In which century BCE did the composition of Dharmasutras by Brahmanas begin?

6th century BCE

Each mahajanapada had a fortified capital city. Sustaining these fortified cities, establishing rudimentary armies, and managing bureaucracies required substantial resources. Starting from the sixth century BCE, Brahmanas began composing Sanskrit texts called Dharmasutras, which laid down norms for rulers (and other social categories). Rulers were ideally expected to be Kshatriyas and were advised to collect taxes and tributes from cultivators, traders, and artisans. The sources do not clarify whether resources were also procured from pastoralists and forest peoples. Nonetheless, raids on neighbouring states were considered a legitimate means of acquiring wealth. Over time, some states developed standing armies and maintained regular bureaucracies, while others relied on militias primarily recruited from the peasantry.