Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c12.137

c12.137

Although the śūdras chiefly continued as agricultural workers employed by individual landowners, those who worked as artisans seem to have functioned more independently than in the earlier period. They increased not only in number and variety but also showed signs of prosperity. Manu’s laws imposing new economic disabilities on the śūdras were probably ineffective. But there is no indication of any change in the living conditions of the main body of the śūdras.