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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1874.
archies skilfully organized, and administrative as does not appear to have had the oppressive and inwell as feudal, could have failed to modify, for flexible character,--opposed to all progress-which example, the situation and the recruiting of the we are led to ascribe to it in conformity with M. military class. Although the profession of arms Lassen's views, was the case not different as rehad not ceased to be regarded as hereditary, this gards religion, and did not the omnipotence of the class was then in the pay of the king, and this Brihmaņical caste involve the spiritual enslavecircumstance alone, which opened & career to ment of the nation P Here, also, I think that we adventurers and to soldiers of fortune, must must distinguish, more than Lassen does, between have had the effect of shaking the constitution different epochs, as well as between the pretensions of the old Kshatriya nobility. On the other of a caste and the real state of things. The hand, it is evident that with the progress of Brahmans had not yet monopolized all the intelculture the class of artizans must have risen lectual life. Certain testimonies of the epic poems in importance and in prosperity. Now, it is the which are applicable to this very period, as also contrary of this which would appear to result
the very nature of the Vedic books, show, for from the testimony of the official literature: accord example, that there existed alongside of them, an ing to it, the condition of the Sadras, in place of entire profane literature of great extent, of which being improved by time, becomes worse. If we we have, it is true, nothing but the remains as ascend higher, to the Vedic books, to the more modified by them, but which was certainly at first ancient as well as to the more modern, we find in other hands. They (the Brahmars) did not, the Indian nation divided into a great number of properly speaking, form a clergy; they had no small principalities, in which the ethnic principle uniform organization, no hierarchy, no orthodoxy, of tribe and clan prevails. This organization, and very few common interests to defend ; nearly which certainly had not become much changed all the domestic worship, and without doubt also in the time of Buddha, agrees still less with the the local religions, were beyond their control; system of Manu, which presupposes & certain and eren in the province of theology their own uniformity, and the existence of large states. The books prove that they understood how, in case of greater part of these tribes had, no doubt, a similar necessity, to accept the lessons of powerful men social condition: from time immemorial they were not belonging to their own caste. Although, for divided into four classes, (1) the priests, (2) the the most part, they derived their subsistence from nobles, (3) those who were either shepherds, the celebration of the received religious worship, labourers, merchants, and (4) serfs. But it is they do not appear to have been all equally bent difficult to define with what degree of rigour this upon defending it; and I have already had occasion division was observed. At a period still compar. to remark that in proclaiming a religion purely atively recent (Chhandogya Up. IV. 4. 1) the spiritual, and the incapability of ceremonies to most jealous and exclusive of all the classes, that secure salvation, Buddha had not brought forward of the Brahmans, does not appear to have been a doctrine absolutely novel. Their teaching, it is very scrupulous as to the purity of its blood. I am true, appears to have been in a high degree therefore unable to see in the official theory of esoteric and exclusive, and in this respect I do. caste anything else than a sort of conventional not wish in any way to deny the immense doctrine of which we must make uso with the superiority of Buddhism. I will only draw atten. utmost prudence,-a doctrine the fundamental tion to the circumstance that, if we were in datum of which must necessarily, inasmuch as it possession of documents fitted to throw light was consecrated by a sacred tradition, lend itself upon the part which the Brahmars must have successively, and in a manner more or legg arti- played in the development of the popular religions, ficial, to the explanation of states of society very this contrast, which we are obliged to recognize, different from each other. Without misconceiving
would probably be found to be somewhat dione portion of these facts, M. Lassen soes all this minished. At least, at a more recent period, the in another light. He is struck with the apparent most of these religions have, under the auspices rigour of that symmetrical, immovable, inviolable of the Brahmans, assumed, in reference to the tradition; and one can easily conceive that, from castes, even the lowest of them, a position nearly this point of view, he is astonished, for example, resembling that of Buddhism, without having, on that the rise of dynasties of low extraction,-those, that account, become exposed to a systematic for instance, of the Nandas and the Mauryas in the | hostility on the part of those who remained faith4th century B. C.,should not have shaken it from ful to the old traditions. top to bottom and altogether upset it.
"I cannot, therefore, recognize in Buddha, in "But if, when regarded from a political and social the same degree as M. Lassen does, the character point of view, the organization of early Indian society of an antagonist of Brahmanism. Without wishing
