Abstract

                       This research of Forms and Principles of Government in the Tipitaka is of two objectives namely:- 1) to analyze  forms of government in the Tipitaka, and 2) to analyze  principles of government in the Tipitaka. From the research, it is found that there are two forms of political government. The first form is a monarchy in which a state is absolutely ruled by a king. The second form is a form of unity in which the people in the highest class of society have power and which is similar to aristocracy in Greek philosophy. The forms of government in Buddhism are gradually developed from the form that the Buddha rules Sangha as a king of Dhamma to the characteristic form that the Buddha gives the right to govern to Sangha. This research shows that the principles of the monarchy are the Teachings of the Buddha, which restrain the political power of the king from his absolute power, that the principles of the form of unity are Aparihaniya-Dhammas, the Teachings for unity, and other Teachings related to the governors, and that the principle of Sangha government is Dhammas-Vinayas, according to which Sangha has successfully continued all activities.