canyon, a man dressed as an ancient Indian warrior was deeply engrossed in thought. He heard footsteps approaching from behind him, it was a soldier

"O Great Leader! The assembly awaits your arrival."

"Hmm..." the warrior grunted.

This giant of a man then got up and let out a sigh. He walked down a flight of stairs to the courtyard where thirty men were sitting chatting with each other.

They don't even know!

As the gathering saw him approach, silence fell among them. He took his place at one end of the assembly. Even sitting, he seemed as tall as a grown man.

He looked at each and every member of the assembly, and then he looked at the soldiers that stood guard behind these members. Satisfied that he had everyone's full attention, the warrior said,

"My dear brothers, we have gathered here for the annual meeting of the members of the ruling committee. Each one of you have made tremendous strides in your regions and as your leader I am proud of your achievements. Congratulate yourselves for a great year of peace and prosperity."

Everyone cheered loudly. The warrior raised his hand and the crowd fell silent again.

"However, I have not invited you just to congratulate you or assign you your fair share of gold. I have invited you to decide on a proposal that I now present."

He clapped his hands, a soldier handed him a papyrus roll. Opening the roll, he said,

"The members are aware that my family members have served the people of Trigarta well. It is for this reason that my family members have been elected as the leader of the Kats (pronounced Cuts) for centuries. Therefore, I now propose that we no longer hold such meaningless elections and that I be declared the King of Trigarta."

As he folded the roll back, vigorous discussions started among the members. Finally, one man got up, and said,

"I support this proposal. Hail the King!"

This was followed by numerous other members joyfully supporting the proposal.

Except, one man. He remained silent. Until the warrior spoke to him directly,

"Brother Vikram, do you not agree with this proposal?"

Vikram stood up, and the crowd fell silent once again. Vikram was a powerful man and controlled vast lands and key temples that held Trigarta's fortunes. His approval was important. Vikram said,

"Our people have enjoyed freedom, peace and prosperity for centuries. We have defended not only our lands, but those of our allies. We have provided mercenaries for powerful kings like the Gandharas when they needed people. Our skill in battle comes from meritorious soldiers who are elected after fifty days of games in which many perish each year. Our skill in diplomacy and administration comes from meritorious members who are elected each year by the people they rule and protect.If you or any one else becomes king, we cannot be sure about the freedom of the people or of the merit of the leaders who will be born in subsequent generations. Therefore, I cannot support your proposal. My people will not be a part of this."

The warrior nodded to the soldiers standing behind each member, and before Vikram knew it, he was chained and taken away. Much to the shock of the people present at the assembly. After a few seconds a scream was heard in the distance, which continued until a loud thud conveyed what had happened to Vikram.

"Friends, I thank you for your support. You will continue to administer your regions as before. Vikram did not understand that we are 'Ayudhjeevis', we live on war not on fortunes earned by our temples. Do you all not agree?"

Everyone nodded. He continued,

"Please enjoy the scrumptious feast that our cooks have to offer. Tomorrow, I will be anointed King of Trigarta. Head over to the palace, I will join you soon."

He stood up and so did everyone. They all started moving towards a temple like structure in the distance.

Just as the warrior was about to leave, an old woman was seen running towards him, wailing as she ran.

"Bhumi..." she said "Nooo! Say this isn't true? SAY YOU DIDN'T KILL YOUR BROTHER!" the woman grabbed the warrior by the arms and gripped them tightly as she continued to cry.

The warrior was unmoved.

"Mother. I did not kill my brother. Vikram committed suicide, as any of the soldiers here will tell you. He said he wanted to be King, but everyone disagreed with him. He threatened to jump, but I never thought he would do such a thing. Isn't that right soldiers?"

All soldiers nodded in unison. One or two even said, "Yes, he jumped because he could not become King."

The woman continued to cry. She began to faint, when Bhumi caught her and made her sit on his throne.

"O Raaj Mata! This son of yours will be anointed king tomorrow. Your grandsons and their grandsons will rule this land forever. We will be the Katoch(the most superior Kats) forever!"

But, the old woman did not hear a thing. She had already lost consciousness.