 I just watched Mulholland Drive last night for the first time. Did you ever see that one? Nope. David Lynch. Yeah. Film. I want to. I want to see everything he's done. Yeah. Was it good? It was very interesting. Very Lynch. Yes. Yeah. Very Lynch. Yeah. I think it's one of the ones that you have to see multiple times. Right. To really understand what you just watched. Right. But it was... Yeah. It was good. Yeah. I think I would fully understand it. I just... I watched Triangle of Sadness. How was that? This week. It's fantastic. Yeah. I've heard a lot of good stuff about that. Yeah. It is... It is my... My get to that one. My thoughts on it is it's... It covers the same kind of stuff, sort of, as everyone all at once, but in a completely different way. And it's... It's freaking good. Yeah. It's great. Hey, welcome back to our Stupid Directions of Corbin. I'm Rick. You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, for more juicy content. Thanks for watching. Thanks for watching. Thanks for watching. I felt good to get back to the gym today. It did. It's been 10 days cause I had the cold and, you know, work out when you're sick. I do. And I was... You know what I was listening to. What? The Maddy John of... The Maddy John of... The Maddy John of... We'll be here all week. Today, we've got a video. This is called Quarter-Sons of Ancient India. Ooh. Flirting with the Throne. Yeah, babe. It's a little informational video about old-time quarter zones. Mm. Quarter zones. Quarter zone? Quarter zone. It's a medication. Yeah. But, let's just get into it. Three crores to bring your mouth close to mine, touch my lips and kiss. Yeah! God damn. I need tight to touch my place of love. Woo! Get to total union. Listen well. You must bathe me in a shower of gold. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. There's so many films that have quarter zones. Oh, I bet. God damn right. In India, courtesans were a particular category of women who were not expected to have a traditional married life. Courtesans who served as concubines or musicians or dancing girls or actresses would not necessarily have been considered prostitutes, but they would also not have lived like others in society. For example, they wouldn't have had a husband barring a few notable exceptions. That being said, many Indian courtesans were engaged in at least part-time sex work, just like the courtesans of other cultures. In feudal Japan, for example, actresses would perform theater and would then be hired for the 90s suitors. What's going on here? Why would we block that out? This facility would not have been unfamiliar to an Indian courtesan. A system of prostitution is a feature of an advanced, prosperous society. After all, the profession relies on a substantial economic surplus, much of which is generated through trade and commerce. An extensive commerce demands a complex and stable political infrastructure. Unsurprisingly, systemic prostitution thrived in places like ancient Greece and ancient India. In India, there are references to prostitution as a social institution, as early as the eighth century B.C.E. All this progression in the world is some hundreds of years after that. In early Buddhist literature, especially the Jatikas, there we find detailed discussions as to the categories of courtesans, their services, fees, and position in society. How courtesans entered this lifestyle is quite varied. Some would do so voluntarily, of course, but others were given as gifts. Others were born to courtesans. Still others were sold into courtesanship due to financial distress or were abducted or even wanted as war booty. Booty. Courtesans could be delineated into a number of different categories. Some of these categories may seem rather strange given our modern sensibilities. There were concubines and living mistresses and there were common public women who sold their services on the street and in their homes. Vandaki were housewives turned prostitutes whose husbands were dependent on their earnings. Runda were pilgrim women pretending to be engaged in penance. They were typically older prostitutes hunting for customers at religious sites. Like your mom. These colorful characters notwithstanding, the most prominent courtesans were the Rupajava and Ganaka. Rupajava were courtesan prostitutes whose value was premised mainly on their beauty and charm. By contrast, the Ganaka were a rank of courtesans who were not only expected to be beautiful and charming but were also accomplished in the arts and intellectuals. So like Rekha and Umraja. As the status of household women deteriorated by the early centuries BCE, the accomplished Ganaka became especially attractive to cultured men about town known as Nagarika. Nagarika were typically merchants, nobles, administrators and military lords. The sort of men who would be able to pay the exorbitant fees demanded by high-end courtesan. Some of the most learned women in Indian society would have been courtesans. In Jain literature, we find exhaustive lists of what a Ganaka was expected to learn, including arithmetic, writing, chess, music making, perfume making, horse riding, cooking, camping, sword fighting and omen reading. Altogether, 72 skills were to be mastered by a Ganaka and they put these skills to good use. At the height of the Vijayanagara Empire, for example, a genre of erotic poetry, referencing Krishna as a mischievous customer, was popularized by courtesans who had a talent for the written word. Many of these poems have been preserved in the Thirupati Temple vaults in Andhra Pradesh. In fact, there's plenty of reason to believe that courtesans in India were valued for their artistic and intellectual achievements and not solely as sexual objects. As Altigarh writes, courtesans had a peculiar position in nation India. As persons who had sacrificed what was regarded as honorable in a woman, they were held in low estimation. But society treated them with a certain amount of consideration as the custodians of fine arts. Men who had a liking or love for music dancing would not delight in the company of their own wives who had seized to possess these accomplishments from 400 BCE. Though despised in one sense, courtesans began to be respected for their achievements in the fine arts. Aside from the fact that some courtesans were expected to be highly educated, they were involved in a multitude of public and private functions. Courtesans would also be brought along on hunting and military expeditions. In 1520 CE, at the Battle of Raichur, for example, Krishna Vavarya brought along thousands of courtesans to entertain his troops at camp. Broadly speaking, courtesans were entertainers. From various texts, we know that they would perform at festivals, garden parties, boat trips, musical soirees, and other menus. They also serve as party hosts themselves for discussions not unlike those of the French salons that captured the world's imagination in the 1700s and 1800s. At homes could be held in a courtesan salon where assembled were men of the same age, intellect, and wealth. These men would hold discussions with one another and with the courtesans. This was called Ghosti, where they talked about poetry and- Ghosti. And indulged in food and drink. The kingdoms and empires of India were invested in training up and maintaining courtesans for a multitude of reasons. Substantial taxes were collected from brothel courtesans and freelance courtesans alike, even those who were being paid to be the mistress of a single client. Textual sources indicate a 25 to 30% tax rate on courtesan services, with that number rising to 50% in times of administrative crisis. As an accomplished and attractive courtesan to generate considerable revenues, the state undertook to supervise courtesan education at its own expense. Those who teach prostitutes, female slaves, and actresses the arts, such as singing, musicianship, reading, dancing, acting, writing, painting, mental acuity, the manufacture of scents and garlands, shampooing, and the art of attracting and captivating the minds of others shall be endowed with maintenance from the state. These state-funded teachers would also be tasked with training the sons of prostitutes to be chief actors on the state. Interestingly, courtesans, actors, and their relatives would also be trained in spycraft. They were taught how to conduct counter-indulgence operations against foreigners, such as visiting diplomats, and how to identify local criminals for police. Courtesan-related services were not their only contribution to society, however. Records in many South Indian temples show that the Devadasi courtesans there are made rich endowments. In Buddhist texts, there are many references to courtesan charity. Courtesans fed the hungry during famines and gave away property to monastic orders. The courtesan Amrapalli gave away her vast wealth to charitable institutions and laid a vast sum at the Buddha's feet. In Jain texts, we hear of many generous courtesans who invested in the public good. One ran a picture gallery while others gave vast sums to the poor. When the courtesans grow rich, they often set up works of public utility, such as wells, temples, tanks, gardens, groves, bridges, and they gave away food and rice. What does this tell us? That they were better than the Congress of the United States now. They were in control of that wealth and they could decide how to spend it. These women are of loose character and they live in the best streets that there are in the city. They are very much esteemed and are classed amongst those honored ones who are the mistresses of the captains. Any respectable man may go to their houses without any blame. High-end courtesans were extremely wealthy and politically influential. First-hand accounts observed that their wealth even exceeded that of landed nobility. Well-to-do courtesans also kept slaves and employees to assist them. Because men like to have sex. Many courtesans would employ a Vita, a man who would look after her physical interests. Especially when they don't have to earn it themselves, they can just pay for it. Act as a go-between and goods procurer. Some courtesans would also share a portion of their earnings with a matron who would help her with negotiations, help navigate administrative issues, and much more. Given the high demand for entertainment services, Ghanikas would often maintain a troupe of singers, dancing girls, and artists to entertain at larger parties and festivals. These assistants were known as Ghanikadasi and could later become independent courtesans. Ghanikas also had maid servants or slaves who would help with house duties, makeup, hair, and fashion. In the Sama Jataka, for example, the document notes that Sama, a courtesan, had a revenue of 500 female slaves. YouTube would block the video. Ownership of slaves was not merely an ancient practice. For example, medieval sources in India note that Fajanagar's wealthy courtesans often made use of female slaves as personal assistants and co-entertainers. Besides the advantage of their earning potential, courtesans also enjoyed the protection of the state. Those who harmed them, physically, financially, or socially, were liable to be punished in accordance with special laws created to protect courtesans. In the Arthashastra, Kautilya notes that a state-endorsed official, the superintendent of prostitutes, conferred the title of Ghanika to a slave group of courtesans who were pretty. That's what I think a lot of kids say they want to be when they grow up. After being granted this title. A lot of school. Ghanika would be entitled to funds from the state to establish herself. Ghanilya seems to have harbored no other way- I'll give you some seeds, funder. And in fact was adamant that they'd be provided for by the state. In the Arthashastra, he recommends that courtesans be given state pensions so as to take care of them after the loss of their youth, beauty, and entertainment skills. The possibility of courtesans falling in love was accepted by Vatsiyana, though he advises them to chase after money and influence, not love. In both Indian literature and recorded history, we find ample evidence of courtesans reaching the highest rung of society by securing the hearts of great kings, nobles, merchants, and others. For example, the legendary Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya was the son of Tuluva Narsanayaka and his beloved concubine Nagamamba. In fact, Krishnadevaraya's status as the son of a lowly concubine should have disqualified him from becoming emperor, were it not for the fact that his half-brother instated him as his successor on his deathbed. Once he was made emperor, Krishnadevaraya then married the love of his life, a low-caste dancing girl known as Chinna Devi, with whom he'd carried on a secret relationship prior to ascending the throne. Krishnadevaraya married Chinna Devi and made her a queen, the queen he adored above all others. In North India, similar histories abound. In the Rajputs, for example, Raja Samant Singh fell in love with a beautiful courtesan, Banithani, who was a singer employed by his stepmother. Their love blossomed due to her beauty and their mutual interest in the arts. The Raja made Banithani his mistress and later married her and made her a queen. In the Kashmiri erotic text Kala Vilasa, a story is told of a courtesan, Vilasavati, with whom King Vikramaditya fell in love. In this story, King Vikramaditya lost his kingdom and fell on hard times. He stayed with Vilasavati as a guest and it was Vilasavati who, with her extensive contacts and powerful networks, helped Vikramaditya regain his kingdom. Returning the favor, Vikramaditya married her and made her his chief queen. But the story doesn't end there. Vilasavati was in fact in love with another man, a young thief who was imprisoned. She confessed to her husband, Vikramaditya and he accepted him. He freed the young thief and allowed the two lovers to be united. Wow. That's not common. The citizens of India avoid getting pregnant and giving birth. In the Indian subcontinent, ancient and medieval peoples used many different methods of birth control. For example, the ancient trade in Silphium, a popular and extremely effective contraceptive in the Roman Empire, almost certainly reached Indian shores. However, the expense and rarity of Silphium, which went extinct in the 400s CE, made it an unsustainable solution. Other plants belonging to the same giant fennel family, such as Asophatata, were cheaper and more readily available. Lab tests show that they have potential as a contraceptive. Meanwhile, in Indian erotic manuals, there are references to the Queen Anne's lace plant, which has contraceptive qualities. Other references include a consumable mixture made of powdered palm leaf and red chalk. As in Egypt and China, pesseries were used as a means of physically blocking conception. One popular pesserie was made of honey, diluted rock salt, ghee and ground fennel seeds. Ow! When mixed together and heated, it creates a spermacidal solution rather comparable to those sold in pharmacies today. Dang. Certainly, the popular... They figured it out, man. Well, the ghee and the honey could come in handy. The birth control methods used in ancient and medieval India were likely affected. While imperfect, these methods would have... But they got a lot of used infections. Some control over pregnancy. There's also another form that they could have used, called pulling out. I don't know. It really helps the channel out. I don't know if they knew about that. That also doesn't always work, though. You can leave tips, make custom requests, purchase unique offers. It's a... A good video. That was a very good video. A lot of info. Well, I mean, it's not... We see them a lot in... Oh, my stars. In Indian films, whether it's old or new. They have the... Especially historical ones. The Corazon. Corazon. My Corazon. My Corazon. You went from Cortisol to My Corazon. Cortizans. Cortizans. In TV shows, films, all that throughout India. And I think before the British, obviously, they weren't as, I don't know if Prudish is the correct word with sexuality. Oh, my stars, no. But I think... If the Brits imported something, it was Prudishness. Yeah. With all the conservativeness around women needing to cover up and also sex in general. Absolutely. Famously as one of the most... If not the most famous sex book. Yep. In history. Yeah. It's astonishing. It really is astonishing. They've always been really open as a societal until, obviously, more recently. Because of the British influence on the society. Puritanism. Which is where we get it from as well. Yep. Even though, obviously, we're a little... Not as much anymore, obviously. Even in the past 50 years, it's a whole different country. But, obviously, we come from the British and the Christian conservativeness around sex. Yeah. Misunderstoodness, in my opinion. I agree. It comes from them. But it's super interesting because... Yeah. Especially of the spy element. I'd love to see a historical talk about that. And I'd really like more detail in terms of the differentiation between how many of them, because it specified this, that many of them chose to live that way versus the ones that were just sex trafficked and sold. And were just sex slaves. Some chose there because... Yes. That's good money. Oh, great money. Good influence. Yeah. And stuff like that. And it's super interesting. Obviously, I know there's certain countries that have legalized prostitution. I think it's one of the things that I could make an argument that it should be done here because you're not stopping it by making it illegal. No. And you could also regulate it better. As well. You're never gonna get rid of the black market. There's always gonna be a black market, whether it's legal or illegal. It's like when weed was illegal. Yeah. You didn't stop people from doing it. No. You could also tax it. So you couldn't... I'm just... No. And there's many people who've talked to the fact that they've said, well, if you legalize it, you're gonna stop the sex trafficking. That's not true. No. Amsterdam is loaded with sex trafficking. No, no, no, no, no. But for me, the thing that's confounding, like so many of the laws in the United States of America that make absolutely jack shit sense are stupid. Porn's legal prostitution isn't both involve pay for play. People are getting paid to have sex in both worlds. Because of... It's literally only because of the conservative society. If there is a person who's like, yeah, you can pay me to have sex with me and the other person says, hey, I'd love to pay you to have sex with you. Where is that the government's business? Is my feeling. Yeah. Whether you agree with it or not is immaterial. It's just the basic reality of, I've never understood why that has a level of conservativeness in the society. It's because we don't want that to be that in our society. I mean, yeah. But it shouldn't have to pay for sex, kids. But it is, once again, the oldest profession and it will never go away. People will always have sex and always want to have sex and there's people that can't or just don't want to try and... And there's people who are addicted. There's people who have healthy, happy marriages with kids and they still go find hookers. Yep. I don't understand it but you're not gonna get rid of it. No, people are gonna stop having sex. They're gonna stop having kids. Well, and the other thing is they're not just gonna stop having sex. They're not going to stop being interested in what is taboo. It's just, you're never gonna stop it. Yeah. That was really interesting. I think it should be legalized because your mother deserves more work. Well, and she deserves better pay. I agree with you. I mean... And we should be able to tax her, goddammit. That's what I'm saying. Anyways, great video. Let us know to their informational videos that we should react to are down below.