The World of Courtesans c7.22

c7.22

The children of a *ganika*, though they had the freedom to marry and beget children, were not free persons. The daughters were to act as *ganikas* in case their mother died or went away, but all the daughters could not do so. Whether a girl became a *ganika* depended on her beauty and proficiency in the arts which appealed to her prospective clients. Kautilya does not tell us clearly the fate of the *ganikas* who had plain looks, though it is quite possible that they were employed in the royal stores and kitchens or served as ordinary maids.