Town Planning in Ancient India c7.30

c7.30

In ancient India there were villages or wards in a town which were exclusively inhabited by people of the same caste. The beneficent peculiarities of the ground are said to have been different for the different castes. The Mānasāra divides the soil into four species and points out in order of superiority what is considered auspicious for residence of each of the four classes with reference to the seven qualities already alluded to, i.e., colour, smell, taste, form, direction, sound, and touch. Sutradhara Maṇḍana, in his Rājavallabha, differentiates and enumerates the qualities as follows:—“The plot fit for the Brāhmaṇs is white, emanating fragrance like ghee and agreeable to the taste; that suited to the warrior class is red, smelling like blood, astringent in taste; the ground answering to the Vaiśyas is yellow, emitting a smell like sesamum oil and sour to the taste; while the ground which is black, gives out a fish-like odour, and is pungent becomes the Śūdras."¹ The details of Mayamuni on this point are fuller :—" A white square plot for the twice-born (here the Brāhmaṇs) is above all blame; moreover when rich with fig trees, and sloping towards the north it is most suitable and, if sweet and astringent, is said to be conducive to happiness. A plot whose length exceeds the breadth by ⅛th part, and which is red, bitter to the taste, levelled with eastward declivity, extensive and containing 'pipul' trees, is the one most suited to the warrior class and to its all-round wealth. The ground which is auspicious for the Vaiśyas or commercial class is long ⅙th as much again as it is broad, yellow, sour in taste, full of 'plaksha' trees and slanting towards the east. The tract of land which is black, pungent, possessing banian trees, sloping towards the west with a length greater than its breadth by one quarter, is recommended as good for the Śūdras and it increases their wealth and paddy."²