DDK HistoryF.p65 - CSIR

231
Here the rastra private villages were happier. The total interdict upon ascetics
was publicly reserved by Asokan edicts.
One way of keeping the state monopoly of basic production was to forbid
large scale chattel slavery. Human beings were sold at the time of the Arthasastra
but in negligible proportions being mostly specially trained house-slaves.
The state put its criminals to work and seems to have farmed them out to
private masters as penal slaves for limited periods. Chattel slavery for basic
production was completely ruled out by the regulations of Arth 3.13. Only
mleccha barbarians (which would include the Greeks) were not guilty of a
crime if they sold their subjects (praja also children) into slavery or bound
them over. Such mlecchas were in demand as entertainers and had access
even to the inner royal apartments. But never shall an Aryan be sold into
slavery, not even a sudra living as free as an Aryan. Every slave penal included,
was allowed to work out his ransom. Unclean work (specified in detail) could
not be demanded from slaves, insistence upon such degradation immediately
set the slave free. Rape by the master was a crime severely punished, besides
freeing the slave automatically. The slaves had their own property inheritable
by their reactions, not by the master; their children were born free. The sudra
helot had come into his own, under state control to make large scale chattel
slavery unnecessary for food production.
Private commodity production was not deliberately killed by the Arthsastra
which provided dwelling space for artisans and craftsmen in the western
section of the nine into which each new janapada headquarters town was to
be separated by three roads running east-west and three north-south. The
guild halls were to be built (Arth 2.4) in spaces between other buildings.
“Contracts are to be undertaken by men who can make due restitution, who
have command over workmen, who can impose their opinion upon others,
who work to their own plan, and who have authority in their guild. In case of
difficulty, the guild shall be responsible for the advance made (of material).
Here the word “guild” translates sreni, successor to the tribe (samgha cf. 11.1)