72 SOCIAL SCIENTIST
which combined equality by birth and slavery by birth in its most developed form., later became the supreme and the most popular god of India whose philosophy of transcendental salvation (Bhakti-yoga) combined in itself the non-Braminical Sankhya dualism and the Brahminical monist idealism (Brahma-vadd).
The two epics thus depict the following social formations: (l)classless, later matriarchal (Stri'rajya) tribal states with which the two-varna (Kshatra and Brahma) system arose; (2) tribal slave states ruled by matri-lineal monarchies with which the three-varna (Kshatriya, Brahmin and Dasa) and class system arose; (3) tribal slave states ruled by patriarchal monarchies with which the four" varna (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra) system arose;(4)non-monarchical slave oligarchies or sangha-ganas with which the two varna system coinciding with class system arose and which in its period of decadence developed jati system in the shell of varna system.
A deep study of our ancient literature with the help of the sciences of archaeology, and its interpretation with the comparative method can alone provide a satisfactory solution to the heated controversies raging over our history, ancient and medieval. [Based on the author7 s forthcoming book, Dasa-Sudra Slavery and Feudalism
and Their Philosophies^
SHARAD^ PATIL