The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c17.29

c17.29

That in these artists, as described in the Jâtakas, we have something similar to castelike organisation, is obviously highly improbable. And still these professions in course of time developed into castes: in Manu we find naṭa mentioned among the mixed castes, the forerunners of the modern naṭas or naṭakas who wander in the villages of Hindustan as jugglers, buffoons, actors, acrobats, snakecharmers and exhibit their skill for money or for presents.¹ A tendency towards organisation, towards combination based upon a common profession, as we, I believe, can assume, is present in ancient times even among these classes of Indian people; as proof of this we have the oft-mentioned circumstance that professions were hereditary in artist families: we have already made the acquaintance of a dancer family (naṭakakula), of a drummer or conch-blower family (bherivâdākakula I. 283; saṅkhadhamakakula, I. 284); the son of an elephant-tamer (hatthâcariya, II. 221) practises the art of his father, and the son of an acrobat learns the art of jumping (laṅghanasippaṃ sikkhitvā I. 430). To this add that these professions were very little respectable and that in consequence, people compelled men who earned their livelihood by the practice of these, probably to live outside the city; thus it is said of a dancer, as well as of a drummer who goes to Benares for a festival, that he lives in a village not far from Benares. Nevertheless, these artists, at any rate, in ancient times, lacked all essential conditions for the formation of a caste: neither the feeling of race-community—a factor which is of great importance in the formation of the despised castes—nor the need of external organisation could cause them to be formed into a close corporation; rather compelled by their profession to restless wandering, necessity made them seek such other means of earning money as opportunity offered.