Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c11.89

c11.89

But the employment of artisans by the state seems to have been mainly limited to the capital and perhaps the important cities, which had a considerable artisan population. It is laid down that the artisans can reside to the north of the royal palace and the guilds of workmen and others should be allotted their residence in the several corners of the capital.³ It is further stated that people of the śūdra caste and artisans manufacturing worsted threads, cotton threads, bamboo mats, skins, armour, weapons and scabbards should be allotted their dwellings to the west of the royal palace.⁴ Probably some of these worked under the sūtrādhyakṣa or the superintendent of spinning,⁵ while others worked under the superintendent of armoury.⁶ Megasthenes informs us that the armour-makers and shipbuilders received wages and provisions from the kings and worked only for them.⁷ Besides, in the city there was a committee of five to look after everything relating to industrial arts.⁸ All this suggests that the state control and employment of artisans was mainly confined to the cities. But Megasthenes also states that great officers of the state supervised the occupations of woodcutters, carpenters, blacksmiths and miners,⁹ which may indicate some sort of general control over the artisans living outside the city but working for the state.