What Was the Status of Merchants in the Southern Kingdoms

What was the status of merchants in the southern kingdoms of the Ganges plain?

A) Like China, merchants among the Aryan kingdoms were despised and, although wealthy, held low social status.
B) The lack of commerce within the southern kingdoms left the small merchant class poor and low-caste.
C) There was no social class or varna for merchants who were lumped together with artisans and peasants.
D) The great wealth amassed by merchants allowed them to win a prominent place in the Indian social hierarchy.