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THE Sn.K-WEAYERS OF MANDSAUK IN A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECIWE 225

above could help us m fuing their social identity in contemporary Malwa. In the First place, they were immigrants to the city of their adoption, and so, constituted a distinct group with immigranl status. In the second place, they were Sun-worshippers and constituted a separate sect. In the third place, they were organised into a guild which in origin may have been based on their primary occupation of weaving silk but sticking to the craft was no longer necessary to retain their corporate character. Now we have no idea that like modern subcastes the silk-weavers of Mandsaur had endogamous and commensal character or not, but they were certainly not craft-exclusive. However, it is elear that their immigrant status and sectarian character contributed to their loyalty to the guild in large measure and the guild on its part, was realistic enough to permit them taking up professions of their choice rather than sticking to weaving of silk which may have been original condition for membership of the guild. Thus the basie bond behind the formation and continuation of the guild was common craft which was weakening now and the memory of a common past and single native land as also the common cult-alTiliation proved cementing factors rendering the group as subcaste based on provincial identity and sectarian alfilialion.

3.3. Finally, one wonders how it was possible for the silk-weavers to switch over from their lowly profession to those of higher status such as archery, astrology and study of sacred lorę. In the varna hierarchy, the position of a weaver is the lowest one, his duty being to serve the other three vamas. But we should remember that the varna stratification of Indian

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society has allhrough been a theoreticai exercise hardly ever reflecting social reality. The caste, on the other hand, constituted the real category into which people, at least from post-Vcdic period, divided themselves. Exact origins of the institution of caste and its proliferation are not easy to tracę at this distance of time and with the kind of evidence available, but occupational homogeneity may not have been the only or decisive factor. The profession of a warrior in theory bclonged to the ksatriya class,’ but reeruitment of the śOdras to the army was not altogether prohibited even in theory. Besides, the guilds used to maintain their own fighting force at times. Likewise, astrology and bardic funclion they may have practised in their own caste, even if not accepted by the local society in generał. It is significanl in this regard that the poet has combined professions with high and noble qualities of character in order to describe the members of the guild which is in tune with the description given by the Lord Krsna of the GM ⁹ in respect of the four varnas. If we carefully analyse the qualities mentioned by Vatsabhatti, some of them would turn out to be those of the First varna. The fact that the guild could enlist the services of a great pandita like Valsabhatli, not only to compose the ‘purv8' but also to oversee the construction of the tempie, speaks for their status. Their wealth certainly contributed to its enhancement, and perhaps, also the fact that they were not ordinary weavers but weavers