Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s2.21

c48.s2.21

b) **Gold and silver workers** (1,290,500). The goldsmith is very often a pawnbroker and money-lender as well as a manufacturer of the ornaments which constitute the main capital of the peasantry and indeed of most Indian middle classes, and in both capacities has acquired a very indifferent reputation for straight-dealing. According to one popular saying, he so regretted having made a nose-ring for his own mother without sufficiently adulterating the metal that he cut her nose off to recover it. In the Gangetic region the caste, which is subdivided to an astounding extent, is said to be a composite one, but still holds a position superior to that of the other artisans. It is said to be closing up its ranks, too, and forming large endogamous sub-castes out of its numerous minute exogamous sections. In this tract the Sōnār does not seem to be putting forward the same pretensions to be Brāhman that he does further south.