Vaishya (Sanskrit: वैश्य Vaiśya) is one of the four varnas of the Hindu social order.

According to the Hindu texts, the duties of a Vaishya, as described, are Cow protection , Agriculture(trade),and(born of his own nature). The Vaisyas, along with the Kshatriyas, claim to be of the 'twice born' (dvija) castes of the classical theory. Indian traders were widely credited for the spread of Indian culture to regions as far as southeast Asia.

Historically, Vaisyas have played a much larger role in Indian affairs apart from trade and commerce, according to many historians Gupta dynasty of the Gupta Empire was a Vaishya dynasty, according to historian, Ram Sharan Sharma, Guptas were a Vaishya dynasty, "who may have appeared as a reaction against oppressive rulers".A.S. Altekar, a historian and archaeologist, who has written and several books on Gupta coinage, also regarded the caste of the Guptas as Vaishya on the basis of the ancient Indian texts on law, which prescribe the name-ending with Gupta for a member of the Vaishya caste. In opinion of art historian Dr. R. A. Agarawala, "Guptas" are said to be of Agrawal Vaishya community, as their Dharana Gotra is one of the gotras among the seventeen and half gotras of Agrawals.^{[citation needed]} The historian H.C. Raychaudhuri, also holds that the Guptas belonged to the Dharana Gotra.^{[citation needed]} According to Raichaudhuri, the Guptas were related to queen Dharini of Agnimitra, wife of the son of king Pushyamitra Shunga. Raychoudhuri drew this theory about the pedigree of the Guptas based on the Riddhapura copper-plate inscription of Prabhabati Gupta, daughter of Chandragupta II.^{[citation needed]} In her records she claimed herself to be a descendant of the Dharana Gotra.^{[citation needed]}