Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c19.10

c19.10

| *Aśoka's Edicts.* | *Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra.* |
| | to as a warm lover of hunting. |
| 22. Reference to proper treatment of servants and dependents (*dāsa-bhaṭaka*) in several Edicts [RE. IX, XI, XIII, PE. VII]; also to relations [MRE. II, RE. IV, and XIII], friends, acquaintances and companions [RE. XIII] to whom Asoka also insists on liberality (*dānam*) [RE. III and XI]. | 22. The details of such "proper treatment", the rights and obligations of *dāsas* and *bhṛitakas* (also called *karmakaras*) are fully discussed by Kauṭilya [III. 13 and 14] in two chapters. According to him, a man became a slave as a captive in war (*dhvajāhṛtaḥ*) or for inability to pay off debts incurred to meet domestic troubles or government demand for fines and court decrees. But such slavery for an *Arya* could always be redeemed. What Asoka means by 'proper treatment' of these slaves and paid servants may, therefore, be taken to be the treatment to which they were entitled under law as expounded by Kauṭilya. The law made penal the following offences against slaves, viz., (a) defrauding a slave of his property and privileges (b) misemploying him (such as making him carry corpses or sweep) or hurting or abusing him. As regards the *Karmakara*, the law secured to him his wages |