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SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN SUBANDHU'S TIME
Maan Singh
Subandhu, the illustrious author of the extant prose romance Vasavadatta, probably flourised between 385-465 A.D. and was a courtier of Kumaragupta I, son of Candragupta II Vikramādita of the Gupta dynasty.' Subandhu's main aim in the composition of his prose romance is the display of his masterly skill in presenting a web of puns and literary mannerism; and therefore, the delineation of society in the work is extremely meagre. The following lines are aimed at bringing to light the social condition reflected in his Vasavadattā.
The political life in Subandhu's time was governed by kings, who had ministers and other retinue to assist them in the affairs of state. Feudatories had to live under the sovereignty of the monarch. The army consisted of four constituents (angas), viz., elephant riders, cavalry, charioteers and infaatry; but elephants, cavalry and infantry played the important role in battles.2 Various kinds of weapons were used for fighting. Of them, the bow: and the arrows', the swords and the speare were the principal ones. Drums, Kettle drums and conches were the main martial musical instruments.
In the descriptions of the kings Cintāmaņi and śrngårasekhara, Subandhu negates existence of the evils such as deception, 10 back-biting, assoeiation with evil men,12 telling a lie, 13 opposition to the Brāhmanas disturbances15, transgression of lawls, evil instruction 17, destruction of the twice-born (dvijas)18, bad caste connection among good women!", the loss of taxes2o and the punishments like the amputation of hands21, the pluckjpg of eyes13, rending with impalements and sawing asunder24, piercing with arrows 26 and binding in fetters. He also denies the existence of ordeals by fire and balance.27 In this negation, he has in view the ideal tingship and peaceful rule of Candragupt It Vikramāditya and his son Kumaragupta I, his own patron, before the breaking out of the internal and external troubles. These idealistic descriptons cannot be taken to prove that there was no evil or crime and hence no punishment therefor. They can show only that crimes being not vory common, punishment were not a general thing. At one place, he himself refers to the amputation of .ears and noses of thieves and their placing on the tops of stakes.' But when Subandhu worte his prose romance the political atmosphere was not So peaceful. 30
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