The Vaisyas in Mediaeval Bengal
By N. K. Dutt
Summary
This study examines the decline of the Vaisya varna in mediaeval Bengal. The Vaisya, traditionally associated with agriculture, trade, cattle‑rearing and money‑lending, gradually lost their status as those occupations came to be performed by the artisan castes and were classified as Shudra. Medieval lawgivers often omitted the Vaisya entirely, recognising only Brahmana and Shudra in Kali Yuga. The article shows how Bengal’s religious and social history—dominated for centuries by Buddhism, Jainism and Tantric cults and only later drawn into Brahmanical orthodoxy—prevented the varnasrama system from taking deep root. The Muslim conquest further weakened caste boundaries and empowered agricultural and artisan communities. By tracing references in Sanskrit texts, inscriptions and regional literature, the author argues that the once‑respected Vaisya occupations were gradually stigmatised and absorbed by the Shudra category. The work thus illuminates how social hierarchies evolve and how local historical factors can reshape the Hindu varna system.
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Conclusion
The article concludes that in mediaeval Bengal the Vaisya caste effectively disappeared as a distinct social group. The artisan and peasant classes that once embodied Vaisya functions were redefined as Shudras, while Brahmin lawgivers and Muslim rulers alike showed little interest in maintaining the older four‑fold varna structure. This transformation underscores the flexibility of social categories and the need to study caste within its regional and historical contexts.