Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c10.102

c10.102

The character of slavery, which first appears in Vedic times, was modified in the post-Vedic period in several ways. Vedic slavery was mostly confined to women, who were employed in domestic work. In the age of the Buddha it also embraced men, for the term dāsakammakaraporisa is frequently used. What is significant, these slaves were also employed in production. Possibly their number went up, and one of the main reasons was the new system of production based on iron technology agriculture, growth of crafts and commerce, rise of towns, and use of punch-marked silver and copper coins. The continuous wars waged by Magadha, the first large territorial state, and similar kingdoms may have added to their numbers. The use of coins from the fifth century B.C. created conditions for the accumulation of money leading to the impoverishment and indebtedness of certain sections of society. The earliest provisions regarding the rate of interest are found in the Dharmasūtras, which prescribe the highest rate for the śūdras. Even Buddhism offered no relief, for it shut the doors of the Saṃgha to debtors and insisted on the clearing of debts on their part. The Buddhist texts show that failure to pay debts led to the enslavement of the debtors. Money transactions not only produced debt slaves but also facilitated sale and purchase of slaves, especially in cities which developed in northern India in this period. Slaves for production, therefore, appeared in a period and situation which saw continuous wars, the widespread use of metallic money and some degree of market economy in India.