The Rashtrakutas and their Times c21.88

c21.88

Much earlier than our period had the service of the twiceborn ceased to be the only profession of the Sudras. A number of Smriti writers like Bṛhadyama, (61) Us'anas, and Devala (62) declare that trade, crafts and industries were the ordinary and not the exceptional avocations of this caste. In the 17th century, infantry was largely recruited from this caste (63) and the same was the case in our period. The military career naturally brought the throne within the reach of the Sudra, and we have already seen how two of the kings ruling at the time of Yuan Chang were Sudras. (64) The theory that the Sudra could not own any property was a dead letter long before our period; Medhātithi, who flourished in our period, declares that even a Chaṇḍāla had proprietory rights and that his stolen property, when recovered, ought to be restored to him by the king. (65)