The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s6.89

c2.s6.89

Slave-trade in women being mentioned and reprehended shows that the practice was not uncommon, though condemned: ‘those that buy or sell slave women’ are regarded as sinful; but this is a later law (xiii. 44. 47). As the passage following is in a section on war-rules, we must suppose that the girl intended is a war-captive; the passage shows an acknowledged right to carry off women as captives, but would restrict the authority of the captor in favor of the woman: ‘a captive of war should be released at the end of a year; a girl carried off by a feat of valor should not be asked (to return) before the end of a year; the same rule holds for other property taken by force.’†