Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s1.5

c12.s1.5

The twenty five and a half Āryan countries will be described later on. Among the Āryans by birth we have six respectable castes (*ibbhajāti*) such as *Ambattha*, *Kalinda*, *Videha*, *Vedaga*, *Hanta* and *Cuñcuna* (or *Tunṭuna*). Among Āryans by family there were *Ugga*, *Bhoga*, *Rāinna*, *Ikkhāga*. *Nāta* and *Koravva*.³ Among Āryans by trade we had dealers in cloth (*dosiya*), weavers (*sottiya*), dealers in cotton (*kappāsiya*), dealers in yarn (*suttaveḍhiya*), grocers (*bhandaveḍhiya*), potters (*kolāliya*) and carriers of litters (*naravāhaṇiya*).⁴ Among Āryans by art and handicraft we had tailors (*tunṇāya*), weavers (*tantuvāya*), silk weavers (*paṭṭagāra*), makers of leather bags for holding water (*deyaḍa*), feather-brush-makers or rope-makers (*varuḍa*), mat-makers (*chavviya*), wooden sandal-makers (*hatthapāuṇāya*), grass sandal-makers (*muñjapāuṇāya*), umbrella-makers (*chattakāra*), carriage-makers (*vajjhāra = vāhyakāra*), model-makers (*potthāra*), plaster-makers (*leppakāra*), painters (*cittāra*), workers in conch-shell (*saṅkhāra*), workers in ivory (*dantāra*), braziers (*bhaṇḍāra*), *jijjhagāra* (?), spear-makers (*sellagāra*), and workers in cowries (*koḍigāra*)⁵.