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Indian Journal of History of Science, 19 (4): 314—322 (1984)
WASHERMAN AND WASHING MATERIALS IN ANCIENT INDIA
D. K. AGARWAL AND SURESH CHANDRA SHUKLA Department of Chemistry Lucknow University Lucknow 226 00] (Received 22 March 1984 ,1
INTRODUCTION Washing of body and clothes is an essential part of human hygiene. Even before man became civilised, he must have washed and cleaned his body and clothes in water. In course of time when men became civilized washing of clothes became a necessity and a class of people took it as a. profession. In India, from time -immemorial, the Hindu society has been divided into four classes (varnas) brdhmana, ksarriya, vais'ya and .s-Edra. Of the last mentioned class a subclass was called rajaka and its profession was to wash clothes. The object of the present paper is to throw light on the Indian washerman and the materials used by him for washing clothes in ancient times. WASHERMAN The Indian washerman who was known as rajnka was one of the five special categories of workers who were given a higher place and designated as s'r'lpins or artisans. the other four classes of artisans being the carpenter, the weaver, the barber and the shoemaker. Manu says: “The carpenter, the weaver, the barber, the washerman and the fifth one the shoemaker, these workers or professionals are called s'i'lLoins or artisans.”1 They were regarded as soperior classes of workers (varisgna) and the work done by these s'r‘lpins was regarded as pure.
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WASHERMAN AND WASHING MATERIALS IN ANCIENT tNDtA 315 Yajfiavalkya (I, 18?) in his Sm!!! says: “mare: 1.11%: (we win“ Wear)" which has been explained by his commentator Apararka as meaning: “Esra: fiIIF-[fi' | emit and We: I” i.e.. “the work done by the hands of the workers designated as artisans, viz, washer- man and weaver etc. is to be regarded as pure.” Apararka further says: “an waawrfi'fn: Marat wait—n. . . . . .srmaita'" “So, the clothes washed and cleaned by washer-man, or servant etc., are to be taken as ‘pure’." But sometimes these washer-men indulged in malpractices and spoiled or lost the clothes. 50 certain codes of conduct were laid down for those who were engaged in washing clothes. Mann in his Smrn' observes: “A washerman shall wash [the clothes of his customers) gently on a smooth plank of sitilmalr' tree; he shall not deliver the clothes of one customer to another nor shall he allow any one else (other than the owner of the clothes) to wear them.“ So also says Yz'ijfiavalkya; “In case washerman wears the clothes of others, he shall have to pay three papers, and if he sells, gives on hire, mortgages or lends (the clothes of others}, he shall pay ten p611t15.”3 In the Snn-ris', as stated above, the washerman is referred to as mjaka. This term is derived from the root mafia, meaning “to dye“, so it etymologically means “a dyer" (rafijayatiti rajakalz). So it seems that in ancient times as at present, the washerman not only washed the clothes but also dyed them. They were dyers as well as cleaners. The washerrnan who was found guilty of misconduct was fined or punished. Kautilya in his Arrhes’éstra‘ lays down the following rules in this regard: “Washerman shall wash clothes either on wooden planks or on stones with smooth surface. Washing elsewhere shall be punished with a fine of six panes
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3!6 I). K. AGARWAL AND sonssn CHANDRA SHUKLA and also a payment of compensation equal to the damage. Washerman putt- ing on clothes other than those bearing mace~prints shall be fined six pages. For selling, mortgaging or letting out on hire the clothes of customers, a fine of twelve panes shall beimposed. Substitutions of clothes shall be punished with a fine equal to twice the value of the clothes and the restoration of true ones.”~" “Clothes which are to be made as white as flower buds shall be returned after one day; those which are to be made as white as marble, after two days; those which are to be made as white as the natural colour of their threads, after three days; and those which are to be made exceptionally white, after four days."6 “Washing coarse clothes shall be paid at the rate of one or two min: per cloth. One washing depreciates the value of a cloth by one-fourth, a second washing by one-fifth and so on”7 The above rules show that in the time of Kautilya the washerman was in the habit of giving the clothes of customers on hire or subjecting them to such malpractices as damaging, discolouring, exchanging, mortgaging, selling or using them personally. From the Sanskrit lexicon, Ainarai‘ros'aB we learn that the washerman besides being called rajaka was also callcd‘nirnejaka. The use of this name, however, is rare, In modern times a washerman is commonly known as dhobi'. The river bank where he washes clothes is called dirobi'ghéga and the wooden plank which he uses for washing clothes is called dhobflrnitri The world dhobr' seems to be a corrupt form of the Sanskrit word diuimka (meaning washerman) which is derived from the root dhdv, meaning to wash, clean, cleanse or purify. The profession of the washerman was regarded as honourable and the washer- man was given a high place amongst the artisans. So they were sometimes known as varisp'ra. This term has come down to us in its corrupted form Vareg‘hé. WASHING M ATERIALS Early references to materials used For washing clothes are found to occur in the Smrn's and the Puréaas. The Vasfsgha-smrri prescribes water to wash cotton clothes and the paste (kalka) of white mustard seeds to wash linen and silken clothes: “Clothes manufactured from fibres or threads (mm) become clean when washed with water; linen and silken ones (ksaumajo) when washed with the paste (kalka) of white mustard.“
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wasneamn mo wasnmo MATERIALS IN ancmnr INDIA 31? In the Afigirti-smrn' butter-milk, soil collected from the ant-hill and oil, jaktu (paste of parched flour) and kulmésa [gruel) are prescribed for woollen clothes (imam-aye): “Clothes made of wool become clean when washed with butter-milk (udasvt'r) or soil collected from ant~hill (vaimikamrd); and heavy woollen clothes (suCh as heavy coats and blankets etc.) when rubbed with oil, faith: and km’mtisa.”1° The Hdri'ta-smrn' prescribes alkaline earth in case of clothes made of cotton and hemp; putrojivaka and arisg‘a in the case of silken and woollen clothes; and purrajfvako and butter-milk in the case of clothes made of the hide of the antelope. The Smrrt' of Sankha mentions alkaline ealth, calx or ash and the urine of the cow as washing substances: “Clothes get cleaned when washed with alkaline earth, calx (bhasma) and the urine of the cow."11 The Brahmapurfina, too, mentions water, alkaline substances and the urine of the cow as cleansing materials. The Marw-smrtt' prescribes alkaline earth, art's-fa fruit, s'rflohata fruit and the paste of white mustard. Manu says: “Silken and woollen stuff (is cleansed) with also, blankets with the origin fruit oms'npargas with s'rflohw’a, linen clothes with the paste of white mustard."l2 Thus we see that rise or alkaline earth, arista, sirtphaia, paste of white mustard seeds, soil from the ant-hill, paste of parched flour, kulmfisa seeds, the urine of the cow, ash, oil, putrajfvaka, and butter-milk were used, besides water, as cleansing agents in the time of Smrtis. Use The term 1150 occurs in the later Vedic Samkitfis“ and the Brtihmagtas“ where it is used in the sense of salt ground or alkaline earth suited for cattles. The Sanskrit Iexicons composed in the medieval period, too, interpret the word 9,90 in the sense of ksEra-mmr'kti‘s or alkaline earth. The use of this word in the same sense has survived to this day and the colloquial Hindi word 55am meaning barren land with saline- alkaline soil is derived from it. The saline or alkaline earth may be easily distinguished from non-saline earth by its white shiny snowlike powdery surface. It is found in barren land or in deserts. In the time of Dalhana (c. 1100 an.) alkaline earth Was found in large quantities near Varanasi.
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318 n. K. AGARWAL AND SURESH CHANDRA SHUKLA Arista The artiste is the nut of a tree which is usually large in size, similar to the maditrika tree (Bass-ta latifolirr). Its bark is bright grey in colour. Eveiy branch of it has two or three pairs of leaves The flowers are greenish white and grow in bunches. Its fruits are blackish grey and these too grow in bunches. Its pulp is greasy and gives rise to foam when mixed with water. The artsy: is detergent in character and is used to cleanse silken and woollen garments. lt cleanses and softens the hair and so it is also used as a hairwash agent. It kills lice too. The arisg'a fruit possesses medicinal properties and has been prescribed in various ways in Indian medical works. Lala saligrarn in his §riligrdmanighatttu-bhfisarta enumerates the following pro- perties of arisfrtz “Arisga is pungent on digestion. It is acrid, hot, exciting and heavy. It destroys the derangements due to the three humours of the body, causes abortion and soothens the foetus. Drinking its water brings vomiting which destroys the effect of poisons and smelling of it removes headache and migrain.”16 According to Bhava Misra, the artiste “destroys the derangements due to three humours of the body, removes the troubles due to evil spirits and causes abortion.” Arisra is also known as mistake, phem‘la (foamy, frothy), piraphena (yellow- foamed), Krsrtavarna (black~coloured), mktabfl'a (having red seeds), mérigalya (auspici- ous), garbhapétana (abortive), arthnsridhana (source of wealth) etc. which speak of its properties. It is known as right? in Hindi, arisra in Gujarati and Marathi and Hill? in Bengali. Its Latin equivalent is Sapindus rrhfolr'arns. In English it is called soapmit. S'rfphala §riphala or its fruit is commonly known as bt’lva or bath. The other tree is found here and there, both wild and cultivated throughout India. It is regarded as sacred and its leaves, called bilvaparm or belapottrf, are offered to God Siva in worship by his devotees. There are several varieties of s’rt'phala distinguished by the size and shape of the leaflets and also by the size, shape and texture of the fruit. The main distinction between the wild and cultivated bela is that while the wild fruit is small hard, round and unpalatable, having numerous seeds, the white cultivated fruit is large, often oblong, having a comparatively soft rind, a richly flavoured and copious pulp with only few seeds. One variety of bela known as kéghzi is a comically shaped fruit. The whole s'rtflohala tree is of medicinal value but only the fruit-pulp has deter- gent properties. According to Dr. Watt, it is employed as soap in washing garments and is rubbed on the hair in place of oil by the poor people. It is alleged that the
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WASHERMAN AND wnsutncI MATERIALS IN ANCIENT morn 319 yogis employed the pulp of the fruit as a kaipam or substitute for oil. For this purpose ripe fruit is placed on the hearth until it bursts. The pulp is then removed from the shell and a little water is applied to it until a glutinous material is produced. After the seeds are removed the pulp is rubbed over the body and bath is taken. The pulp acts as a detergent and imparts a refreshing and cooling sensation. Lala S'aligrém states the following synonyms and properties of .r'rfphala: “firiphcria is astringent and bitter. It causes constipation, excites stomach fire and bile. It destroys gas and phlegm and gives strength. It is light hot and digestive. §riphala is known by the names of makékapr'yrlm. brim. golrarfmit'n pfirivém, mriiigaiya, méi'ttm and ratified?“ So also says Bht'rva Misra. Sansapa 0r Mustard The mustard is well-known; its oil is an item of daily use. Of the various varieties of mustard the white one is regarded as the best. As stated above it was used in the time of Smrrr'r to wash linen clothes. According to the commentators of the Smrtr's linen was washed with water mixed with pounded white mustard or with the kaika (Mini?) of white mustard. The white mustard is known by the following names: “.Tr'ksnaka, duréditars'a, raksoghrta, kusfhamis'ana. siddltaprayoiana. sr‘ddha- sédhana and sr'rasnrsapa." It is said to have the following properties: “The white mustard is bitter, pungent palatable and hot. It causes gout but destroys planetary troubles, piles, skin diseases, swelling, ulcers and poison.“Hi Kulmésa It is a gruel prepared by boiling things like rice, Phaseoius mango, Phaseoius radiatus or Sesamum indicum with six times of water until it begins to thicken a little. It is not known which material was boiled with water to make the gruel detergent. Urine The urine is alkaline in Character and for that reason it was used as a detergent. The urine of the cow, however, was taken in preference to that of other animals, as it was considered sacred. Putmjr’vaka Putrajimka is probably jr'vaka which is known by the following names also:
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320 D. K. AGARWAL AND SURESH CHANDRA SHUKLA Cirejfvaka, Cfrafijfva, fiyusmén, dz'rghdyu, jt'va, jfvad'a, prfinada, valada, priya, madhura, méfigaiya, vrddhidu, hrasuvdr'rga and ktircasir'rsaka. The jivaka plant grows in the Himalayas and is of medicinal value, It has a bulbous root similar to that of garlic. Its leaves are thin. The plant as a whole looks like a brush. It is not knovm how this jr'vuka was used as a detergent. Bhasma It is not known what was meant by bhasma or ash. Whether it was the ash of the sacrificial altar or that obtained by burning some special things, is not stated in the Smrris. It is also not knewn as to WhiCh oil was taken and how it was used to wash clothes. Of the above mentioned detergents, use of the alkaline earth, arisga, paste of white mustard, oil and butter-milk have survived, alkaline earth is used to wash clothes by washermen; the mists to wash woollen and silken garments and hair; butter-milk to cieanse the hair and the paste of white mustard and oil to cleanse the body. PURIFICATION After the clothes were washed with the detergent substances, they were washed in water and dried. They were then regarded as pure and fit to be put on the body. The Sarikha-smrri says: “Clothes become purified when washed with water."19 The Marsya-Purégta also refers to the purification of clothes with water. It reads: “0 the best among the kings, people who come to gukla Tfrrha for the sake of Dharma lose their sins and are purified in the same way as the clothes become purified when washed with water.“3 So also, says Manu in his Smm‘: “The manner of purifying iarge quantities of grain or clothes is to sprinkle water on them, but the purification of small quantities is done by washing them with water."131
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WASHERMAN AND WASHING MATERIALS IN ANCIENT INDIA 321 Sprinkling of water on a heap of clothes to purify them refers to the ancient praCtice, vvhICh is followed by the orthodox people in villages even now, of sprinkling water on the bundle of clothes received back from the washerman after washing in order to purify them. When, however, the number of clothes is one or two, they are dipped in water, dried and then used. Nores AND REFERENCES =Marm-smrn' (VIII. verse 396) rereti‘r We: mi: | tr? wife WW: fiéisrsr oration” BYéjfiavaIkya-smni (II, verse 283) W n“ 'See Ram Tej Sastri‘s edition, II, pp. 328-9. sAmorakoéa (II, 15; p. 342 Of NS. Press, Bombay.r edition of 1929 ed. by Pandit Siva Datta of Jaipur). I wArigim-smrti llsarikhawmfri "Manu—smrrf (V; verse 120). “M: Ma W" ‘ a’lmvri WWII” 1=See, for example, Taftriri'ya Samhiré, V. 2, 3. “Cf. Aimreya Brfihrrwgra; V, 2, 3; gafflparka Bréllmagm. (a) V. 21, 16. ([7) III, 4, 3, 13; VI. 2, 5, 7.
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322 D. K. AGARWAL AND sunssn CHANDRA snuxui lsAmorakot‘a {2; verse 4; p. 111 of N.S. Press Edition of 1929). “Set: gr}t'1'2ft?ma-Htghafl'ftl-bhfifiaiflfl Sri Venkateshwar Press (1896 AD.) p. 635. “W: emirates: | We; q’tntifi: WW: ii“ ll.S‘ril'i'grrmia-nighanniJamison-'1, fiaflfiiffi; p. 25]; Sri Vcnkateshwar Press, Bombay. "Sec Sr?i'igrrimn-m'ghan;n-bhtisana; p. 807; vs. 26. “'Marsya Porcine (Chapter 12]: verse 20?]. BIBLIOGRAPHY Amara Singh, Amararcim, ed. M.S. Golc, Poona, 1883. Amara Singh, Amarakom with com, entitled R'Zimaérami, of Bhanuji Dikshit, ed. Pt. Siva Datta of Jaipur, Nirnaya Sagar Press. Bombay, 1929. Angira etc., Aflfidafa-Smrfi with Hindi translation of Mihira Chandra, Bharata Bandhu Press, Aligarh, 189l. Bag, A. K., Technology in India in the 18-19 century, Indian Journal of History of Science, Vol. l'i', No. 1. May 2982. I Bhava Mishra, BMva-prakésa with Hindi translation, ed. By Nut Behari Roy, Vangavasr Electro- machine Press, Calcutta, 1904. Kane, P. V., Some notes on the History of Soap-nuts. soap and washerman in India, P. X. Code Studies, Vol. V1, pp. 150-67, Poona, 1969. Kautilya, Kaurr'lya Arthaiasrra, ed. by Ram Tej Sastri, Banaras, 1983. Manu, Manu-smflt‘ with _Hindi translation. Saligram Vaisya, Lala, Srit't'grrimaenfghanfu-bhiimna, Sri Venkateshwar Press, Bombay, 1896. Singh, R. 5., Contribution of Unani Materia Medicas to the Identification of Vedic Plants with special reference to Usana. Paper presented to National Seminar on History of Medicine in Medieval India, INSA, New Delhi, 1979. Vyasa, Malaya Purérra with Hindi translation. Watt, Sir George, The Commercial Products of India, London, 1908. I _ Ydjfiavait’cya-smrti with Hindi translation, ed. by Nut Behari Roy, Vangavas: Electromachme