A History of Agriculture in India v2.c65.s20.1

v2.c65.s20.1

‘In this land they do not slaughter oxen or cows,’ states Paes. ‘The oxen are beasts of burden and are like sumpter-mules; these carry all their goods. They worship the cows, and have them in their pagodas made in stone, and also bulls; they have many bulls that they present to these pagodas, and these bulls go about the city without any one causing them any harm or loss. Further, there are asses in this country, but they are small, and they use them only for little things; those that wash clothes lay the clothes on them, and use them for this more than for anything else.’ Even at present washermen use asses for carrying clothes to rivers in India.