What was the role of chandalas according to the Manusmriti?

Disposing of bodies of individuals with no relatives and serving as executioners.

The Manusmriti prescribed certain "duties" for chandalas, including living outside the village, using discarded utensils, and wearing clothes made from the dead and iron ornaments. They were restricted from walking in villages and cities during the night. Additionally, chandalas were tasked with disposing of bodies of individuals with no relatives and serving as executioners. In later accounts, the Chinese Buddhist monk Fa Xian described how "untouchables" used a clapper in the streets to avoid being seen, while Xuan Zang observed that executioners and scavengers were compelled to live outside the city.

Historians have analyzed non-Brahmanical texts to understand whether chandalas embraced the prescribed life of degradation mentioned in the Shastras. In some instances, these depictions align with Brahmanical texts, while in others, there are indications of different social realities.