Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c12.215

c12.215

In the law of inheritance Manu upholds the old rule of giving the tenth part of property to the śūdra son of a brāhmaṇa, even when the father has no son by wives of the higher castes.⁸ There also recurs the old idea that the śūdra son of a brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya or a vaiśya is not entitled to any share; whatever is allotted to him by his father becomes his share;⁹ a śūdra can be regarded as a kinsman but not an heir.¹⁰ As regards inheritance among the śūdras, even if there be a hundred sons, their shares shall be equal.¹ Thus, only the śūdra sons of the higher caste people were not always certain of receiving shares. Generally, members of the śūdra varṇa enjoyed the right to property. This can be also inferred from another law, according to which property stolen by thieves must be restored by the king to the members of all the varṇas.²