Kinship caste and class Flashcards
Introduction
influence on societies
textual tradition
social categories
Mahabharata
100,000 verses
1000 years
two warring cousins
norms of social behaviour
The critical edition of Mahabharat
1919
V.S Sukthankar
critical edition of mahabahrata
Sanskrit manuscripts
method of comparison
common versions
several volumes with 13000 pages
47 years to complete
written by for brahmanas
normative Sanskrit text recognised as authoritative
Kinship and marriage many rules and varied practices
kula
jnati
vamsha
finding out about families
relationship and kinds of activities
kinfolk
natural
cousins as blood relations or not
the idea of patriliny
Patriliny
matriliny
feud over land and power between two groups of cousins
Kauravas and Pandavas one lineage kuru
janapadas
panadvas victorious
patrilineal succession proclaimed
sons claim resources of father
brother succeed one another
kinsmen claimed throne
women exercised power
Rigveda
wealthy men and brahamanas
god of valour warfare and rain
adi parvan
rules of marriage
endogamy
exogamy
polygyny
polyandry
kanyadana
emergenc of new towns
urban milieu
codes of social behaviour
dharmasutras
dhramashastras
manusmriti (c. 200 bce and 200ce)
universal validity
8 forms of marriage recognised
first for good rest were condemned
1st, 4th, 5th , 6th forms of mariage
costly clothes , text, much weath, voluntary union
the gotra of women
c. 1000 bce
gotras
vedic seer
raja
puta
gotami puta
satavanahas
polygynous
endogamy in south india
close knit community
were mothers important
metronymics
succession patrilineal
Social differences: Within and beyond the frame work of caste
caste
ideal order
diviney ordained
shudras and untouchable
determined by birth
a. the right occupation
ideal occupation
four categories or varnas
Brahmanas
Kshatriyas
Vaishyas
shudras
varna as divine origin
kings advised to ensure order being followed
status determined by birth
prescriptions Mahabharata
purusha sukta (Rig veda)
eklayviya
non kshatriya kings
low origin
shungas and kanvas
shakas(Mlechchhas)
rudradaman
sudharshan lake
gotami puta siri satakani
jatis and social mobility
jati based on birth
no restriction on no. of jatis
nishadas swarnakara
shrenis or guilds
mandasor
lata
vanik mrichchha by shudraka 4th ce
dashapura
shared craft specialisa-tion
beyond the four varnas : Integration
people not influenced by brahminacal ideas
forest dewellers
nomadic pastoralists
non Sanskritic languages
rakshasa
Beyond the four varnas subordination and conflict
untouchable
pure and pollution
chandalas
duties
fa xian
xuan zang
Matanga jataka pali text
bodhi satta chandala
Beyond Birth resources and status
social position economic resources
Gendered access to property
paternal estate
women retain gifts stridhana
upper class women
men 7 means of acquiring wealth
women 6 means of aquiring wealth
varna and access to property
varna
servitude
Buddhism
majjhima nikaya
an alternative social scenario: Sharing wealth
generosity or misery
chiefs
bards and poets
tamilakam
tamil sangam literature
puranaruru
irantai
Amravati Arunachal pradesh
Explaining social differences : A Social contract
Buddhists
sutta pitaka
nature
mahasammata the great elect
human choice
taxes
handling texts historians and the Mahabharata
language used by ordinary people an special priest an elites
kind of texts
mantras
author
possible date
place
Language and content
narrative and didactic
story , didatic portions added later
bhagvad gita
itihasa
author and dates
charioteer bards, sutas
circulated orally
5th ce
brahmanas took over
kurus and panchalas
c. 200 bce to 200 ce
worship of Vishnu
krishna
c 200 and 400 ce
large didatic sections resembling manusmriti dded
10000 to 100000 verses
sage vyasa attributed
The search for convergence
epic
battles
1951-52 , BB Lal Hastinapur meerut up
upper ganga doab, kuru kingdom
5 occupational levels
2nd and third of interest
polyandry
prevalent
undesirable in brahminacal point of view
Himalayan region
situation of crises
own narrative
A dynamic text
not only sanskit version
several stories
story told in different ways
sculpture and painting
pedrforming arts
