Hindu Administrative Institutions c12.s2.17

c12.s2.17

Of these various professional groups the five represented by the five principal artisans, potters, weavers, carpenters and goldsmiths always enjoyed a high social position; for their services were always requisitioned by the higher castes for ceremonial or communal purposes. To the above-mentioned the *Perumpāṇārruppaḍai*, a Tamil work roughly of the third century A.D., adds fishermen (*valaiyar*), traders and merchants (*vāṇikar*), cultivating labourers (*uḷavar*). To these Māṅguḍi Kiḻār adds¹ four more occupational castes-*tuḍiyan* (a player on *tuḍi* (a variety of the drum); *pāṇan* or bard; *paraiyan* or drummer; *kaḍamban* or an agriculturist. These are identified with the aboriginal tribes of ancient Drāviḍa. The *paraiyan* caste seems to have been later on sub-divided into a number of occupational groups. The census report of 1891 mentions that there are in the schedules 348 sub-divisions of paraiyans pursuing different callings such as priests, field labourers, cattlebreeders, traders, weavers, teachers, archers, etc.² Thus the so-called depressed classes of to-day have had their important position in the village economy of ancient India. They had functions of importance and supplied the village with all its primary and secondary needs.