Socio economic dimensions of slavery in early India

Abstract

The present research concerns with the different connotations of the term Dand#257;sa and Dasyus as reflected in early Indian literary traditions and discussed by the Historians and Sociologists in their respective writings. It also highlights the views of various scholars of Indian history. The researcher further reviewed the secondary works dealing with the issues of early Indian slavery. The present research covers the period from Buddhist to the rise of the feudal-social formation up to early medieval India. This period of early Indian history witnessed hegemony of upper Varand#7751;as over lower Varand#7751;as and transformed one segment of society and named them Dand#257;sa and Dasyus as depicted in early Indian literary traditions. Ultimately, with the consolidation of the socio-political and economic institutions, the slavery became a recognised institution. The legal, political, economic anthologies of the period helped in the growth of slavery. During the rise of the kingdoms and republics in later half of first millennium BCE, the economically and militarily weaker sections of society came to be distinguished as subject class. The attempt is made to capitulate the divergent opinions of the scholars and the logic they put forth to prove the social aspects of slavery in their respective ways .The views of the scholars are followed by my own observation, which makes me to take contradictory stand many a times. The slavery, which forms an important ingredient of the economic activities of the slavery. Sources to obtain slaves, their types and nature of work taken from them or as prescribed in the legal texts and as found in literature of early India, the economic relationship between slaves and their masters, have been discussed in this chapter. The caste and economic factors have a crucial role in the institution because of the set norms and regulations in the contemporary structures. newline