Town Planning in Ancient India c12.17

c12.17

There are three grades of the best class: a village settled by twelve thousand Brāhmaṇs occupies the superior grade (uttamottama); that by ten thousand Brāhmaṇs holds the middle grade (madhyama); and that by eight thousands is the inferior (adhama). The average villages are also graded into three sub-classes: a village of seven thousand vipras is the best among the mediocres (madhyamottama); that of six thousand vipras is the middling among them; while that of five thousands occupies the lowest rank. The inferior villages are also classified into three orders: the highest contains four thousand Brāhmaṇs, the middling three thousands and the lowest contains two thousand Brāhmaṇs. One thousand, seven hundred, and five hundred Brāhmaṇ inhabitants, constitute respectively the three grades among the very small (nīcha, mean or insignificant) villages. There are ten varieties of the smallest villages,