THE NANDAS THE GREAT BARBER RULERS OF INDIA
INTRODUCTION "Among men barber is the cleverest and the trickiest guy" - Chanakya [321 BC]
The barbers are our first doctors. They wielded razors to cut hair and to perform surgeries in the pre-modern period. The word barber comes from the Latin word barba meaning beard. As the word shaving spread, men of unshaven societies came to be known as 'barbarians' meaning 'unbarbered'. The food that we eat and the way we maintain our body are the most fundamental aspects of health. Given that India largely has tropical climate, everyday-bathing is necessary to maintain basic hygiene and for well groomed appearance. Besides the importance given to human bodygrowth, importance has also been given to hair and nails and they need regular cutting in orderly fashion. This is equally important for our health. Among the medical sciences, the cutting of hair occupies a significant place in history. Cutting the hair that grows on our head and other parts of body needs skills and tools of precision: sharp blades and scissors. In various societies the barbers also developed as the world's first doctors and surgeons. During the Stone Age, the Neanderthals started pulling out hair from their own bodies. In coastal areas, sea shells were used as Tweezers: pumice stones for softening the skin. Flint blades came to be used