ITCS MODULE-1.pptx FVBBBADS,HC LKFHLFKHSBGDCF.DS

M O D U L E - 1
I N D I A N T R A D I T I O N S , C U L T U R A L A N D
S O C I E T Y

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
• The course aims at imparting basic principles of thought process, reasoning and inference to
identify the roots and details of some of the contemporary issues faced by our
nation in past .
• To enable the students to understand the importance of our surroundings and encourage the
students to contribute towards sustainable development.
• To sensitize students towards issues related to ‘Indian’ culture, tradition and its composite
character
To make students aware of holistic life styles of Yogic-science and wisdom capsules in Sanskrit
literature that are important in modern society with rapid technological advancements and societal
disruptions.
• To acquaint students with Indian Knowledge System, Indian perspective of modern scientific.

COURSE OUTCOMES:
Ability to understand, connect up and explain basics of Indian Traditional knowledge modern scientific
perspective

M O D U L E ( U N I T ) - 1
S O C I E T Y S T A T E & P O L I T Y I N I N D I A
• State in Ancient India: Evolutionary Theory, Force Theory, Mystical Theory, Contract
Theory
• Stages of State Formation in Ancient India, Kingship , Council of Ministers
Administration
• Political Ideals in Ancient India Conditions of the Welfare of Societies
• The Seven Limbs of the State
• Society in Ancient India, Purusārtha, Varnāshrama System, Āshrama or the Stages of
Life, Marriage
• Understanding Gender as a social category, The representation of Women in Historical
traditions, Challenges faced by Women.
• Four-class Classification

I N T R O D U C T I O N T O A N C I E N T I N D I A
• India is a nation in South Asia whose name is derived from the Indus River.
• Another name “ Bharata” is referenced from the ancient legendary ruler, Bharata, whose story is told in parts, in the Indian
Epic “Mahabharata”.
• Human movement in the Indian Sub- continent dates back more than 2,50,000 years, and it is , in this way, perhaps the most
seasoned area on earth resided by people.
• India has been wealthy in terms of its practice of social values since the civilization existed and also the world pioneer
economically, technically and socially. The Indian Traditions are so profound and deep- rooted that they require rigorous
scrutiny and investigation.
• The Historical backdrop of India can be broadly categorized into four periods: Pre- History, Ancient History, Medieval
History, and Modern History.
• If we gaze into the history, the political map of Ancient India was constituted by various small and big kingdoms with ever-
fluctuating boundaries.

W H AT I S A S TAT E
• In the Ancient Political Thinking, Kautilya has first time defined the state in
Arthashastra.
• According to Kautilya, an area cannot be a state unless there are people and rulers
to control that state. According to him state is an area which consists many cities.
• It not only produces things for living but also protects its people from danger and
animals.
• Other things like fertile land, food, wood, jungles for elephants, pastures for
animals are also available there.
• For water it depends not only on rain, but it has many sources of water. For trade
there are a lot of goods. There live decent and high character people. There live wise
owners and faithful servants

O R I G I N & E V O L U T I O N O F S T A T E I N A N C I E N T
I N D I A
• The first historians to write the political and social history of ancient India were imperialist administrators like James Mill and V.A. Smith.
• They wrote the history of India to serve the interest of British imperialism.
• James Mill divided Indian history into three periods— The Hindu Period, Muslim Period and British Period.
• State has been the key concept in political science since the period of grand thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle.
• Though India had no formal political philosophy, the science of statecraft was much cultivated and several important textbooks on this topic have
survived.
• One of the most important topics in political science has been the origin and evolution of the state. In ancient India also, thinkers like Bhisma, Narada,
Brihaspati, Kautilya, Kamandaka have looked at the problem.
• The earliest and most important textbook specifically devoted to statecraft is the Arthashastra, which is attributed to Kautilya or Chanakya
• The Arthashastra gives very detailed instructions on various issues like the management of the state, the organization of the national economy and
the conduct of war and it is the most precious sourcebook for many aspects of ancient Indian life.

S TAT E I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
• Based on the writings of these thinkers we can detect four important theories
regarding the origin of the state in ancient India, namely—
a) Evolutionary Theory
b) Force Theory
c) Mystical Theory
d) Contract Theory

A. EVOLUTIONARY ORIGIN THEORY:
• This is the oldest theory of the origin of the state in India and has been mentioned in the Atharva Veda.
• According to this theory the state is the result of evolutionary progress and it didn’t originate at a fixed time.
• The tenth hymn of the eighth chapter of the Atharva Veda gives a picture of the evolutionary origin of the state.
• On the basis of Atharva Veda several stages of the evolution of the state can be traced.
• The hymns of the Atharva Veda state that the earliest phase of human life was the stage of vairagya or
stateless state. It was a state of complete anarchy.
• But subsequently, with the emergence of agriculture, stable life became possible. To Fulfil the needs of
agricultural society the family emerged and the head of the family became the first wielder of authority. Further, the
need of co-operation in the different realms of society led to the emergence of Sabha and samiti.
• Sabha was the organization of elderly people and samiti was the general assembly of common people.
• With the emergence of Sabha and samiti organized political life began which finally culminated in the emergence
of the state.

B. FORCE THEORY
• Though ancient Indian political thinkers did not propound force theory in a systematic way, force was
considered to be an important factor in the evolution of the state in India.
• Earliest Aryan clans fought among themselves for pet and domestic (specially for the cow),
pastureland, settlements and sources of drinking water.
• Only a strong and able warrior could lead the clan in such wars. So he was given special status and
the members of clan started obeying him.
• This tendency continued in the days of peace also and subsequently the leader became king.
• Citing examples from the Vedas (Rig Veda and Sāma Veda) and the Brahmanas (Aitareya,
Shatapatha) John Spellman also opines that the king in ancient India was primarily a military leader.
• But it should be clearly mentioned that none of the political commentators give a systematic and well
knitted explanation of the role of force in the emergence of the state in ancient India.

C. THEORY OF MYSTICAL ORIGIN
• This was the most popular theory of origin of the state in ancient India. Kingship was given divine sanction and the king was
considered not to be the representative of God but himself a God who contained the powers of important Gods like Indra, Varuna and Agni.
• According to A.L. Basham the doctrine of royal divinity was explicitly proclaimed. It appears first in the epics and the law books of Manu.
The latter declares in dignified language:
“When the world was without a king
And dispersed in fear in all directions,
The lord created a king
For protection of all.”
“He made him of eternal particles
Of Indra and the wind,
Yama, the Sun and fire,
Varuna, the moon and the lord of wealth.”

D. CONTRACT THEORY
• Contract theory is the most extensively discussed theory of the origin of the state in ancient India. The reference to
contract theory can be seen in the Buddhist texts like Dīgha Nikāya and Mahavastu and Brahmanical texts like Shanti Parva and
Arthashāstra of Kautilya.
• According to this theory, it is said that there was a time when people were perfect and lived in a state of happiness and
calmness. This perfect state lasted for ages, but at last the pristine purity declined and there set in rottenness.
• Differences of sex manifested themselves, and there appeared distinctions of colour. In a word, heavenly life degenerated into
earthly life. Now shelter, food and drink were required. People gradually entered into a series of agreements among themselves
and set up the institutions of the family and private property.
• But this gave rise to a new set of problems, for there appeared theft and other forms of unsocial conduct. Therefore, people
assembled and agreed to choose as chief a person who was the best favored, the most attractive and the most capable. In return
they agreed to contribute to him a portion of their paddy.
• The individual, who was thus elected, came to hold in serial order three titles:
• a) Mahāsammata
• b) Khattiya and
• c) Rājā https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LYioyRKZT0
• According to the texts, the first title means chosen by whole people, second title means the lord of the fields, the third
title means who charms the people by means of dharma.

S T A G E S O F S T A T E F O R M U L A T I O N I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
• There were 6 stages of state formulation in Ancient India:
• First Stage: The earliest stage was that of tribal military democracy in which tribal
assemblies, which had some place for women were mainly pre-occupied with war.
The age of Rig Veda was primarily a period of assemblies.
• Second Stage: The second stage saw the break-up of the tribal polity under the
stress of constant conflicts between the rājanyakshatriya and the ordinary
businessman called the vis. The chiefs were helped by the priesthood called the
brahmins. This stage saw the beginning of taxes and classes or varnas which
came to be firmly established in the third stage.
• Third Stage: The third stage was marked by the formation of the full-fledged state.
There arose large territorial monarchies of Kosala and Magadha and tribal
oligarchies in North-Western India and at the foot of the Himalayas. For the first time
we hear of large standing armies and organised machinery for the collection of
land revenue.

S T A G E S O F S T A T E F O R M U L A T I O N I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
• There were 6 stages of state formulation in Ancient India:
• Fourth Stage: The fourth or the Maurya phase saw bureaucratic centralization
based on the expanding economic activities of the state. The state with the help of
its bureaucracy controlled various aspects of the life of its subjects.
• Fifth Stage: The fifth stage was marked by the process of decentralized
administration in which towns, feudatories and military elements came to the
forefront in both the Deccan and North India. This was partly neutralized by the
emphasis on the divinity of the king.
• Sixth Stage: The last stage, identical with the Gupta period, may be called the
period of proto-feudal polity. Land grants now played an important part in the
formation of the political structure and those made by the Gupta feudatories
conferred fiscal and administrative privileges on priestly beneficiaries

K I N G S H I P
• The king was the most important figure in the body politic. In the Saptānga theory of the
state, developed by Kautilya the king has been described as the head or the most important
organ of the state.
• The king performed multi-dimensional functions.
• The king’s functions involved the protection not only of his kingdom against external aggression,
but also of life, property and traditional custom against internal foes.
• He protected the purity of class and caste by ensuring that those who challenged the system
were excommunicated. He protected the family system by punishing adultery and ensuring the
fair inheritance of family property.
• He protected widows and orphans by making them his wards. He protected the rich against
the poor by suppressing robbery, and he protected the poor against the rich by punishing extortion
and oppression.
• Religion was protected by liberal grants to learned brahmins and temples
• Ministers were selected by the king and held office at his pleasure. The king presided over the
council of ministers and its decisions had to receive royal assent.

C O U N C I L O F M I N I S T E R S A D M I N I S T R A T I O N
• Ministers or council of advisors have been regarded by ancient Indian political thinkers
as a very vital organ of the body politic. The Mahabharata observes at one place that
the king is as vitally dependent upon ministers as animals are upon clouds, brahmins
on the Vedas and women upon their husbands.
• Manusmriti points out that even a simple thing appears as difficult if one is to do it single
handed; why then attempt to run the complex machinery of the administration without
the assistance of ministers.
• The size of this Mantri parishad or council of ministers varied, and the authorities
suggested figures ranging from seven to thirty-seven.
• It seems that the body was divided into two parts mantrina and Mantri parishad. Mantri
parishad was the large body
• It included the few most important ministers like the purohita (priest), senāpati
(supreme commander of army) and Yuvaraja (the crown prince).

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
• With the advent of the Mauryas on the political stage of India, bureaucracy developed as
a well organized, hierarchical, cadre-based administrative system.
• If we rely on the Arthashāstra of Kautilya the establishment of a large and complex
bureaucracy was a remarkable feature of the Mauryan government.
• The Arthashāstra of Kautilya mentions 18 tirthas that are probably called mahāmātras or
high functionaries. Although the term mahāmātra is used only on a few occasions in the
Arthashāstra, its real counterpart being amātya it is familiar enough in Ashokan
inscriptions.
• In addition to the 18 trithas Kautilya provides in some detail accounts of 27
superintendents (adhyaksas) concerned mostly with economic functions and some
military duties though social functions are not ignored.
• Kautilya lays down certain qualifications for the cadre of high officers known as amātyas,
the emphasis being on noble birth.

P O L I T I C A L I D E A L S I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
• Political ideals like liberty, justice, fraternity and nationalism are a product of the modern age.
• But seen from a different perspective, ancient Indians did have these ideals in a rudimentary form.
• FREEDOM: Showing the importance of freedom the Vedas state that independence is necessary for mankind
and those who are not independent are worse than dead.
• In varnāshrma institution too, an independent living has been kept in mind. A man lived independently during
Grihasthaāshrama and when he was likely to be dependent on the offspring coming of age, there is the provision
of the older people resorting to Vānprastha and then to Sanyāsa, again living freely in the solitude of hills and
dales rather than living as dependent on their children.
• JUSTICE: For disposal of justice the Mauryan state had a system of judiciary. Dharmasthīya was the civil court
and kantakashodhana was organised to deal with a large number of economic crimes.
• NATIONALISM AND FRATERNITY: The early seeds of nationalism can be traced in this instance. Similarly, the
ideal of ancient Indian thinkers was vasudhaivakutumbakam (treating the whole world like a family.) This was the
concept of universal brotherhood or fraternity.

S E V E N L I M B S O F S T A T E - S A P T A N G A T H E O R Y B Y
( K A U T I L Y A )
• The state is defined for the first time in the Arthashastra of Kautilya as
consisting of seven elements.
• These elements are the swami, the Amatyas, the Janapada, the Durgas, the
Kosha, the Danda, the Mitra and the enemy.
• The King (swami)heads the list of seven constituent elements of the state
• Amatya generally means the council of ministers. In the Arthashastra the
amatya constitute a regular cadre of the service from which all high officers such
as chief priest, ministers, collectors, officers, envoys and the Superintendents of
various department are to be recruited
• Territory and population are covered by Janapada.

S E V E N L I M B S O F S T A T E - S A P T A N G A T H E O R Y
• Kautilya enumerated seven prakritis or essential organs of the state. They are as follow
(i) Swami (The Ruler)
(ii) Amatya (The Minister)
(iii) Janapada (The Population)
(iv) Durga (The Fortified Capital)
(v) Kosha (The Treasury)
(vi) Danda (The Army)
(vii) Mitra (Ally and Friend)

Swami(The Ruler)
• It is the first and the most important element. Swami means the monarch. He should be a native of the soil and
born in a noble family. He should be brave and well learned. He makes all the important appointments and
supervises the government. He has to be virtuous and should treat his subjects like his own children. Kautilya has
given extensive powers to the monarch but those powers are meant for the welfare of them subjects. In the welfare
and happiness of his subjects, lies his own happiness.
Amatya (The Minister)
• It refers to the council of ministers as well as the supporting officials and subordinate staffs. They are meant for
assisting the monarch in day to day affairs of the state. Amatya gives suggestions to king, collects taxes, develops
new villages and cities, ensures defense of the state and all other tasks as assigned by the king.
Janpada (The Population)
• It refers to territory and people of the state. The territory of the state should be fertile and should have abundance
of forest, rivers, mountains, minerals, wild life etc. It should have have good climate. People should be loyal to their
king, hard working, disciplined, religious, ready to fight for their motherland, should pay taxes regularly and happily.
Durga (The Fortified Capital)
• It refers to forts. The state should have sufficient number of forts across its territory at strategic locations for
ensuring defense against foreign invasions. Forts should be built near hills/mountains, deserts, dense forests and
big water bodies. They garrison soldiers, store food grains for emergency and also serve as a hideout for the king
when his life in danger.

Kosha(The Treasury)
• This means treasury of the state. Finance is life blood of any state without which it is almost impossible to run it.
Money is needed for paying salaries, building new infrastructure, etc. The treasury should be full of money and
valuable metals and gems. It can be increased through taxation and plundering enemy states in war.
Danda(The Army)
• It refers to military. The state should have a regular, large, disciplined and well trained military. It is crucial for the
security of the state. The soldiers should be recruited from those families which are traditionally associated with
military. The soldiers should paid well and their families should be taken care of in most suitable way. Proper
training and equipment should be made available. Well fed and well trained soldiers can win any battle. The king
should take care of the soldiers and the soldiers will be ready to sacrifice even their life for him.
Mitra (Ally and Friend)
• It refers to friends of the king. The monarch should maintain friendly relationship with traditional friends of his
forefathers. He should also make new friendships. He should send gifts and other pleasantries for his friends.
They should be helped in times of emergency. They should be loyal. Friends add to the power of the state. They
are also important from foreign trade view point.

S O C I E T Y I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
• When a large no. of human beings live together, there is a need for some rules and regulations,
Since early days, there is a realization in India that there needs to be a “ Society” governed by
some commonly agreed rules and regulations.
• However , such a “ society” is only loosely regulated- it is governed by customs and practices, not
by laws.
• Therefore , a need for a more rigorous organization is needed, a system called “ State” in
political thought, a political system with a legal sanction and foundation, a system governed by
law.
• A state or Rajya, has several dimensions- the duties/ rights of the rulers and subjects.
• “Society” or Samaj, has its own components , varied communities, and functional units called
varnas or castes.
• In ancient India, a society has its own structural units such as family, marriage, customs and
practices such as inheritance, rituals of marriage and mourning, and finally a framework of
individual and social life for e.g., Ashram Vyavastha laid down in the Hindu Society as an ideal

• Society in ancient India had several distinguishing features. It was arranged in the form of four varnas. The life of
individual was divided into four stages or āshramas.
• There were rules regarding marriage, family etc. The purpose of life was to attain four goals called purusārthas.
• The concept of purusārthas is the fundamental principle of Indian social ethics. The word purusārtha means
“attainments” or “life purposes”.
• The aim of every person is to attain the four noble ends or purusārtha. These four purusārthas are — dharma, artha,
kāma and moksha.
• Dharma: Dharma or the principle of righteousness is considered to be the supreme of the purusārthas. Dharma in
Indian tradition is different from the Western concept of religion.
• Artha: Artha is the second purusārtha. The term artha refers to worldly prosperity or wealth. It includes all the
material means of life. Kautilya maintains that wealth is the basis of human requirements and that social well-being
depends ultimately on material prosperity.
• Kama: Kāma means worldly pleasures or sensual pleasures. It refers to some of the innate desires and urges in
human beings.

• Moksha: It is the ultimate purusārtha. Moksha means salvation or liberation from the cycle of birth and
death. It is the summum bonum of human existence (ultimate goal according to which values and
priorities are established in an ethical system).

T H E F O U R V A R N A S
Brahmins
• Brahmins were at the top of varna hierarchy. They were believed to possess great spiritual powers. Thus
they had a divine existence. In law, they claimed great privileges. Normally brahmins were exempted from
execution, torture and corporal punishment. The main functions prescribed for brahmins were learning,
teaching and priesthood.
Kshatriya
• The second class was the ruling class described as kshatriya or rājanya. Kshatriyas represented heroism,
courage and strength.
• They constituted the warrior class. The duty of kshatriyas was protection which had both internal and
external aspects.
• External protection meant to protect the society from external invasion where as internal protection
meant governance in peace and protection from anarchy. Kshatriyas had the right to possess arms.

T H E F O U R V A R N A S
Vaishyas
• Vaishyas represented the trading and commercial class.
• Though they were entitled to the services of the priesthood and to the ceremony , they were third in the
social hierarchy. According to Manu, the main task of the vaishya was to keep and maintain cattle.
• later on vaishyas became economically a very important class of society. The ideal Vaishya possessed
the expert knowledge of jewels, metals, cloth, threads, spices, perfumes etc. In this sense vaishyas
were the ancient Indian businessmen.
Shudras
• Shudras were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. They pursued the task of serving the other three
varnas. They were not twice born.
• They were deprived of various rights. They were in fact second class citizens, on the fringes of Aryan
society.

T H E F I F T H V A R N A
Untouchables
• A large number of people were deprived of all human rights. Having any contact with them might lead to the
fall from grace by a normal Hindu. They were untouchables. Sometimes they are regarded as the excluded
shudras whereas sometimes they are called the ‘fifth class’ (pancham varna). Probably, they were the
aboriginal tribes who were defeated by the Aryans.

Ā S H R A M A O R T H E S T A G E S O F L I F E
• The average life span of an individual is considered to be 100 years and it is divided into four stages each
stage having a time span of 25 years. These four āshramas are:
1. Brahmacharyāshrama or the Stage of Studentship — This is the first stage of life. It is meant for
acquiring knowledge, developing discipline and mounding character. This stage starts with the
ceremony called upanayanama or investiture with the sacred thread. Now the person became a
brahmachārina, leading a celibate and austere life as a student at the home of his teacher
2. Grihasthāshrama or the Stage of Householder — This stage starts at marriage when the student has
completed his studentship and is ready to take up the duties and responsibilities of household life. In
this stage the individual gets married, earns money and begets children. The individual pursues wealth (artha)
and pleasure (kāma) within the limits of the moral law (dharma).
3. Vānaprasthāsharma or the Stage of Retirement from Active Life— After discharging all the duties and
obligations as a householder, the individual enters into the Vānaprastha stage. It consists of the third quarter
of person’s life. In this phase, after retiring from active life, the individual dedicates himself to a life of
spiritual contemplation. He leaves his home and goes to the forest to become a hermit.

Ā S H R A M A O R T H E S TA G E S O F L I F E
4. Sanyāsāshrama or the Stage of Renunciation or Wandering Mystic— This is the last stage of life. Now the
individual leaves his hermitage and becomes a homeless wanderer (sanyāsin) with all his earthly ties broken. The
sanyāsin aspires and acts to attain liberation only.

M A R R I A G E I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
• Marriage or vivāha was a very important samskāra in ancient India.
• Marriage in ancient India had three main purposes:
1. Promotion of religion by performance of household sacrifices.
2. Progeny, happy after life of father and his ancestors and continuation of family line or kula.
3. Rati or physical pleasure.
Manu and other law givers have mentioned about eight forms of marriage:
1. Brahma Vivāha: This is considered to be the purest form of marriage. In this form of marriage the father of
the bride offers his daughter to a man of character and learning.
2. Daiva Vivāha: In the daiva form of marriage the father offers her daughter as a dakshinā (sacrificial fee) to a
young priest who officiates the yajna which is arranged by him.
3. Ārsa Vivāha: In ārsa vivāha father of the bride gives his daughter to the bridegroom after receiving a cow
and a bull or two pairs of these animals from the bridegroom.

M A R R I A G E I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
4. Prajāpatya Vivāha: In this type of marriage, the father offers the girl to the bridegroom. But neither does he
offer any dowry nor does he demand bride-price.
5. Asura Vivāha: This is a form of marriage by purchase in which the bridegroom has to give money to the
father or kinsman of the bride.
6. Gandharva Vivāha: This was a marriage by consent of the boy and the girl. Mutual love and consent of the
bride and bridegroom was the only condition required to bring about the union.
7. Rākshasa Vivāha: This was marriage by capture in which the girl was forcibly abducted from her home,
crying and weeping and her kinsmen have been stained and their houses broken.
8. Paishācha Vivāha: Paishācha form of marriage is one in which the man seduces by force a girl who is
sleeping or intoxicated or mentally disordered.

U N D E R S T A N D I N G G E N D E R A S A S O C I A L C A T E G O R Y ,
• Gender roles can be defined as the behaviors, values and attitudes that a society considers appropriate for both males and females.
• Traditionally, men and women had completely opposed roles, men were the bread earners of the family while women were seen as the
caretakers of home and family.
• Gender issues include all aspects and concerns related to women’s and men’s lives and situations in society. Although the Constitution of
India grants men and women equal rights, gender disparities remain . There has been gender discrimination mostly in favor of men in
many realms.
• Women were under the guardianship of males: father, husband and son. When a woman was married, it was regarded as her second birth.
• From an early age, Indian girls are told that their proper place is in the home, fulfilling domestic duties and attending to the needs of men,
whereas males learnt that they are superior to women and must exercise authority over them.

T H E R E P R E S E N T A T I O N O F W O M E N I N H I S T O R I C A L T R A D I T I O N S
•The status of women in India has been subject to many changes over the past few millennia.
•In ancient India, women in many places occupied an equal position to men.
•Many Hindu religious books like the Vedas, Ramayana, etc., have mentioned the names of several women who
were great scholars, poets and philosophers of the time.
•According to ancient Hindu scriptures, a man without his wife cannot participate in any essential rites.
•Married men along with their wives were allowed to perform sacred rites on the occasion of various important
festivals. Wives are called as “Ardhangini”.(Half Body Organ)

T H E R E P R E S E N T A T I O N O F W O M E N I N H I S T O R I C A L
T R A D I T I O N S
1. The Early Vedic or the Rig Vedic Period (1500 BC–1000 BC):
• Women were dignified with a respectable status in early Vedic civilization. women were honored as well as empowered in the
affairs of the home and family.
• They were also honored by their participation in all the socio-cultural activities of early Indian civilization.
• Women’s freedom to participate in war, gymnastics, archery, horse riding, public activities, education, decision making, and in the
selection of male partners has portrayed the nature of women’s status in the social canvas of the Rig Vedic period
• the value of women and the respect shown towards them was not only limited to the idea of mistress of the household, rather,
women demonstrated huge potential for contributing to human civilization during the Vedic period.
• The Ṛig-Vedá-Saṃhitā text revealed that the “goddess Durgā” “Aditi, the goddess of freedom” and Sárasvatī the “best
mother, best of rivers, best of goddesses” were worshipped with complete dedication.
• Sculptures representing early Vedic society have also shown that women were placed in a higher status in this society.

U N D E R S T A N D I N G G E N D E R A S A S O C I A L C A T E G O R Y , T H E
R E P R E S E N T A T I O N O F W O M E N I N H I S T O R I C A L T R A D I T I O N S
2. The Epic or Later Vedic Period (1000 BC–600 BC):
• Womanhood was idealized as an honorable position both in and outside the home during the
Epic period of Indian civilization.
• The two great epics of India, the Rāmāyaṇa by Válmíki and the Mahābhārata by Krishna-
Dwaipayana Vyasa, depicted women as the root of dharma, pleasure, and prosperity.
• The Rāmāyaṇa emphasized the line “Sítá’s noble life”. Moreover, Sítá, Draupadi, Rukmani,
Sabitri, and Satyabhama symbolized the great value, strong willpower, and the courageous role
and position of women in Epic society.

U N D E R S T A N D I N G G E N D E R A S A S O C I A L C A T E G O R Y ,
T H E R E P R E S E N T A T I O N O F W O M E N I N H I S T O R I C A L
T R A D I T I O N S
3. The Jainism and Buddhism Period (600 BC–200 BC)
• The existence of a persistent gender equity was observed during the period of Jainism and Buddhism. In the
Tipitaka, the “Vimana Vatthu Pali” section of the “Khuddaka Nikaya” portrays women’s freedom in education, and
religious and cultural activities in society.
• During this period the various Indian cultures were “united by a common culture, of which the Aryans were the
original founders, but to which Dravidians and others also made their contributions” .
4. The Age of Dharmaśāstras, Mánusmṛiti (200 BC–647 AD)
• Women’s right to education was fully withdrawn with Mánu’s codification of the laws governing society. During
the age of Dharmaśāstras (the rules of right conduct), Mánusmṛiti, a number of problems started to creep in with
the introduction of various restrictions on women’s ability to obtain an education.

P R O B L E M S F A C E D B Y W O M E N I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
1. Sati
“Let these women, whose husbands are worthy and are living, enter
the house with ghee (applied) as corrylium ( to their eyes). Let these
wives first step into the pyre, tearless without any affliction and well
adorned.” [Rig Veda]
• On her husband’s death, the widow should observe celibacy or should ascend the funeral
pyre after him.

P R O B L E M S F A C E D B Y W O M E N I N A N C I E N T
I N D I A
2. Cutting off the ears and nose of wives — Aryan husbands cut off the ears
and nose of their wives if they left the house without their prior permission.
3. Death Penalty — The death penalty was prescribed for Aryan women
guilty of infidelity. Manu Smrti says “When a woman deceives her husband
(with another man), then the king should ensure that she be torn apart by dogs
in a public place and the evil man should be burnt in a bed of red-hot iron’.
The husband had the power to curse the wife who was disloyal to him.

P R O B L E M S F A C E D B Y W O M E N I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
4. No Property Rights — Women and Sudras in ancient India have no property
rights.
5. Dressing — Aryan women had to wear a face-veil when going out. They were not
supposed to entertain strangers.
6. No Education for women — Women and Sudras were declared to be unfit for
study of the Vedas.
7. Less representation in administration.

S L AV E R Y I N A N C I E N T I N D I A
• The term that is most often used to refer to a slave in ancient Indian texts is dasa.
• This term may have been derived from the word “das” which means to finish or terminate something.
• It was associated with slaves because their work was to finish various jobs.
• During the Rig Vedic Period, the word dasa did not have the same connotation. Here, it meant people belonging to
another group, possibly distinguished from the Aryas on the basis of their phenotypic features.
• However, the term was used to denote a slave by the Later Vedic Age.
• Dasas were not kin of their masters but often, women slave captured during wars were expected to deliver children who
would make up for the lives lost during the war.
• Another group of slaves was also present which could have included those who had migrated to the region of Indus Valley
along with their masters.
• Slaves were considered to be some form of objects and there were instances where they were listed as gift items. Their
work was primarily associated with domestic chores but they could also be used as helpers for agriculture

• Those who worked on fields were known as dasa-karmakaras.
• A lot of the slaves were from the Shudra community but slaves from other varnas including Brahmana and Kshtriya
were present.
• The Arthashastra from the period of the Mauryan Empire had more complexities in the concept of slavery. Slavery had
become a well-established and accepted institution .
• During this period, there was no distinct social group which was by nature considered to be that of slaves. Instead,
slavery was mainly a result of economic factors. Defaulting on a payment during the time of famine for example would
be overcome by becoming a slave to the creditor till the dues were paid.
• A story from the Jatakas where a master ties up a boy slave and a girl slave and then beats them to the extent which
causes their skin to cut and bleed, according to scholars, reflects the prevailing (Early Historic Period) attitude towards
slavery.

• During the Mauryan period, slaves were of 8-9 types as mentioned in Arthashastra.
1. Slaves brought from another country
2. Slaves who were purchased
3. Prisoners of wars.
4. Slaves who were inherited.
5. Slaves received as presents.
6. Those who sold themselves as slaves.
7. Children of women slaves.
8. Criminals whose punishment was to serve as slaves.

• Ashoka’s inscriptions also mentions existence of practice of slavery during the Mauryan age.
• During the Gupta period, slaves were of the types as informed in Narada Smriti. Most slaves were
captured during wars.
• Some people used to become slave to earn merit (Punya) in order to get heaven after death.
• At, times people used to sell themselves due to economic hardships.
• A slave was liberated immediately if he/ she saved the life of his/ her master.
• While a member of any varna could become slave, Brahmana slaves were rare.
• Buying and selling of Brahmana woman was prohibited.

: The representation of women in historical traditions & Challenges faced by
Women.

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