Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c5.203

c5.203

The preliminary processes of ginning, cleaning, pressing, carding and spinning were also important industries by themselves. We have unfortunately no reference to carkhā or the spinning wheel here. But about its existence there can be no doubt.⁸ All these were, and to some extent still are, the domestic industries—the chief occupation of women as the references from the stories show. “Itthīnaṃ kappāsapotthanadhanukā”—women’s bows for carding cotton—must have been common and familiar household articles.⁹ Of weaving we have a graphic scene herein: