Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c11.198

c11.198

Kauṭilya lays down some rules to regulate the treatment of slaves, which may have applied to the śūdra slaves as well as to those of higher varṇas. He directs that a slave who is less than eight years old and without relatives cannot be employed in mean avocations against his will, and cannot be sold or mortgaged in a foreign land.⁶ Similarly a pregnant slave cannot be sold or pledged without any provision for her confinement.⁷ Again, the master cannot put his slave under confinement without any reason.¹ In the chapter on the *janapadaniveśa* it is enjoined that the king should compel the people to pay attention to the claims of their *dāsas* and *āhitakas*.² This sounds similar to the repeated instructions of Aśoka that slaves and servants should be treated kindly.³