Who were the Shudras?

Who Were the Shudras? is a book about the history of the Shudra (lowest) varna of the Indian caste system written in 1946 by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. The book is dedicated to Jyotirao Phule and intends to break the myth about Shudras being an untouchable caste in India. Ambedkar cites the Indian scriptures like The Vedas and Mahabharata among others to argue that Shudras were in fact Aryan kings who fell to a substandard caste after a long-drawn conflict with the Brahmans. Ambedkar also discusses the Aryan race theory and does not agree on the Indo-Aryan migration that has often been considered canon in the history of the race.

The book is a debunking of myths and ideologies and hopes to achieve a sense of tolerance for a misunderstood and ill-treated caste in India.