Ancient Indian Education: An Inquiry into its Origin, Development, and Ideals c5.64.1

c5.64.1

Agricultural and Trading Classes.—As in the case of the Kshatriyas, the control of the education of the Vaiśyas, or trading and agricultural class amongst the Aryans, early came under Brāhman control. Thus we find in the earliest extant Sūtras¹ that the Vaiśyas, as well as the Brāhmans and Kshatriyas, were expected to receive initiation as a preliminary to entering upon the study of the Veda; and in Manu it is said,² ‘Let the three twice-born castes, discharging their prescribed duties, study the Veda’. We have seen how in the case of the Kshatriyas the study of the Veda was attenuated, or perhaps we may say that it was developed by specialization in certain directions to meet the special needs of the young nobles and warriors. With regard to the Vaiśyas,³ trade, rearing cattle, and agriculture were regarded as their special pursuits, and in fitting themselves for these they would have less benefit from the Vedic schools than the Kshatriyas had for their future vocation. It would seem likely that the study of the Veda became more attenuated for them than even for the Kshatriyas, and that at a quite early date the majority of them ceased to avail themselves of their privilege of attending the Brāhmanic schools, except perhaps for a very short period. In the Law of Manu⁴ the functions of a Vaiśya are thus described: ‘A Vaiśya must never conceive this wish, “I will not keep cattle”, and if a Vaiśya is willing to keep them, they must never be kept by men of other castes.