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Society : The Status of the Brahman and New Social Order

Society : The Status of the Brahman and New Social Order

Section titled “Society : The Status of the Brahman and New Social Order”

2020-04-27 12:11:12

Sources

Section titled “Sources”
  • Kalhana’s Rajtarangini
  • Shriharsha’s Naishadhiyacharita
  • Merutunga’s Prabandha Chintamani
  • Soddhala’s Udaya Sundari Katha
  • Jinasena’s Adipurana
  • Siddha’s Dohas
  • Medhatithi and Vigyaneshwar’s commentaries on Manusmiriti and Yajnavalkyasmriti
  • Manasollasa, Mayamata and Aparajitapriccha

General Features

Section titled “General Features”
  • Feudal ranks emerged cutting across varna distinctions, open to all varnas
  • Ruling was no longer monopoly of the Kshatriyas
  • Titles like Thakur, Raut, Nayaka etc were not confined to Kshatriya or Rajputs
  • Untouchability was practiced widely reasons were impure occupations, guilty of prohibited acts, heretical acts, physical impurities etc.
  • $ Brihad Naradiya Purana reveals the beginning of exclusion of Shudra from places of worship
  • Sati began during this period mentioned in Harshacharita, Rajatarangini.

Growing Rigidity

Section titled “Growing Rigidity”
  • invasion of Hunas, Arabs and Turks created fear and need to preserve the age old social order.
  • Shankaracharya, Dhanapala, and other writers talk about it.
  • $ Manasollasa mentions Varnadhikarin an officer to maintain varnas
  • was the thinking of Brahmanical law givers

Dissent

Section titled “Dissent”
  • In Dharampariksha 11th century Jaina Amitagati determines caste on basis of personal conduct other Jaina works like the Kathakushpurana
  • Satirical work like Latakamelaka mentions Buddhist monk who denies importance of caste
  • Kshmendra refers to Kula Jati Darpa (caste and clan) as a disease of society
  • Padmapurana mention contrasting of orthodox and Shudra’s life.
  • Social hierarchy was Chakravartins/Rajas -> feudal elite -> traders, moneylenders, possessors of cows etc -> small businessmen/cultivators -> artisans and craftsmen -> Chandalas etc

Changing Material Base - Factors that Contributed towards it Are

Section titled “Changing Material Base - Factors that Contributed towards it Are”
  • Land grants
  • Localisation tendencies
  • Fluctuation in urban settings
  • Nexus with monetary system
  • Social and economic immobility of peasantry
  • Non-agricultural toiling workers
  • Ruling landed aristocracy

New Social Changes

Section titled “New Social Changes”

Emergence of Shudra’s as Cultivators

Section titled “Emergence of Shudra’s as Cultivators”
  • Post Gupta law books include agriculture in the samanya-dharma(common occupation) of all the varna
  • Smriti of Parashar adds acceptance of gifts, avoid sin, properly treat oxen etc to their traditional duties
  • shows that varna norms were being redefined
  • bridging gap b/w vaishyas and shudras. Vaishyas lose their identity as a peasant caste
  • Huen Tsang mentions Shudras as agriculturists
  • $ Al Biruni mentions no difference b/w Vaishyas and Shudras
    • Both were punished with amputation of tongues for reciting vedic texts
  • Skanda Purana talks about pitiable condition of Vaishyas
  • Certain Shudras were called bhojayanna ie food taken by could be eaten by Brahmanas.
  • Many tantric and Siddha teachers were Shudra
  • Anashrita Shudras were well to do and made their way into ruling elites too

Absence of Intermediary Varnas in Bengal and South India

Section titled “Absence of Intermediary Varnas in Bengal and South India”
  • In these areas only Brahmans and Shudras existed because of the influence of non Brahmanical religion and because of acculturation of tribal and non Brahmanical people into the varna fold as Shudras
  • Brahmavaivarta Purana that is attributed to Bengal mentions tribal people like Agaris, Ambashthas, Bhillas, Chandalas etc as being accomodated as Shudras
  • Varnikacharita mentions Sena kings of Bengal raising the position of certain occupations like blacksmiths, potters etc.
  • Nishad Brahmanas were recognised as Brahmanas but assigned low status
  • Basava preached religious equality of men women

Rise of New Literate Class

Section titled “Rise of New Literate Class”
  • Kayasthas are mentioned in Gupta and post G inscriptions as record keepers they later emerged as a separate caste
  • led to the loss of prestige to Brahmanas, they did not grant lands to Brahmanas in Kashmir who in turn took to hunger strikes
  • Karanas, Karanikas, Pustapala, Lekhaka, divira etc were others

Phenomenal Inc in Rise of Mixed Castes

Section titled “Phenomenal Inc in Rise of Mixed Castes”

Brahmanas

Section titled “Brahmanas”
  • Villages inhabited by 36 varnas
  • Varnas got fragmented due to territorial affiliations, purity of gotras and pursuance of specific crafts, professions.
  • @ Inc in castes was most prominent among Brahmanas as mentioned by Kshemendra, Inscriptions from Pehoa and Siyadoni.
  • Mitakshara was a commentary on the Smriti of Yagyavalkya grades Brahmanas into 10 fold from Deva to Chandala
  • @ Territorial affiliations like Sarasvat, Kanyakubja, Maithi, Ganda Brahmans

Kshatriyas

Section titled “Kshatriyas”
  • Swelled due to foreign invaders settling and assimilating
  • Non Kshatriya were accepted as ruler classes

Vaishyas and Shudras

Section titled “Vaishyas and Shudras”
  • Vaishyas also started being affiliated with regional and territorial affiliations
  • Brahmavaivarta P mentions 100 castes

PYQs

Section titled “PYQs”

Society: the status of the Brahman and the new social order; Condition of women

  1. Give an account of the society in Northern and Central India since the death of Harsha to the Muslim conquest of North India. [1996, 60m]
  1. Write a short essay on: “Social structure of the Rajputs.” [1998, 20m]

[[1.6 Condition of Women]]