Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c11.106

c11.106

According to Kauṭilya disputes regarding wages are to be decided on the strength of evidence furnished by witnesses. If they are not available, the employer shall be examined.³ The fact that the employer is not to be examined in this connection obviously makes it difficult to establish the guilt of the master. But if it is found that he has failed to pay wages, the master should be punished with a fine either ten times the amount of the wages or six paṇas. Besides, misappropriation of wages will mean a fine of twelve paṇas or of five times the amount of the wages.⁴ On the basis of these rules we get two different rates of wages, namely 3/5 paṇa or 2 1/2 paṇas. Thus it seems that the daily wage of a worker varied from 3/5 paṇa to 2 1/2 paṇas. At one place Kauṭilya states that, in addition to the provisions, the agricultural workers should receive a monthly wage of 1 1/4 paṇas. The *Arthaśāstra* shows a wide gap between the pay of the higher officials, who, as will be shown, were recruited from the upper classes, and the artisans who belonged to the lower orders. The highest pay is provided for the priest (ṛtvij), the teacher, the minister, the purohita, the commander of the army etc., who get a (monthly) salary of 48,000 paṇas.⁵ Lesser officials are recommended a salary of 24,000, 12,000 or 8,000 paṇas,¹ but the artisans are recommended 120 paṇas.² It is important, however, to note that the vardhaki, who seems to have been the chief carpenter, is provided a salary of 2,000 paṇas like the physician and the charioteer.³ Consideration is also shown to the grāmabhṛtaka (the village officer)⁴ and the servant leading the spies, the first getting a salary of 500 paṇas and the second getting 200 paṇas.⁵ The smallest salary of 60 paṇas is recommended for the servants who are in charge of quadrupeds and bipeds, workmen doing miscellaneous work, attendants upon the royal person, bodyguards and the procurer of free labour.⁶ Presuming that this payment was made on a monthly basis, it works out at the rate of two paṇas a day for an ordinary labourer. But the rate of 3/5 paṇa a day worked out earlier may suggest that private individual paid even less than 2 paṇas.