The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c10.6

c10.6

The khattiyas of ancient times formed, in my opinion, like the dynasties of princes in other lands, a class by themselves, a class with only this difference, that it acquired in India to a greater extent than elsewhere the character of a caste or rather gradually acquired in course of time this character. For to the distinct consciousness of rank, the prominent characteristic of the ruling class in other lands, there was joined in India the customs, probably handed down from ancient times, which made marriage within the jāti the rule and tried to prohibit all impurity arising from mixture with the lower classes and even contact with them, and thus led to a specially sharp, caste-like division.