The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha’s Time

The book is organized into twelve chapters. The first chapter explains the limitations of relying solely on Brahmanical literature and establishes the methodological value of Pāli Buddhist sources for reconstructing ancient Indian society. The second chapter gives a general view of caste, examining the Brahmanical fourfold theory, Buddhist discussions of caste, impurity, food, marriage, and caste boundaries. The third chapter studies homeless ascetics and the transition from household life to renunciation as a major feature of eastern Indian culture. The fourth chapter analyzes the Khattiyas as the ruling class, their rank-consciousness, purity of blood, and relation to Brahmanas. The fifth chapter discusses kingship, royal duties, taxation, succession, consecration, and oligarchical constitutions. The sixth chapter examines royal officers, including ministers, military leaders, judges, surveyors, treasurers, gatekeepers, executioners, and village officials. The seventh chapter treats the king’s house priest or purohita, his political, ritual, and advisory functions. The eighth chapter studies Brahmanas, their duties, privileges, professions, sacrifices, prophecy, magic, and occupations outside priestly work. The ninth chapter focuses on leading middle-class families, especially gahapatis, kuṭumbikas, and seṭṭhis. The tenth chapter examines guilds of tradesmen and artisans, their hereditary character and local organization. The eleventh chapter studies casteless professions such as barbers, cooks, artists, jugglers, herdsmen, fishermen, hunters, labourers, and slaves. The twelfth chapter discusses despised castes and marginalized professional communities such as Caṇḍālas, Pukkusas, Nesādas, Veṇas, Rathakāras, basket-makers, cobblers, potters, and weavers.