Third – The Vaishyas

The businessmen, traders and effectively the Bankers, Venture capitalists and Traders in the Society, perhaps even with the support of the Temples. Here again they are guided by the learned Brahmins to whom they donate and are protected by the Kshatriyas, to whom they pay taxes.

This community keeps the Society functioning well by giving loans, financing enterprises, construction and trading and also, making available necessary products, all as part of their work. Again if they strayed from the path of righteousness or Dharma, to prey on the people or take undue advantage of their position, the Brahmins would warn them and guide them back to the right path. Also, again, if the Brahmins advising them, do not do so properly or seek to gain benefit for themselves, the other Brahmins who advise the other people would protest and make them follow Dharma or will punish them or even ostracize them from their Varna. Thus, denying them their source of livelihood.

Fourth – The Shudras

In which were included all the rest of the population, mainly the Agriculturists, those involved in Animal husbandry and the many Artisans, Weavers, Craftsmen, service providers and finally the manual labourers. They were guided in their work and trades by the Brahmins, to whom they in turn gave donations, protected by the Kshatriyas, to whom they paid taxes, helped by the Vaishyas with whom they traded and from whom they borrowed monies as necessary and paid interest thereon, as needed. It is the prosperity of the Shudras, as the middle class of the society, that made the Indian Kingdoms prosperous.

In an age where everyone had to have a familiarity with weapons to protect himself, his family and properties from dacoits, many Shudras would join the army when the Raja called and there are many who made a mark as warriors and leaders and later even become Rajas’ themselves

It is from within these Shudras that the concept of Jati or Caste arose. Each craft and trade would call for specialist knowledge and skills, and in view of the short life span of the great majority of the people of those days (around an average of only 30 or for some up to 40 years), compelled each of them to so organize themselves as to get the best out of their circumstances. Their Jati, based on their profession or trade, would enable them to teach their children all what was required for them to also, in turn practice their profession at the earliest and, to select wives for their sons from families doing similar works in which the girls from a young age would have learnt from their mothers and the similar environment, all that would be of help to their prospective husbands.

After all it is clear that a girl from say a Carpenter’s family would have learnt how to select and stack wood and how to maintain the carpentry tools and thus be of great and immediate help to a future Carpenter husband, than say a Blacksmith’s or Barber’s daughter and similarly, for the Blacksmith or Barber, a girl from a family in their own trade or Jati would be the best choice.

Do keep in mind that in a Society where the average life span is around 30 or 40 years, it would be very essential for everyone to manage all their life events within that time span. To get educated / trained, get married, have children, especially sons to carry on their Trade, and in turn educate / train them and get them married and settled in life.

In such a context, child marriage, recognizing a child as an adult, at between 11 to 13 years age and, selecting brides from within the same Jati / Caste or trade / craft would all have became essential. Also, to allow child brides a level playing field, young widows in the families needed to be made to look unattractive and kept aside so as not to allow them to compete for the affection of the available young bridegrooms.

Even so, history tells us that widow re-marriage was acceptable. It is interesting to note that the word ‘Divorce’ did not exist in any Indian Launguage. This word was introduced into India by the invaders. Of course incidences of separation or even abandonment are recorded.

The fact that Jati did not really have any other negative connotation can be seen from the custom that in all classes and families the tradesmen/craftsmen are recognized and made part of all important family functions. Carpenters and masons at the construction of a house / building, barbers and washermen and others at many other family functions, marriages, child births, funerals and so on.

It is the individual’s skill that allowed them to be recognized into a Jati, Ofcourse, their short life span did not always provide them an opportunity to learn other skills. Hence, once born into a Jati most people could only continue in it. Restricted opportunities in any village or town for any particular trade would naturally have made those skilled in that trade very reluctant to train others, not from their family or Jati, to avoid creating competition for themselves or their kin. Of course exceptions existed, but they only proved the rule.

Those who managed to apprentice themselves to other craftsmen and learnt the skills could do so even taking up arms and becoming soldiers. Those who for any reason did not learn a skill would be misfits and would need to seek work involving no real skill that is work such as labourers or even as scavengers at the lowest levels of the Society or move away into forests and seek a livelihood there.

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