The Political Institutions and Theories of the Hindus: A Study in Comparative Politics c15.s5.13

c15.s5.13

But since the warrior caste is likely to specialize in valor, the *Śukranîti* would give the preference to a Kṣatriya, and failing him, to a Brâhmaṇa.² As a rule, it would not confer commission on the mercantile or agricultural classes, the Vaiśyas, because their service is needed in other fields. They can not be spared from attending to the normal economic interests of the state. And as for the Śûdras, they are usually to be held incompetent or unfit to take the lead, because like the ancient Greeks, the Hindu thinkers also postulated the existence of a class of "natural" slaves,³ born only to serve. Under ordinary circumstances, therefore, a Śûdra is not to be in command of troops. But even these conventional arguments against Vaiśyas and Śûdras are overridden by the supreme consideration of valor. Since fighting is treated as "the duty of the four pure as well as of mixed castes",⁴ the commander may be selected from any caste,⁵ for, after all, says Śukra finally, it is bravery that is to be looked for in a commander. The only persons against whom the theoretical injunction is absolute are the cowards, even though they be Kṣatriya by caste.⁶