Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.214

c13.214

Thus, on the whole, the punishments for non-performance of work in the Gupta period are not so severe as in the Mauryan period; and there are some provisions which safeguard the interests of the workers in case the employer does not pay wages or is unfair towards them. Further, a law-book of this period prescribes incentive rewards for workers. Kauṭilya recommends rewards only for weavers,¹ but Yājñavalkya lays down that the employer should pay more if the worker turns out more work than what is expected of him.² Therefore the provisions dealing with the relations between the employers and employees in the Gupta period leave the impression that, compared to the state of affairs in earlier times, such relations were humane and liberal and consequently were expected to improve the material condition of those members of the śūdra community who lived on wages.