Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian / being a translation of the fragments of the Indika of Megasthenês collected by Dr. Schwanbeck, and of the first part of the Indika of Arrian, by J.W. McCrindle ; with introduction, notes, and map of ancient India.

  • Megasthenes
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian / being a translation of the fragments of the Indika of Megasthenês collected by Dr. Schwanbeck, and of the first part of the Indika of Arrian, by J.W. McCrindle ; with introduction, notes, and map of ancient India. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    requisite to make life very enjoyable. 45 The husbandmen themselves, with their wives and children, live in the country, and entirely avoid going into town. 46 They pay a land-tribute to the king, because all India is the property of the crown, and no private person is permitted to own land. Besides the land-tribute, they pay into the royal treasury a fourth part of the produce of the soil. 47 The third caste consists of the Neatherds and Shepherd s,t and in general of all herdsmen who neither settle in towns nor in villages, but live in tents. By hunting and trapping they clear the country of noxious birds and wild beasts. As they apply themselves eagerly and assiduously to this pursuit, they free India from the pests with which it abounds,—ail sorts of wild beasts, and birds which devour the seeds sown by the husbandmen.]; (41.) 4S The fourth caste consists of the Arti- zans.§ Of these some are armourers, while others make the implements which husbandmen and others find useful in their different callings. This class is not only exempted from paying f BovkoXcu Kcii Troipeves Ka\ kclQoXov ndures oi vofxees, Diocl. rloifieves kcu dqpevral, Strab. IIoipeves re kai SovkoKol, Arr. X Shepherds and hunters were not a caste of Hindus, but were probably tribes like the Abhirs or Ahirs, JDhan- gars, &c.—Ed. § drat.