Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jain Canons

SR No.: 011077
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jagdishchandra Jain
Publisher: New Book Company
Publication Year: 1947
Total Pages: 429
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 108

106
LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
(päsaga), account-book-carriers (potthaya), board-carriers (phalaka), seatcarriers (pīdha), lute-carriers (viņā), oil pot-carriers (kutuva) and betel boxcarriers (hadappha). 940
ІІ
LABOUR Nature and man are the primary factors of production. We harc considered the part played by nature in production and shall now consider labour or what is called the human factor in Economics.
Unfortunately, we do not know much about the details of labour A distinction is made between high and low (jungyya) labour. The hunters, fowlers, fishermen, washermen, peacock-tamers, barbers, cobblers? and in some countries even black-smiths and wine-sellers came under the category of low Then the following fifteen occupations were despised, since there was fear of injury to living beings (kammădāna) in these occupations : dealing in charcoal by preparing it from firewood (rigälakamma), dealing in wood (vanakamma), carts (sādākamma), occupation with fares (bhādīkamma), ploughing (phodīkamma), ivory (danta), lac (lakkha), liquors (rasa), and poison (visa), crushing of sugarcane etc. by machinery (jantapīlana), branding animals or castrating bulls etc. (nillañchana), setting fire to woods (davaggidāvanayā), draining lakes and ponds (saradahatalāvasosanaya), and bringing up women for immoral purposes (asarjanaposanayā)."
SLAVES AND SERVANTS Among various servants employed in the houses there were kammakāras, ghodas (cația), pesas (messengers), dāsas and goválas (cowherds). They were apparently not so enthusiastic about religion. It is said that often they made fun of the Jain monks. There were quarrels between the servants and the sādhus and instigated by the servants the householder sometimes turned the sådhus out of the house."
Slavery was quite common in those days. Both male and female slaves (dāsas and dāsts) were household or domestic servants who resided in the family of the master and performed all sorts of household work.
Slavery was so common that not only kings and wealthy people but even others kept slaves in their families. The slaves are mentioned along with land (khetta), dwelling place (vatthu), gold (hiranna) and cattlc (pasu) as the means of pleasure. Dasa and dāsi are also included among
240 ibed , p. 130. 1 Nisi, cü 4. p. 345 ; 11. p. 747.
bid 16, p. 1117 8 Uva. 1, p. 11, Bhag. 8 5, cf. the five low occupations in the com. of Digh., Vol. I, p. 230. 4 Brh Bha 1.2634. 5 Cr Ota 6, p 211. 8 ['ttard. Su 3. 17.