Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c8.45

c8.45

Further, the literary texts, brāhmaṇical and non-brāhmaṇical, seek to establish the supremacy of the brāhmaṇas or of the kṣatriyas, or of both, but they hardly show any sympathy for the śūdras. It is argued that the Dharmaśāstras and other treatises are books written by the enemies of the śūdras and as such have no evidential value.¹ But the law-books of other ancient societies also follow the principle of class legislation as the Dharmaśāstras do; unfortunately for lack of sufficient data we cannot definitely say how far the Dharmaśāstra laws were followed.