This document discusses social structures and changes in early Indian societies as depicted in the Mahabharata epic. It describes the editing process of the Mahabharata text led by V.S. Sukthankar that collected, compared, and compiled Sanskrit manuscripts. The text then summarizes sections on kinship and marriage norms, the emergence of towns and social life, and the jati and varna systems and gender roles. It also notes archaeological findings by B.B. Lal and characteristics of the Mahabharata as a literary work.

1. EARLY SOCITIES

2. THIS THEME WILL FOCUS ON SOCIAL
CHANGES , SOCIAL DIVISIONS ,
CATEGORIES AND SITUATIONS
THIS CHAPTER REVOLVES AROUND THE ONE OF
THE MOST PRECIOUS LITERARY SOURCE OF
HISTORY –
THE MAHABHARATA
TEXTS DURING THIS TIME MENTIONS VARIOUS
SOCIAL CHANGES AND PRACTICES WHICH HELP
US TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOCIAL CATEGORIES.

3. I. EDITION DONE UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF : V.S
SUKTHANKAR.
HE AND HIS TEAM EDITED MAHABHARATA.
STEPS WERE TAKEN AS FOLLOWS: COLLECTING
COMPARING
COMPILING

4. COLLECTING - SANSKRIT MANUSCRIPTS WRITTEN IN
VARIETY OF SCRIPTS COLLECTED FROM
VARIOUS REGIONS
COMPARING- COMPARED VERSES FROM EACH
MANUSCRIPTS
COMPILING- COMPILED VERSES WHICH APPEARED COMMON TO
THEM.
IT WAS COMPILED IN 13000 PAGES AND TOOK 47 YEARS TO
COMPLETE.
TWO THINGS BECAME RELEVANT
THERE WERE
SEVERAL
COMMAN
ELEMENTS IN
THE SANKRIT
VERSION OF
STORY
COLLECTE
FROM VARIOUS
PARTS.
THERE WERE
REGIONAL
VARIATIONS THE
WAYS IN WHICH
TEXT HAS BEEN
TRASMITTED
OVER
CENTURIES
1.COMMAN ELEMENTS 2. REGIONAL
VARIATIONS

5. KINSHIP AND MARRIAGE
• FINDING ABOUT FAMILIES
FAMILIES – THE TERM KULA WAS USED FOR FAMILIES.
KINFOLK – MEANT LARGER NETWORK OF FAMILIES
FAMILIES VARIED IN TERMS OF NUMBERS OF MEMBERS.
THEY VARIED IN TERMS OF THEIR ACTIVITIES AND
RELATIONSHIP.
EG SOME CONSIDER COUSINS AS BEING BLOOD
RELATION.• THE IDEAL OF PATRILINY
PATRILINY - DESCENT FROM FATHER TO SON AND SO ON.
SONS HAVE RIGHT OVER THE RESOURCES.
EXCEPTION – PRABHAVATI GUPTA.
MATRILINY- DESCENT FROM MOTHER

6. • RULES OF MARRIAGE
1. EXOGAMY MARRIAGE WAS DESIRABLE
2. GETTING DAUGHTER MARRY AT THE RIGHT TIME AND WITH
THE RIGHT PERSON WAS CONSIDERED IMPORTANT.
• TYPES OF
MARRIAGEENDOGAM
Y
EXOGAMY POLYGNY
POLYANDR
Y
MARRIAGE
WITHIN
UNIT,CAST
E.
MARRIAGE
OUTSIDE
UNIT,CASTE
MAN
HAVING
SEVERAL
WIVES
WOMEN
HAVING
SEVERAL
HUSBANDS
• EMERGENCE OF TOWNS AND SOCIAL LIFE
EXCHANGE OF PRODUCTS AND IDEAS AND QUESTIONING OF OLD
AGE BELIEFS.
LAYING DOWN OF NORMS BY BHRAMANAS – THE
DHARAMASHASTRAS AND DHARMASUTRAS WHICH WERE TO BE
OBEYED BY EVERYBODY AS THEY HAD UNIVERAL VALIDUTY
ACCORDING TO BHRAMANS.

7. • GOTRA SYSTEM (1000
BCE)CLASSIFICATION OF PEOPLE ACCORDING TO GOTRA.
THOSE WHO BELONGED TO SAME GOTRA WERE
DESCENDANTS.
2 RULES OF GOTRA –
MEMBERS OF SAME GOTRA COULD NOT MARRY.
WOMEN HAD TO ADOPT GOTRA OF HER HUSBAND.
• WERE MOTHERS IMPORTANT?
SATVAHANS IDENTIFIED THROUGH METRONYMICS i.e. NAMES DERIVED
FORM MOTHERS.
BUT DURYODHAN NOT OBEYING HIS MOTHERS PLEA REFLECTS A
DIFFERENT STORY.
EACH GOTRA
NAMED AFTER
VEDIC SEER OR
RISHIS. AN
UNBROKEN MALE
LINE.
EG. AGASTYA,
GOTAMI,VASHISHT

8. BRAHMANS SAID THAT
THIS VARNA ORDER
WAS OF DIVINE
ORIGION.
THEIR STATUS WAS
DECIDED FROM THEIR
BIRTH.
ADVISED KING TO
FOLLOW IT.
JUSTIFIED
THEMSELVES
THROUGH PURUSHA
SUKTA.

9. PURUSHA SUKTA ( A COSMIC BEING) IN RIGVEDIC HYMN

10. • NON-KSHATRIYA
KINGSONLY KSHATRIYAS COULD BE THE KING BUT IT TOO HAD
LOOPHOLES.
FOR EXAMPLE : BHRAMANS SAID THAT MAURYAS WERE
OF LOW ORIGION. KANVAS AND SHUNGAS WERE
BRAHMANS AND SHAKAS WERE MALECHCHAS.
• JATI
NEW GROUP IN JATI
NISHADAS – FOREST
PEOPLE.
SUVARNAKARA –
GOLD SMITH
GUILDS OF SILK
WEAVER. OF
MANDASOR (M.P)

11. THE UNTOUCHABLES -
CHANDALAS

12. • BEYOND BIRTH – GENDERED ACCESS TO
PROPERTY
GENDER DIFFRENCES WERE CLEARLY SEEN.
1. RESOURCES WERE DIVIDED EQUALLY AMONG
SONS.
2.WOMEN HAD NO ACCESS TO PROPERTY
3.SHE HAD CONTROL OVER THE GIFTS SHE RECEIVED DURING
STRIDHAN.
4. EXCEPTION – PRABHAVATI GUPTA

13. LANGUAG
E
AND
CONTENT
PLACE
DATE
TIME
AUTHORS
AND
DATES
KINDS OF
TEXTS
AUDIENCE
NARRATIV
E -
INCLUDES
STORIES
DIDACTIC – INCLUDES
SOCIAL NORMS
SUTAS/CHARIOT
S
BRAHMANAS
VED VYASA
MANTRAS
STORIES
HYMNS

14. • FINDINGS BY B.B LAL
• DRAUPADI’S MARRIAGE – AN EXAMPLE OF POLYANDRY
• DYNAMIC TEXT
1. FOUND FIND OCCUPATIONAL LEVELS.AT HASTINAPUR
2. HOUSES OF SECOND LEVEL HAD NO PLANNED STRUCTURE.
3. THIRD LEVEL SHOWS MUD BRICK AND TERROCOTA RING WELLS
1.PRACTISED AMONG RULING PEOPLE.
2. PREVALENT IN HIMALAYAN REGION
3.MAY DUE TO SHORTAGE OF WOMEN.
4. BRAHAMANS CONSIDERED IT UNAUSPICIOUS.
1. WRITTEN IN VARIETY OF LANGUAGES.
2. INCLUDES STORIES FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS.
3.STORIES DEPICTED IN SCCULPTUR , PAINTINGS , ART , MUSIC ,
DANCE.
4. 1 LAKH VERSES