Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.335
Śūdras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.335
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c13.335
It seems that varṇa distinctions in the administration of the criminal law were undermined in the Gupta period. An inscription of the 6th century A.D. in Western India does not mention varṇa punishments for defamation, assault and injury.⁵ Fa-hsien informs us that in Mid-India every criminal was fined according to the gravity of his offence,⁶ which suggests that the offender was not punished according to his varṇa. It is likely that in the administration of the criminal law the brāhmaṇa was shown some favour, but the śūdra was not singled out for harsh punishments in the same manner as we find in earlier times.