The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c7.10

c7.10

The Brahmanical theory divides Indian society into four castes and prescribes for each of these wholly fixed professions and activities. At the head stand the Brâhmanas; they represent the priest and teacher class. They have for their work the teaching and study of the Veda, the offering of sacrifices for themselves and for others and the receiving and giving of alms. The Kshatriyas or “warriors” have for their duty the protection of the people, the giving of alms, the offering of sacrifices and the study of the Vedas; to the Vaiśyas, breeding of cattle, trade and agriculture were assigned as their work, but along with these, giving alms, offering sacrifices and study are made their duties; the Śûdras, finally, have only one work and that is to serve the other three castes (Mânavadharmaśâstra I. 87-91). The authors of the lawbooks could not possibly conceal the inconsistency of this their theory with the surrounding facts. Most early probably, the two highest castes, the priests and the warriors, were brought into relation with the real facts, but the great mass of the people who in the course of a progressive civilization were assigned the various professions could only be held fast by doing violence to facts. But how to explain the existence of innumerable facts contradicting the theory? It would not do to introduce new castes without destroying the sacred old tradition. “The Brâhmaṇa, the Kshatriya, the Vaiśya, these three castes have two births, the fourth has only one birth; and there is no fifth (caste)”—so it is said in Manu (X. 4).