Non-Kshatriya kings
Topic: Society in Early India: Kinship, Varna-Jati, Women · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Kinship, Caste and Class - Early Societies"
Meaning
The Dharmashastras said that only Kshatriyas should be kings. In real history, many ruling families came from other backgrounds. Historians conclude that power was open to anyone who could gather support and resources. It was not limited by birth.
Example
- Mauryas: their origin is disputed. Buddhist texts call them Kshatriyas, but Brahmanical texts say they were of "low" birth.
- Shungas and Kanvas: both were Brahmanas.
- Shakas: they came from Central Asia and were called mlechchhas, or outsiders. Yet the Shaka ruler Rudradaman (c. 2nd century CE) left one of the earliest Sanskrit inscriptions.
- Satavahanas: Gotami-puta Siri-Satakani called himself a "unique Brahmana" and claimed he stopped marriages between varnas. Yet his family married into Rudradaman's family.
Don't confuse with
- Mlechchha: a word for outsiders, applied to people such as the Shakas. A non-Kshatriya king could be an insider, such as a Brahmana Shunga ruler.