[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1958) › c19.50 # Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c19.50 Śūdras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c19.50 - **Language:** English ### [c19.50](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1958.c19.50) Sambastai (people), 35 Śambūka (śudra ascetic), 301 Saṃhitā (Vedic collection), 19, 47 Saṃhitās, of the Black School of the Yajus, 46, 64, 74 Samskāras (sacraments), 297-300, 311 Samudra Gupta, 254 Samudra Gupta-Candra Gupta coin, 341-2 Samudra Gupta coin, 341 Saṃyutta Nikāya, 91 Sanakānikas (people), 282 Śaṅkara (commentator), 43, 86 saṅkarikas (despised caste), 227 Śāṅkhāyana Brāhmaṇa, 46 Śāṅkhāyana Śrautasūtra, 47, 51, 80 Sanskrit, 34, 295 Śānti Parvan (of the Mahābhārata), 5, 40 41, 238, 243, 246, 248, 251 2, 260, 268-9, 279-81, 284, 293, 296, 313, 327, 330 Śārṅgadhara, 299 Sarasvati (river), 28, 38, 40, 191, 214 Śarvilaka (brāhmaṇa), 288 Sasaram, 335 Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 46, 55-6, 60, 63, 86, 72, 75, 85 Sātavāhanas, 92, 196, 219, 241, 273, 318, 328, 330 Sātavāhana inscriptions, 329 Sātavāhana Ware, 198 satī, 2 Sātvata, 333-4 Satyārtha Prakāśa, 2 Satyāṣādha Śrautasūtra, 47 saugandhas (mixed caste), 289 Śaunaka (lawgiver), 225 śauṇḍika (despised caste), 227 Śauraseni (dialect), 295 Saurāṣṭra, 268 Sāvatthi (Śrāvasti), 92 Sāyaṇa (commentator), 14-5, 21, 36, 55-6, 66, 69, 72, 82 Scythian tribes, 20, 26 Selagas (people), 75 Sena grants, 329 Senart, E., 3, 20, 76 seṭṭhis, 4, 97, 99, 104-5, 115, 117, 139 Shamasastry, 164, 179 Śibis (people), 42 Simhavarman, 234 Sind (Sindh), 35, 182, 269 Sirkap, 196-8 Śiva, 306, 309 Śiva (tribe), 18 Skanda Gupta, 342 Skanda Purāṇa, 327 slave girl, 23 slaves, 2-3, 5, 21, 23; in the Rg Vedic period, 24-5, 27, 33-4, 45; in the later Vedic period, 50-51, 52-3, 87; in the pre-Mauryan period, 103-6, 106-14, 115-16, 121-2, 129, 148-52, 154-6; in the Mauryan period, 163, 165, 167, 170-71, 175, 177-83; in the post-Mauryan period 203, 216-8; in the Gupta period, 252-6 slavery, and production, 103-5, 182-3 slave society, 183 Socrates, 54 Sodrai (tribe), 34 Soma, 14-5, 53, 79, 84-5 Somamiśra, 305 South-East Asia, 341 South India, 256, 263, 308, 334 Soviet Central Asia, 196 Sparta, 53, 317 Spartans, 74 Śrautasūtras, 47, 52, 54, 76, 84-5 Śrī Śātakarṇi, 200 Strabo, 159, 163, 174, 181 Sudās (Vedic hero), 17-8, 41 Sudākṣiṇa Kṣaimi, 69 Sudarśana lake, 241 suddas, 43 Sudhanvas, 333, 335 Śūdrācāra, 305 Śūdrācāracintāmaṇi (of Vācaspati-miśra), 305 Śūdrācāraśiromaṇi (of Kṛṣṇaseṣa), 305 Śūdradharmabodhini (of Madanapāla), 305 Śūdraka, 247 Śūdrakamalākara (of Kamalākara Bhaṭṭa), 305 Śūdrakṛtyatattva (of Raghunandana), 305 śūdra labour, 98 Śūdrapaddhati (of Apipāla), 305 śūdra rulers, 268 śūdras, 1-8, 22, 28, 32; śūdra tribe, 33-42; military functions of the śūdra tribe, 42-3; ambiguous position of the śūdras, 46-54, 56-91, 94-6, 98-9; their population, 100, 102-6, 109; non-serving śūdras and the distinction between the śūdra son and others, 102-14; their different roles, 114-6; their politico-legal status in pre-Mauryan times, 116-123; their social disabilities, 124-5; their food and occupations, 126-9; marriage rules, 130-32; rite of initiation, 133-4; types of their education, 134-5; offering of funeral oblation, 136; five low occupations, 137, five despised castes, 138-9, 142; śūdras and antyayonis, 143-4; their admission into the Buddhist order, 146-50; Jaina attitude towards them, 150-52; tendencies to equate vaiśyas and śūdras, 153-4; protest of the lower orders, 154-6; Kauṭilya on the functions of the śūdra varṇa, 160; śūdra cultivators, 161-2; Kauṭilya's measures regarding them, 164-8, 175-6; main changes in their position in the Mauryan period, 171-74; śūdras vis-à-vis the slaves, 177-82; their position in post-Mauryan times, 191-94, 199-225, 229-44; their position in Gupta times, 245-8, 252-3, 256-91; 293-324; 333-5, 340-2 śūdra varga (of the Amarakosa), 248, 265, 270, 279, 285, 290-92 Sukālins (pitaras), 232 Śunaḥśepa, 71 Śuṅgas, 326 Śūrasenas, 42, 191 Sūrya, 59 sūtas, 31, 82, 176, 226, 229, 269, 290 Sutlej, 28 Sūyagaḍam, 121 svādukaras (mixed caste), 289 śvapacas (despised caste), 228, 283 śvapākas, 70, 176, 185, 225-6, 283, 289, 292, 308, 336 Śvetaketu, 50, 73 Swami Dayanand, 2 Śyāparṇas (priestly clan), 65 - [Previous: c19.49](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1958.c19.49) - [Next: c19.51](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1958.c19.51) - [Up: c19](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1958.c19) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1958.c19.50](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.sharma-1958.c19.50) · Pramāṇa