Now, it has been shown by Sir H. S. Maine that in
oriental empires there is no sovereign body in this
sense of the term. In these empires anything in the
nature of law has no connection with the sovereign
body. The case. of Kunjeet Singh, the conqueror and
ruler of the Sikhs, in the Punjaub, is an admirable
instance. How can he be said to have been sovereign
in the Austinian sense of the term ? He doubtless
issued particular commands in abundance, and was
implicitly obeyed. He raised taxes and levied armies
and punished the disobedient with death. But he



SOME QUESTIONS OF SOVEEEIGNTY. 13

never legislated. The saying, " Kex les loquens, lex rex
loquens," was the reverse of applicable to him. The
case of the vassalage of the Jews to Persia is another
instance. The Jews continued to live under their own
laws, but the Great King never legislated for them.
