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Course: World history > Unit 2

Lesson 14: Early Buddhism

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Early Hinduism and Early Buddhism

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	Brahmin	Kshatriya	Vaishya
Age for initiation	8	11	12
Last age for initiation	16	22	24
Seasons for initiation	spring	hot season	autumn
Upper garment	black antelope	spotted deer	goat or cow
Lower garment	linen or hempen	cotton or linen	woolen
Size of staff	reaches top of head	reaches forehead	reaches nose

Chart adapted from Brian K. Smith, "Ritual, Knowledge, and Being: Initiation and Veda Study in Ancient India", 1986.

A historian researching the Vedic caste system and religion would most likely find this chart useful as evidence of the following?