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Dharmashastras Mentions A Greater Use of Slave Labour. Hired Slaves Were There On Large Scale and

During the Gupta period in India: 1. Brahmanical reaction against Buddhism and Jainism became stronger, and Brahmins were given large land grants and claimed many privileges. Kshatriyas enjoyed prestige and shared social and political power with Brahmins. 2. Vaisyas retained their supremacy in commerce and industry and held positions on municipal boards. Their prosperity increased with flourishing trade, though tensions arose with Brahmins over taxes. 3. Sudras' conditions improved with advanced agriculture and crafts, and there was less difference between poor vaisyas and prosperous sudras, allowing some social mobility. 4. The caste system proliferated jatis that were independent

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62 views3 pages

Dharmashastras Mentions A Greater Use of Slave Labour. Hired Slaves Were There On Large Scale and

During the Gupta period in India: 1. Brahmanical reaction against Buddhism and Jainism became stronger, and Brahmins were given large land grants and claimed many privileges. Kshatriyas enjoyed prestige and shared social and political power with Brahmins. 2. Vaisyas retained their supremacy in commerce and industry and held positions on municipal boards. Their prosperity increased with flourishing trade, though tensions arose with Brahmins over taxes. 3. Sudras' conditions improved with advanced agriculture and crafts, and there was less difference between poor vaisyas and prosperous sudras, allowing some social mobility. 4. The caste system proliferated jatis that were independent

Uploaded by

Nipun Mudgal
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For reconstruction of social conditions under the Guptas, contemporary legal texts, or smrtis like

Dharmasastra of Manu as their basis, the best-known being the Yajnavalkya, the Narada, the Brhaspati
and the Katyayan. Contemporary Sanskrit plays and prose literature do provide important information
but cannot be accepted without consideration. Inscriptions and accounts of the Chinese pilgrims Fa-
hsien and Hsuan-tsang also provide valuable information.

Brahmanical reaction against Buddhism and Jainism also became stronger. The society followed the
ancient Varna with greater emphasis on Brahmans and were given land-grants on a large scale and they
claimed many privileges which are listed in the Narada. Eg. No capital punishment to their property
confiscated. The ksatriyas continued to enjoy great prestige and there was a tacit understanding with
Brahmans in sharing social and political power.

The vaisyas retained their supremacy in industry and commerce and held important positions on the
municipal boards. As trade flourished during Gupta Period, they live a Prosperous life though, Rift
between them and Brahmins regarding taxes and donations was also there.

There were references of sudra peasantry which was opposed to their status as agricultural labourers.
Because of advanced agricultural techniques and developments in handicrafts, the condition of the
sudras improved and there was no great difference between a poor vaisya and a prosperous sudras. This
also shows that there was social mobility and norms were somewhat flexible which gave other Varnas
an opportunity to develop.

The smrtis of the Gupta period make a clear distinction between the sudras and the slaves. This period
saw the emergence of the untouchables, who were beyond the pale of the caste structure and lived
outside the city boundaries. They were the symbol of impurity and looking at them was considered as a
Sin. Fa Xien wrote that they had clippers which they were supposed to beat while walking on he streets
so that people can avoid seeing them. They had to used discarded utensils and jewellery of cheap metals
obtained from the corpse.

There was a Shift from Varna to Jati system which was hereditary and the number of jati‘s proliferated.
This was due to Two reasons –

1) Due to the land Grants, Agricultural land increased which brought Tribal and other communities in
the social structure for the first time.
2) Foreign Invaders also got settled here and were assimilated into the society.

Jatis were independent of the varnas. Each Varna had its particular occupation, jati system was unrigid
and one can move from one occupational status to another. That social mobility was not altogether
restricted is demonstrated by examples of brahmans taking up the professions of merchant, architect or
government official.

Dharmashastras mentions a greater use of slave labour. Hired slaves were there on large scale and
mostly were Prisoners of war, debt bondsmen, slaves born to slave women. These were employed for
domestic and agricultural labour.

Idealized form of women in literature and art tend to give the impression that women
generally enjoyed a higher social status. Romila Thapar point out that this image was according to male
ideals of the perfect women and such ideals placed women in the subordinate position. Limited
education was permitted to upper-caste women but certainly not to provide professional expertise.
Women’s access to property or inheritance was limited and only had right on the things that were gifted
to by her family. Though exceptions like Prabhavati Gupta exercised control over lands. Society largely
followed patriarchy. Early marriages were advocated. A widow was expected to live in austerity while a
widow of the Kshatriya caste was expected to immolate herself on the funeral pyre of her husband
especially if he had died a hero’s death this would make her a sati. The earliest historical evidence for
this practice dates from 510 CE, Iran.

Fa Xian Chinese Buddhist marks offer an overall pleasant picture of the Indian society.

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