Aristocracy or democracy?

At present, there is democracy in India and also in most of other countries, in which people select their electives and those electives form the government. In Ram-Ravan era, there was aristocracy in which king was supreme. We do not have to go that far in the past. In India, a few centuries ago also, there was aristocracy. Of course, there was not always a single king who ruled over whole of India. Rather, there were more kings than one. But each king was supreme in his kingdom; the king's orders had to be followed.

My question is:-
What is better - aristocracy or democracy? If you think that the answer depends on certain other parameters, then let me in what conditions democracy is better and in what conditions aristocracy is better?

interesting topic.........

Well.........democracy is definetely better than aristocracy...........cuz the ppl get the right to choose who they want to represent them........

If the aristocrats of this era were benevolent as they were in the past, then yes, aristocracy would be better.......with aristocrats like Ram, Dasarath, Bharat, Shantanu, and all the other great kings we know of, aristocracy in which they are supreme is def better.......cuz these ppl tried to adopt the qualities that were desirable to the ppl........and thus, it was sort of a democracy.....

However, if a king is to do everything the way he wants to without caring about the ppl, then aristocracy is def bad.........and democracy is the way to go....also, it gives ppl the opportunity to be who they want.......in an aristocracy.........you are basically what you are born into.........if your dad was a king, so are you..........if he was a charioteer, so are you (Karna's situation comes to mind........if he lived in the present era, he wouldn't have to suffer so much to be who he wants to be...)

This is Kaliyug..........and the rulers aren't benevolent enough to be aristocrats...come on........imagine george bush was the king.......omg.........that would stink...

so.......as of now........the gov system is good........it is the best way that rule can be established in kaliyug...........

theoratically democracy is good but practically it depends on who is ruling and how? Democracy with correpted politician is no better than bad king.