Artisans in Vijayanagar Society

Abstract

a picture of a social order in ferment. Far from accepting the theoretical notion of ’my station and its duties,’’ the Sudra artisanal castes, who described themselves as Sat-Sudras, sought to propel themselves into the higher echelons of society which commanded ritual superiority. When these artisanal and mercantile groups tried to crowd into the limited space offered by ritual and social privileges, the resultant pulls and pressures were reflected in contemporary medieval society. This situation of social flux continued into the seventeenth century by when Vijayanagar had ceased to be an imperial power and the last king of Vijayanagar, Sriranga III (1642-49), held no greater title than that of the king of Vellore. It will be the attempt of this paper to study the dynamics of social mobility, conflict and change in Vijayanagar society by analysing the functions and role-perception of the leading artisan castes. We will take up in particular the ’group of f~ve’-blacksmiths, goldsmiths, workers in brass, carpenters and masonsr-and also those involved in the handloom industry, the weavers, bleachers and dyers. Some of tB1e other artisanal groups like the cobblers, tanners and potters have also been studied with a view to social comparisons. Reference to the settling of various artisans in the villages comes from many inscriptions from all parts of South India. They were generally given hereditary rights over a small piece of land which was fully or partially exempted from taxs Significantly, South Indian inscriptions also refer to