Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c10.36

c10.36

Diverse opinions have been expressed on the authenticity of these literary sources, which are difficult to interpret in the absence of historical works or epigraphic records. There is a tendency to discard the brāhmaṇical works in favour of the Buddhist texts.² It is said that the attempt of the Dharmaśāstras to fit the varṇas into fixed patterns seems to be artificial and speculative.³ Against this it is urged that what is common to a number of Dharmasūtras must have some basis in fact.⁴ It is argued that such a charge used to be made against the scholastic writers of mediaeval Europe and has been rebutted by modern scholars.⁵ It will not be proper, however, to place absolute reliance upon either brāhmaṇical or non-brāhmaṇical sources. A correct picture of the social conditions of the pre-Mauryan period can be based only on a co-ordinated study of all kinds of texts.⁶ Unfortunately this is to be found neither in the Cambridge *History of India* Vol. I.¹ nor in *The Age of Imperial Unity*, which tries to put together materials available in literary sources bearing on the period from 600 B.C. to A.D. 300, but leaves out of consideration the *Dharmasūtras* and the *Gṛhyasūtras*.²