Since the days of colonialism, the debate on the nature of ancient political ideas, practices  and order has been going on. The Western scholars failed to appreciate the ideological depth  of ancient Indian political order and reduced it to as nothing but the reflection of religious  order. It was widely held that the democracy and its institutions originated in the West,  mainly in the ancient Greek. However, Indian scholars have mined a rich data and offered new  interpretations to ancient political ideas and practices in India. Now India has come to claim  that she is the ‘mother of democracy’. If we take democracy as a set of ideals and practices,  there are ample evidences that such practices were in vogue in ancient India. The ancient  Indian ideals of collective decision-making, toleration, respect of diversity, faith in Ahimsa,  harmonious blending between Individual and state through Dharma and other such values  are the essence of democratic practice and way of life. In addition, now it is proved with ample  evidence that this democratic culture was sustained and carried forward through various  democratic practices and institutions like ancient republics and Buddhist Sanghas.