DDK HistoryF.p65 - CSIR

8.3J USE OF CASTE AS CLASS 253
The four-caste system here represents the class structure. Brahmins
have numerous special privileges, including exemption from taxes, which
even a king dying from want must not levy upon them (Ms. 7,133).
The ksatriyas collect taxes, not pay them. The other two bear the
burden, the sudra having the right only to a bare maintenance. Whether
bought or un-bought, a sudra may be compelled- to work, especially
by a brahmin ; servitude is his nature and creation, so that he cannot
be freed from it even when released by a particular master. (Ms. 8.413-4
; 10 ; 121). A Sudra’s accumulation of property gives pain to the
brahmin (Ms. 120). This naturally raised difficulties with living people
who did not belong to any of the three, twice-born, upper castes, but
also could not be coerced. These odd people were explained away as
the result of inter-caste breeding between the original four, which the
king should prevent; nevertheless, hypergamy clearly existed and had
to be tolerated, whereas the reverse mixture, a man of lower caste cohabiting
with a woman of a higher, was looked upon with due horror. With
characteristic inconsistency, seven generations of intermarriage
permitted even sudras turning into brahmins, or the converse so that
caste was much less rigid in practice than in theory. (Ms. 10.64-5). Each
of the mixed secondary castes was assigned some productive task in general.
This allowed all sorts of tribes and guilds to be admitted to society, as
proved by the names for these mixed castes : Magadha, Vaidehaka,
Licchavi, Ambastha, Ugra, most of which can be traced elsewhere through
the progression : tribe, guild, caste (jati, as against the older varna
‘colour’, for each of the four primary class-castes). This mixed-caste
theory, seen in the Arthasastra (3.7) in a simpler form, presumably
evolved because mixed offspring were then fairly common.
Inheritance of property, held by the undivided household, would
cause difficulties in a caste society ; hence the assignment of a profession
to the son who could inherit the caste of neither parent. Extra-caste
organizations were not looked upon with any favour by the priests,
though they never failed to derive all possible advantage from such
associations. Any member of a samgha inhabiting a village or district,
who defaults on a sworn contract is to be exiled from the realm (Ms.
8.219). Brahmin priests who perform any ritual for a gana (tribal
community) should not be invited to a feast for the Manes