The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c10.11

c10.11

This circumstance that in the enumeration of the castes the khattiyas are mentioned first¹ (III. 19; IV. 205, 303) is not a matter of secondary importance. As from Brahmanical sources which place the Brâhmaṇas always at the head¹ whenever the castes are enumerated, not only the claim of the Brâhmaṇas to be the best caste but also their real position as such within the specially Brahmanical culture-sphere, can be inferred, so we have, in my opinion, in this assigning of the premier position to the Khattiyas a reaction brought about by the view which prevails in the eastern Buddhistic lands and by the balance of power which rules here. The superior position of the khattiyas in the eastern countries and the corresponding decline of Brahmanical influence present themselves to us with irresistible necessity when we study the Pali literature; even the Jâtakas affirm the correctness of this view.