Public debate
Though the origins in India of public debate ("pariṣad"), one form of rational inquiry, are not clear, we know that public debates were common in preclassical India, for they are frequently alluded to in various "Upaniṣads" and in the early Buddhist literature. Public debate is not the only form of public deliberations in preclassical India. Assemblies ("pariṣad" or "sabhā") of various sorts, comprising relevant experts, were regularly convened to deliberate on a variety of matters, including administrative, legal and religious matters.