Varna system in Gupta period and Harshavardhana period
The form of Chaturvanya, which was prevalent in the post-Mauryan period, continued to exist in the same way in the Gupta period and also in the medieval period. The four varnas of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras existed in the society and were considered to belong to the same Varna in which they were born. This is the reason that there were many such kings in this era who were not Kshatriyas by birth.
Even after the Shungas and the Kanvas, many people born in the Brahmin clan conquered and established the kingdom, but even after performing Kshatriya deeds, they were considered to be in the Brahmin varna. A Brahmin named Mayur Sharma defeated the Pallava king of Kanchi and occupied a region of the Pallava kingdom and established his independent kingdom by making Banavasi city the capital.
Mayur Sharma performed Ashwamedha Yagya eighteen times to commemorate his victories. The time of Mayur Sharma is considered to be the middle of the fourth century. Mayur Sharma started a new dynasty which became famous in history as Kadamba dynasty. The kings of Ujjain, Jihoti and Maheshwarpur belonged to the Brahmin caste at the time of Hiuen Tsang's visit to India in the seventh century AD.
Some Vaishyas and Shudras also succeeded in becoming kings. The Gupta emperors of Magadha and the Vardhanvanshi kings of Thaneshwar are also considered to be of Vaishya varna. In the seventh century AD, Hiuen Tsang mentions the Shudra kings of Sindh. These facts prove that the basis of Varna was birth in the Gupta period and even after this.
Even during Harsha's time, Chaturvanya's actions were the same, which were described by the ancient Smritis. Hiuen Tsang has also mentioned the four varnas and mentioned their deeds which were traditionally propounded. Harshavardhana's copper-lekh in 'Varnashram-Administration-Pravritchakra' (the one who arranged the Varnashrama religions).
It is known from this that even in this age it was considered the duty of the king to keep all the varnas stable in their respective religions and actions. Harsha's Sanskrit poet Baan wrote 'Harshacharitam' In this, King Harshavardhana is said to be a follower of Varnashrama Dharma. He has written that 'Unsanskrit Brahmin' Also because of his caste 'Respected' Happens.
Varna System in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages the base of the Varna was completely 'born' happened. One was considered Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra on the basis of birth. Now it was never possible that a person could join the Brahmin varna on the basis of scholarship and deeds or in the Kshatriya varna on the basis of valor and kingship. If a person was born in a Vaishya clan, then he was called a Vaishya even though he was a scholar and a sacrificial ritualist, and even after getting the kingdom by military power, he was considered a Vaishya.
The Arabic scholar Alberuni, who came to India at the end of the tenth century and the beginning of the eleventh century, has written - 'Different sections of the society had their own duties and it was the duty of the king to give any person to his Don't let the character's actions encroach on you. The person who transgressed the karma of his varna was punished.'
Brahmin Characters: The position of Brahmins in medieval society was supreme, however unworthy or corrupt. Alberuni has also given the highest position of Brahmins in the society. He had the right to perform sacrifices, study and teach the Vedas, take donations.
Kshatriya Characters: The Kshatriya varna was traditionally limited to fighting and running the state system. He had the right to perform sacrifices, receive education and give charity. As a ruler, it was his duty to keep the subjects firm on their Swadharma.
Vaishya and Shudra Varna: In the later Vedic period, along with doing agriculture, reading and performing sacrifices were also the work of the Vaishyas, but when the Vaishyas started neglecting the study of the Vedas and their education was limited to attaining professional proficiency, then their social status began to be like that of the craftsmen. . In that period the craftsmen were counted among the Vaishyas.
Kautilya (4th century AD) in his treatise 'Arthashastra' The cultivators are included in the Shudras. Since both Vaishyas and Shudras were engaged in varnas, crafts and agricultural activities, there was no significant difference in their social status during the Maurya period. According to Patanjali (2nd century AD), the shilpis were considered to be in the Shudra varna. In the medieval period, there were two divisions in the Vaishya Varna. One class of Vaishyas was of rich sages and nobles and the other class was of artisans and farmers. Alberuni has written that there is no special difference between Vaishyas and Shudras.
Conclusion
From the above discussion it can be concluded that the Varna system was initially formed on the basis of the color of the skin, in which a distinction was made between the Gaur Varna of Aryans and the Black Varna of Non-Aryans. This system was established to maintain the purity of the blood of Aryan race.
Later, due to the addition of a sense of superiority in this system, the Aryans were considered to be of high varna and the non-Aryans to be of low varna. With the development of religious, political and economic activities in the society, a new type of varna system developed within the Aryans and Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra Varna came into existence.
In the beginning, any person could change his work and his Varna by increasing his qualifications, but later Swadharma was prescribed for each Varna. For the Brahmins, the study-teaching of the Vedas, Yajan-Yajan etc. were the main tasks. It was considered Swadharma to fight for the Kshatriyas.
Agriculture and trade were considered the main occupations for the Vaishyas. For the Shudras, it was their Swadharma to serve the remaining three higher varnas and to do crafts related work. With the passage of time it became mandatory for each varna to perform the swadharma. It was considered the duty of the king to force the subjects to be firm on their self-righteousness.
As the shackles of the varna system became stronger, it became forbidden for people to renounce their own dharma and do the work of other varnas. Thus the character is determined 'Birth' Started from.