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ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
201
A regular tax of 1/20, i.e. the twentieth part (viṁsati-bhaga) was charged from the potters on the pots taken to the neighbouring village for sale;1 this shows permanent recognition of the potter's profession by the state.
Other Occupations--Among the other skilled artisans the carpenters (valdhaki)2 and chariot-makers (rahagära), the leather-workers or cobblers (cammakāra, padakāra),* the weavers (tamtugāra), the dyers ( sodhaga ),5 the calicoprinters (chimpaga ), the tailors and darners (tuņņagāra)e may be mentioned. Apart from these skilled artisans there were people following various other vocational trades like that of the washermen (rajaga, millevaga),? barbers (mrvita), 8 rope-makers ( varuda ), garland-makers (malakara),1° peacockteamers ( mayüra posaga ),11 wood-cutters (tanahāraga )12 and herdsmen ( govala )18 etc. It is, however, interesting to note that while the early Jaina or Buddhist texts frequently refer to craft-guilds or sinis (guilds) of the skilled artisans, le in the NC. they have been categorised to belong to the caste of their profession. 15 It might have been the result of the transformation of the guilds which were previously composed of same or different castes following a common occupation 16 into the regular hereditary castes during these centuries. 17 1. NC. 4, p. 344 2. NO. 3, p. 44. 3. NC. 2, pp. 3, 35; NG. 3, p. 169; NC. 4, p 342. 4, NC. 3, p 271; NC. 4, p. 132. 5. NC. 3, p. 271, 6. NC. 3, p. 272. 7. NC. I, p. 104; NC, 2, p. 243. 8. NC. I, p. 12; NC. 2, p. 243; NC. 3, p. 271. 9. NC. 3, p. 270. 10, NC. 2, p. 9; NC. 4, p. 360. 11, NC. 3, p. 271. 12. NO. 4, p. 120. 13. NC. 2, p. 272. 14. LAI., p. 109. 15. The lohakāras and the varudas are specifically mentioned as belonging
to contemptible caste-NC. 3, p. 270. 16. Majumdar, R. C., Corporate Life in Ancient India, p. 280. 17. Gopal, op. cit., pp. 82-83.
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