The ("Head of the Republic") was a consul chosen by the citizen body, and who maintained the old title of or ("Lord of Videha"). The position of was accessible only to a who had the support of his clan and of influential people, and criteria for his election included personal leadership, strength, eloquence, and popularity. Like the Licchavika , the of Videha shared his power with a body of four public officers, consisting of the himself, as well as a ("Viceroy"), a ("General-in-Chief"), and a ("Treasurer"). The Council Since the Vaideha Assembly met only once a year, it was the Council, that is the inner body of the Assembly, which met more frequently to administer the Videha republic. The Vaideha Council was the body with the supreme authority of the internal administration of the republic, although in practice it held the supreme power of the republic under the administration of the Licchavikas. This Council was similar to that of the Licchavikas, being composed of members elected from within the Assembly, but was smaller and might have been composed of four s, consisting of the and three councillor s, who were in charge of the public administration of the republic and recommended measures of importance to the Assembly. The Council also received envoys of other states and took important decisions in the name of the Assembly, which had to approve them. Courtesanry An unusual custom of the Vaidehas was that every one of their villages and towns had a dancing girl of courtesan, and Videha had a troop composed of panegyrists, music instrument players, and those dancing girls who were considered to be the most beautiful. At the state level, a beauty competition was held to choose who was the most beautiful woman of the whole state. This woman, who possessed talents and traits such as significant beauty, charm, and was accomplished in dance and music, was not allowed to lead a normal married life, and she was instead chosen to be the ("courtesan of the republic"), and spent her life as a public woman with political influence. One such courtesan of Videha was Piṅgalā, who was mentioned in the , which is a later text. Legacy Beginning with the Gupta period, the names Mithilā and Tirabhukti replaced that of Videha as the appellation of the whole former territory of the Mahā-Videha kingdom. Videha and Mithilā appear in the later Itihasa