Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c8.50

c8.50

In 1847 it was suggested by Roth that the śūdras might have been outside the pale of the Āryan society.¹ Since then it has usually been held that the fourth varṇa of brāhmaṇical society was mainly formed by the non-Āryan population, who were reduced to that position by the Āryan conquerors.² This view continues to derive support from the analogy of conflict between the white-coloured Europeans and the non-white population of Asia and Africa.