The Rashtrakutas and their Times c21.71

c21.71

Among the Indian kings who were Yuan Chwang's contemporaries and whose castes are mentioned by him, five were Kshatriyas, three Brahmanas, two Vaishyas, and two Sudras. It is therefore clear that kingship had ceased to be an exclusive monopoly of the Kshatriyas even earlier than our period. We can, therefore, well understand how the imaginary opponent of Kumārila, who flourished just before our period, should have assumed the position that kingship and Kshatriyahood were not coextensive terms,⁴⁹ since the members of all the four castes were to be seen ruling in contemporary times.