These are the core obsessions that drive our newsroomβdefining topics of seismic importance to the global economy. Our emails are made to shine in your inbox, with something fresh every morning, afternoon, and weekend. Shift the vowels slightly and the Sanskrit word for a trader Vaishya becomes the Sanskrit word for a prostitute veshya. The one sold goods and the other sold pleasure to the highest bidder.
Neither was loyal. Naturally, feudal authorities despised them both, and turned the word bazaru , or commercial, into an insult. In all societies, there are two main sources of wealth: land and the market. Feudalism depends on the land and trade depends on the market. Land-owning communities Kshatriyas and trading communities Vaishyas have always competed for control of society.
It accounts for the division between old world Europe and new world America. Typically, feudal societies are hierarchical and value loyalty and patronage. In India, we have sought to reject old world feudalism but we have not yet embraced new world free trade. We still value loyalty, over merit. We are suspicious of professionals, because they sell their skills for a price, and the fiercely independent, like the prostitutes of yore.
The traditional service-providers Shudras were expected to serve without expectation, accept patronage, and never demand payment, resulting in their semi-enslavement. Only priests Brahmins could demand a service-fee dakshina , and monks bhikku could demand alms bhiskha.
The rest were expected to live on the charity daan of the feudal master. Further, the priests and monks of India consolidated their exalted status by establishing the doctrine of pollution and purity. This ensured their position on top of the social pyramid, even above the land-owning communities, but pacified the latter by locating them above traders and service-providers.
