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Vol. XXII, No. 3
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Madhyamängirasa is not mentioned or cited by earlier works we can safely assign a late date to it and regard it as useless from historical point of view.
To take stock of the situation, out of the terms discussed so far, only Antyavasayin is the name of a caste and the rest are names of big categories. The terms are, therefore, not necessarily synonyms of untouchable.
Impure Vs. untouchable
Are we to conclude, then, that there were no untouchables in the age of the Dharmasastras? That is what Ambedkar believes. There are indications that some of the Bahyas and Antyajas were untouchables. But Ambedkar refuses to admit that. His arguments are as follows:
1. The Mahabharata mentions Antyaja soldiers in Santiparva11. 2. Sarasvati-vilāsa names seven castes (like Rajaka) Prakṛti and Sangamner Plate of Bhillama II of sakābda 922 mentions trade-guilds of washermen etc. as eighteen Prakṛtis.
3. According to Viramitrodaya, eighteen castes like Rajaka etc. are called śreņis (trade-guilds) and are collectively known as Antyajas.
What do these arguments mean? Are the Antyajas to be taken as Ksatriyas on the ground that the Mahabharata mentions Antyaja soldiers? Or are they to be taken as Vaisyas on the ground of other pieces of information ? Is there or can there be any consistency between the evidence of the Mahabharata and that of later sources ? Ambedkar does not answer these questions. He does not think such questions can ever arise.
Even the Mlehchhas (barbarians) and demons are said to have taken sides in the great war described in the Mahābhārata. As there were and even now are hunters among the untouchables, it is not proper to conclude that the mention of Antyaja soldiers excludes the possibility of their being untouchables. Surely Ambedkar would not claim the untouchables had ever been incapable of using weapons but that is exactly where his logic leads to.
'Prakrti' in Sanskṛta is equivalent of 'subject'. People belonging to 'higher' castes were once deemed lords and those belonging to 'lower' castes were taken to be their subjects. So even an ordinary cultivator in the villages of U P. is called 'rājā' (king) and barber, washerman, blacksmiths, potters, kahāras etc. are his 'praja' (subjects). Not all of them are untouchables but the Rajaka' who is mentioned in all the three sources referred to above is included in the list of the
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