...on the throne, speaks of " the degraded state of a Sudra," and can only plead that his condition " was much better than that of the public slaves under some ancient republics," &c. This statement is coupled with an admission that " men of the first three classes were freely indulged...

...nothing to lead to the belief that they were slaves of the State. "Their condition," says Elphinstone, " was much better than that of the public slaves under some ancient republics, and indeed the villeins of the Middle Ages, or any other servile class with which we are acquainted." l The same...

...nothing to lead to the belief that they were slaves of the State. "Their condition," says Elphinstone, " was much better than that of the public slaves under some ancient republics, and indeed the villeins of the Middle Ages, or any other servile class with which we are acquainted." 1 The same...

...other classes were also liable to fall into servitude. The condition of Sudras, therefore, was very much better than that of the public slaves under some ancient republics, and, indeed, than that of the villeins of the Middle Ages, or any other servile class with which we are acquainted. MIXTURE OF CLASSES...

...Hindus than among any other people. Elphinstone, by contrast, deduced that the condition of the éûdras "was much better than that of the public slaves under...other servile class with which we are acquainted". He also perceived that such a servile class did not exist any longer in his time (Sharma 1980: 1-2)....