72 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
(III)
A Kshatriya must never arrogantly adopt the mode of life (prescribed for his) betters (that is for the Brahmanas).
(The King) should order a Vaishya to trade, to lend money, to cultivate the land, to lend cattle and the Shudra to serve the twice born castes.
(The King) should carefully compel Vaishyas and Shudras to perform the work (prescribed) for them; for if these two (castes) swerved from their duties, they would throw this (whole) world into confusion.
(IV)
A blind man, an idiot, (a cripple) who moves with the help of a board, a man full seventy years old, and he who confers benefits on Srotriyas, shall not be compelled by any (king) to pay a tax.
Though dying (with want) a King must not levy a tax on Srotriyas, and no Srotriya residing in his kingdom must perish from hunger.
Let the King make the common inhabitants of his realm who live by traffic, pay annually some trifle, which is called a tax.
Mechanics and artisans, as well as Shudras who subsist by manual labour, he (the king) may cause to work (for himself) one (day) in each month.
Tonsure (of the head) is ordained for a Brahmana (instead of capital punishment); but men of other castes shall suffer capital punishment.
Let him (the King) never slay a Brahmana though he have committed all (possible) crimes; let him banish such an (offender) leaving all his property (to him) and (his body) unhurt.
No greater crime is known on the earth than slaying a Brahmana: a King, therefore, must not even conceive in his mind the thought of killing a Brahmana.
When a learned Brahmana has found treasure deposited in former (times), he may take even the whole (of it); for he is master for everything.
When the King finds treasutre of old concealed in the ground, let him give one half to the Brahmanas and place the (other) half in his treasury.
(14) Manu X.95; (15) Ibid., VIII.410: (16) Ibid., V111.4I8.
(1) Manu VIII.394: (2) Ibid., VII.133: (3) Ibid., VII. 137: (4) Ibid., VII.138: (5) Ibid., VIII.379: (6) Ibid., VIII.380: (7) Ibid., VIII.381: (8) Ibid., VIII.37: (9) Ibid., VIII.38.