Kinship, Caste and Class (600 BCE to 600 CE)

 

Chapter-3

Kinship, Caste and Class (600 BCE to 600CE)

Textual sources :

Written recordes including books and inscriptions

Importance of Textual sources to understand social behavior of early historic period

1. Texts lay down
2. Texts describe about social situations and practices. 3. Mahabharata is one of greatest textual source

norms of social behavior

• ➔  Mahabharata helps us to to understand social histories.

• ➔  Mahabharata is a colossal epic over 100,000 verses

• ➔  Mahabharata was composed over a period of about 1,000 years (500 BCE to 500CE)

• ➔  Mahabharata depicts a wide range of social categories and situations.

• ➔  The central story is about two sets of warring cousins. (Kouravas and Pandavas)

• ➔  The Kouravas and Pandavas fought over land and power

• ➔  The text also contains sections laying down norms of behavior for various social groups.

Mahabharata

The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata

➔ was prepared by a team of scholars of Bhandarkar (1919)

The critical edition of the Mahabharata

Oriental Research Institute Pune

➔ A noted Indian Sanskritist, V.S Sukthankar was leader of the team

➔ They collected manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of languages, from different parts of the country.

• ➔  The team compared verses from each manuscript.

• ➔  They selected the verses that appeared common to most versions

• ➔  Published these in several volumes, running into over 13,000 pages.

• ➔  The project took 47 years to complete.

• ➔  There were several common elements in the Sanskrit text

• ➔  They found regional variations of the text

• ➔  These variations were documented in footnotes and appendices to the main text.

Kinship and marriage many rules and varied practices

Families during the period of Mhabharatha

 The family was basic unit of society  All families were not identical
 Different numbers of members
 Share food and other resources

 Perform rituals together
 Families are parts of kinfolk

Terms and Meanings

K

P

ula

Jnati

V

amsha

atriliny

Matriliny

The ideal of Patriliny

Families

Kinfolk

Lineage

Descent from father to son, grandson

Descent through mother

• ➔  Patriliny existed before Mahabharata

• ➔  Patriliny followed from 6th century BCE

• ➔  It is a Male dominated system

• ➔  Only Sons could claim resources from family

Rules of marriage

➔ Throne to eldest son

• ➔  Yudhisthira eldest of Pandavas ascended the throne after kurukshetra war

• ➔  The idea of patriliny strengthened by Mahabharata

• ➔  Patriliny followed by wealthy families and Brahmanas

• ➔  Prayer to Indra for ‘fine sons’ found in Rigveda

• ➔  Adi Parvan of Sanskrit Mahabharata describes Why kinfolk quarreled and the ideas of patrilineal succession of throne

• ➔  Sons were important and daughters had no claims to the resources of the household.

• ➔  Marrying them into families outside the kin was considered desirable. (exogamy)

Four Types of Marriages

Eight forms of Marriage refers by Dharmashastras

Brahma Vivah.

Prajapatya Vivah..

Arsha Vivah

Diva Vivah

➔ Kanyadana or the gift of a daughter in marriage was an important religious duty of the father

1.

2.

3.

The Gift of a daughter after dressing her in costly clothes and honoring her with presents and jewels to a man learned in the Veda whom the father himself invites

4.

Father gives his daughter to a priest groom

1. 1  Endogamy -

2. 2  Exogamy-

3. 3  Polygyny-

4. 4  Polyandry

Marriage within a unit ( kingroup, caste, group in a locality) Marriage outside a unit
A man having several wives
A woman having several husbands

.

-Father gives his daughter to groom without dowry and bride price

-Father gives his daughter to groom after receiving a pair of bull and cow

Gandharva Vivah.

Asura Vivah.

Rakshasa Vivah.

Paishacha Vivah

Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras

codes of social behaviour and norms in Sanskrit the Manusmriti,

eight forms of marriage

5.

Traditional love marriage

6.

7.

8.

groom

Father recieves bride price from groom and gives daughter to

Capturing the girl and forcible marriage by groom

Cheating by a man and forces the girl to marry him

➔

• ➔  The most important of such works, (200 BCE and 200 CE)

• ➔  They recognized as many as .

• ➔  The first four were considered as “good” while the remaining were condemned

Brahmanas compiled
texts known as the Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras

The Gotra

gotras Vedic seer.

Two Gotra rules for women

husband

give up their father’s

gotra

and adopt that of their

gotra

could not marry

Satavahana practices opposed by Brahmanical texts

queens had their father’s

gotras

Queens practiced endogamy.

1

Satavahana

even after the marriage.

2

Some of these

➔ ➔

Brahmans classified people in terms of Each gotra was named after a

.

➔

➔

a) Women were expected to on marriage

b) Members of the same

.

as out castes.

Were mothers important in early societies?

story in Mahabharata ‘Gandhari’s advice to Duryodhana’

marriage relations with Shakhas, Who were considered

matronymics.

eg:Goutami puta Satakarni Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Satavahanas

patrilineal.

Social Differences: Within and Beyond the Framework of Caste

The “right” occupation

3 Satavahanas also had

➔

 Satavahana rulers were identified through

 contained list of teachers and students by matronymics

 In the case of the succession to the throne was generally

✔

✔

✔

✔ ✔

The Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras rules about the ideal “occupations” of the four categories or varnas.

Brahmanas were supposed to study and teach the Vedas, perform sacrifices and get sacrifices performed, and give and receive gifts.

Kshatriyas were to engage in warfare, protect people and administer justice, study the Vedas, get sacrifices performed, and make gifts.

Vaishyas were expected to engage in agriculture, pastoralism and trade.
Shudras were assigned only one occupation – that of serving the three “higher” varnas.

The Brahmanas evolved many strategies for enforcing right occupation norms.

1. They asserted that the varna order was of divine origin.

2. They advised kings to ensure that these norms were followed within their kingdoms.

3. They attempted to persuade people that their status was determined by birth.

4. They reinforced these

   Eg: Story of Ekalavya in Adiparvan in Mahabharata (read text book)

norms by stories told in the

Mahabharata

and other texts.

Varna system as a divine order

Purushasukta Rigveda varna system

Non-Kshatriya kings and their varnas

Mauryas

e Sungas Brahmanas. Kanvas Brahmanas.

Shakas Satavahana

mlechchhas

, (barbarians)

Brahmanas

Gotami-puta Siri-Satakani,

hymn of mentions

“The Brahmana was his mouth
of his arms was made the Kshatriya His thighs became vaishya
of his feet the shudra was born”

1.

2. Th

3.

4. 5.

-Brahmanical texts described that Mauryas were of “low” origin

-

-

-regarded as

- ( ruler of the Satavahana dynasty, claimed to be

both a unique Brahmana and a destroyer of the pride of Kshatriyas.

Jatis and social mobility

Shrenis/Guilds

Shrenis or guilds.
inscription Mandasor in Madhya

Jati

• ➢  In Brahmanical theory, jati, like varna, was based on birth.

• ➢  However, while the number of varnas was fixed at four, there was no restriction on the number of jatis.

• ➢  Whenever Brahmanical authorities encountered new groups used jati to classify them.

• ➢  Jatis which shared a common occupation or profession were organized into

• ➢  One Pradesh records the history of a guild of silk weavers

3 Examples of Social mobility

Shreni/guilds adopt other occupations.

Mrichchakatika Shudraka Charudatta

donated temples as Kshatriya

occupation was not based on caste

Beyond four Varnas: integration

pastoralists

non sanskrit mlechchas (integration)eg:Bhima Hidimba story in Mahabharatha

by Brahmana)

both Brahmana and Merchant (means Vaisya’s profession done

5th century inscription

vaniks(vanik -vaisya’s profession)

Forest dwellers ,hunters,nishadas,nomadic

'rakshasas

1

2

3

Some members of

In Sanskrit text described as

could

written by 4th century CE hero

describes two brothers

➢ In many situations

✔ Beyond four varnas there were
,some were called 'by Brahmanas

✔ People who spoke languages labelled as

✔ But sharing of ideas and belief existed between these people

Beyond four varnas :Subordination and Conflict The Chandalas

Handling of Corps and dead bodies
Chandalas (example for subordination)

touch or even sight of

placed at the bottom of society

sked Chandalas to live outside the village, use discarded utensils

and wear cloths of dead and ornaments of iron

Fa Hien

serve as executioner

sound a

clapper in the street while walking

 

considered as polluting by Brahmans performed such activities

 The Chandalas considered polluting

 Chandalas

 Manusmriti a

 Chandalas had to



5th century Chinese traveler wrote that untouchables had to

Huan Tsang

scavengers were forced to live outside the city

Chandalas dared to accept occupation denied to them

Beyond Birth: Resources and status Gendered access to property

eg;Bodisatta story in Matanga Jataka

(example for conflict)

ownership and gender inequality)

Staking Droupadi

executioners and

issues of

Women could not claim a share

Manusmriti, t

divided equally

among sons with a special share for the eldest.

stridhana (literally, a woman’s wealth)

 7th century Chinese traveler wrote that

 Some
(See text book for story of Bodisatta as Chandala)

• ➔  Mahabharata episode of

• ➔  According to the

  ➔

(read text)reveals he paternal estate was to be

of these resources.

➔ However, women were allowed to retain the gifts they received on the occasion of their marriage as .

• ➔  Wealthy women such as the may have had access to resources, land, cattle and money were generally controlled by men.

• ➔  Social differences between men and women were the differences in access to resources.

  Varna and access to property

   Kings and priests were rich(Kshatriyas and Brahmanas )
   The only“occupation” prescribed for Shudras was servitude, while a

  variety of occupations were listed for men of the first three varnas. .

   The recognized that there were differences in society, but did .

   Budhists also rejected the idea of claims to status on the basis of birth eg :Story of wealthy shudra in Budhist text Majjhima nikaya(see text)

Buddhists

not regard these as natural or inflexible

An alternative social scenario:

Vakataka queen Prabhavati Gupta

sharpened because of

Sharing wealth in Ancient Tamilakam

➔ In men who were generous were respected, while those who were miserly or simply accumulated wealth for themselves were despised.

➔ Story of poor generous chief in -A Tamil Sangham work (see text)

• ➔  between king and and citizens (story in

• ➔  The king gained power as a result of

• ➔  Originally All human beings
  nature only what they needed for each meal

• ➔  Later human beings became increasingly,

• ➔  This led them to select

)

taking from

to rule them

choice
recognition of human agency

they could also change it in future.

Handling Texts :Historians and Mahabharatha
The Elements historians consider when they analyses texts.

whether texts were written in Prakrit, Pali or Tamil

onsider the kinds of text. Were these mantras

author(s) whose perspectives and ideas

human

• ➔  This story suggests that the institution of kingship was based on

• ➔  It reveals in economic and social relations.

• ➔  It reveals if human beings were responsible for the creation of the system,

➔ They examine , languages that were probably used by ordinary people, or in Sanskrit, a language meant almost exclusively for priests and elites.

➔ They also c , learnt and chanted by ritual specialists, or stories that people could have read, or heard, and then retold if they found them interesting?

➔ They try to find out about the
shaped the text, as well as the intended audience, as, very often, authors keep the interests of their audience in mind while composing their work.

possible date of the composition

Language and Content of Mahabharata

Language of Mahabharata -Sanskrit

Content of Mahabharata 2 sections

The narrative sections contain stories
The didactive sections contain prescriptions about social norms

Ithihasa means 'thus it was ”

he place

Author of Mahabharata

➔ They try and ascertain the or compilation of the texts as well as t where they may have been composed.





1) 2)



Vyasa

single author

grew to 100000 verses

known as Sutas

sage

as not a work of

10000 verses later

charioteer bards

Date of composition of Mahabharata -Three phases

First phase -5th century BCE

Second phase -200 BCE to 200 CE

➔ Composition of Mahabharata traditionally attributed to

• ➔  According to modern historians Mahabharata w

• ➔  Mahabharata originally consisted of less than

• ➔  The original story was probably composed by

✔ The phase Brahmanas started writing Mahabharata
✔ Period of chiefdom (Kurus and Panchalas) becoming kingdoms.

• ✔  The worship of Vishnu was growing in importance

• ✔  Krishna, was coming to be identified with Vishnu.

• ✔  Large didactic sections resembling the Manusmriti were added.

• ✔  Mahabharata grew to 100,000 verses.

Last phase -200 CE to 400 CE

The search for convergence
( B.B.Lal`s excavation and findings in Hastinapura)

B.B. Lal

Hastinapura in Meerut (Uttar Pradesh)

evidence of five occupational levels

he houses in the second phase

•   In 1951-52, the archaeologist excavated a village named .

•   B.B. Lal found in Hastinapura, of which the second and third are important.

•   B.B. Lal noted about t (c. twelfth- seventh centuries BCE)

a) There were no definite plans of houses found.
b) The walls were made of mud and mud-bricks.
c) some of the houses had reed walls plastered over with mud.

 In the third phase (c.sixth-third centuries BCE), B.B. Lal noted- a) Houses of this period were built of mud-brick as well as burnt

bricks.

B) Soakage jars and brick drains were used for draining out refuse water.

C) Terracotta ring-wells may have been used both as wells and drainage pits.

 The description of the city Hastinapura in the epic added after the main narrative or it was a flight of poetic fancy

eg:City of Hastinapura (see text)

Droupadi s Marriage AND polyandry

polyandry

prevalent among ruling elites disfavor among the Brahmanas

Himalayan region a shortage of women

Creative literature

Mahabharata is a Dynamic Text

➔

➔ ➔

➔

➔

➔

Draupadi’s marriage with the Pandavas, an instance of in Mahabharata

Polyandry may have been

Polyandry gradually fell into , who reworked and developed the text through the centuries.

Polyandry was prevalent in the .

There may have been during times of warfare, and this led to polyandry.

does not always literally reflect social realities but just used to create interest for readers.

Droupadi s marriage (see text)

• ✔  , versions of the Mahabharata were written in a

• ✔  Several stories that originated in specific regions or circulated amongst certain people found their way into the epic.

• ✔  At the same time, the central story of the epic was often retold in different ways.

  Eg: kunthi o nishadhi written by Mahaswetha Devi (see text for story)

• ✔  Episodes of Mahabharata were depicted in sculpture and painting.

• ✔  They also provided themes for a wide range of performing arts – plays, dance and other kinds of narrations

Over the centuries

variety of languages