Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.44

c13.44

The *Anuśāsana Parvan* holds that the śūdras are workers (*karmakaras*)⁵ and states that there would be no workers if there were no śūdras.⁶ There is no doubt that a considerable section of the śūdras continued to be employed as wage earners, for all the eleven synonyms for wages occur in the *śūdra-varga* of the *Amarakośa*.⁷ Similarly names of various types of hired labourers and servants are also listed in the same section. There are four names for wage earners, two for carriers, two for porters and eleven for domestic servants (*bhṛtyas*).⁸