- Megasthanese in Indica referred to 7 castes existing in Mauryan society
- tho he confused b/w caste and professions
The 7 castes (which are actually professions)
- Councillors
- Herdsmen
- Agriculturalist
- Philosophers
- Artisans
- Shramanas
- Ministers
Society
- Bonded/forced labour practiced omg 😔
- comparatively unorthodox & progressive
- mobility yes ✅
- elders & women accorded respect as did class of Shramana (progressive priestly class)
- at time of Ashoka, moral ethical code of conduct was defined for masses
- non adherence led to severe punishment 😨
Other initiatives
- Ashoka first indian monarch to create wildlife sanctuaries for protection of animals 🦁
- stopped practice of killing animals, incl. his favorite peacock 🦚
- Mauryan rulers also created many public hospitals