SOCIAL HISTORIES USING THE MAHABHARTA Flashcards
MAHBHARTA AND SOCIAL CHAANGES
mahabaharta is a collosal epic having … verses ?
1,00,000
when did mahabharta composed ?
1000 years ago
c.500 BCE onwards
behaviour of various social groups
critical edition of mahabbharta
when did this began
1919
critical edition of mahabbharta
under the ledership of ?
sanskrist - VS SUKTHANKAR
critical edition of mahabbharta
the critical edition completed in
47 years
published in several volumes
pages dedicated to footnotes and appendices = 13000
finding about family
sanskrit terms for families and kinfolk
families - kula
kinfolk - jnati
the idea of patriliny
descent from father to son . matriliny - mother to daughter .we learn about this from?
mahabharta - source
rules of marriage
exogamy -
- marrying outside
- kanyadana
when did dharmasutras and dharmashastras were come into picture -
c. 500 bce
manusmriti - 200 bce and 200 ce
dharmashastras - recognised how many forms of marriage ?
eight[08]
first four - good
last four - bad
types of marriage -
endogamy - within unit
exogamy - outside the unit
polygyny - man having several wives
polyandry - women having several husbands
forms of marriage
from manussmriti -
first:gift daughter , dressing in costly clothes [man learned din the veda and father himself invites]
fourthgift of a daighter by the father after he has adressed couple with text
fifth bridegroom receives a maiden after much wealth
sixth voluntry union of maiden and her lover
gotra of women
the brahmical practice of classifying people in terms of gotra gained prominance in
c. 1000 bce
each gotra named after -
vedic seer and all those belong to same gotra are descendants .
rules regarding gotras -
- women give up father gotras
- same gotra not married
gotra case of satavahana rulers
- wives retained the name of theor father gotra aginst brahmins codes
- close knit or endogamy - is prevlaent in south
- satvahanas identifies through metronymics - named derived through mother
social differeneces -
social order is identified by -
- birth
- sudras “untouchable”
- brahmins - top
- to justify - a verse in rigveda known as - purusha sukta
- brahmins - his mouth ; arms - kshatriya ; his thigh - vaishya ; feet - shudras
social differeneces -
the “right” occupation - ideal occupation for four varnas
brahmans - vedas and religions
kshatriyas - warfare
vaishyas - agri and pastro
shudras - serve higher varnas
non kshatriyas king -
mauryanns - described as
- kashtriys genrally
- bharamans text - low origin
shungas and kanvas were -
were brahmins
who are “ mlecchas’’
barbarians or outsiders
SHAKA RULER - RUDRANMAN rebuilt wihich lake
sudarshana lake
gutamiputra satakani was a
- brahanbs ruler - unique / only brahmans and detroyer of pride of kshatriyas
jatis and social mobility
jatis shared common profession forms =
- shrenis and guilds
who are “jatis”?
not into varna system
the mandasor incription at mp - mention guild of
silk weavers - migrated from lata[gujrat] to mandasor [dashapura]
mention of chanadals and untouchables - sources ?
- bhuddhist monk - fa xian - 5th c.- untouchable
- chinese pilgrim - xuan zang - 7th c. - scavengers
gender acess to property
according to the manusmriti -
paternal estate - equal divided into sons after parents death - special share for eldest
* women - no share
* both epigraphic and textual suggest upper class women owns resources
7 means of man to acquire - “wealth”
. inheritance
* finding purchase
* conquest
* investment
* work
* acceptance of gifts
6 means to acquire wealth for women
- marriage or bridal procression
- token of affection
- got from brother , mother and father
- gift
- affectionat from husband
- given in front of fire
varnas and acess to property
ancient tamilakam[chiefdoms over 2000 years ago]
- tamil sangam - suggest differences
- bhuddhist text
differences in social contract
according to sutta pitaka humans are not
fully developed at the beginning
later insidious and greedy nature - led to more differennce
king taxes and all.
LANGUAGE AND CONTENT OF MAHABHARTA-
- SANSKRIT MUCH SIMPLER.
- CLASSIFIED IN TWOHEADS : DIDACTIC AND NARATIVE
- DIDACTIC PORTION CONSIDERED AS A ADDITION TO MAHABHARTA .
- ITIHASA WITH EARLY SANSKRIT TRADITION
AUTHOR AND DATES OF MAHABHARTA
- OG COMPOSED BY CHARIOTEER BARDS -SUTAS ACCOMPANIED KSHRITYAS WARROR
- WRITTEN DOWN IN - 5TH C.
- ANOTHER PHASE OF COMPOSITION - [C. 200 BCE AND 200 CE]
- VISHNU AND KRISHNA - IMP FIG.
- B/W - C.200 AND 400 CE - DIDACTIC SECTIONS ADDDED
SEARCH FOR CONVERGENCE IN MAHABHARTA
- NOT MANY CONVERGENCE FINDS ON BASIS OF TOWN PLANNING AND CLUTURE
IN WHICH YEAR VISITED - SITE HASTINAPUR IN MEERUT UP
1951-52- BB LAL
PREPARATION AND PUBLICATION OF CRITICAL EDITION OF MAHA BHARTA BEGIN
1919-66
ADI PARVAN FIRST SECTION DESCRIBES
CONFLICT AMONG GAURAVAS AND PANDAVAS
CITY HASTINAPUR MENTIONS IN
ADI PARVAM
DRAUPADI , DAUAUGHTER OF DRUPADA[KING OF PANCHALA] WAS MENTIONED IN
INCARNATION
INDIRAS WIFE BY SEER VYASA
