When a slave ran away, if it was the first offense, the slave would receive no more than forty lashes. Then the second offense would be branding. The slave would have been marked with the letter R on their forehead signifying that they were a criminal, and a runaway.

Criminal Punishment for Brahmins

In Kautilya's Arthashastra, a Hindu text, Brahmins were an exception from crimes, instead of being tortured, they would be branded with the symbol of a crime, and be banished from the kingdom by

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