CH 3 Kinship, Caste, and Class

A set of 50 flashcards covering key concepts, themes, and insights from the lecture on the Mahabharata and social structures.

What does the ‘Critical Edition’ of the Mahabharata reveal about textual transmission across India?

It reveals both pan-Indian commonalities and enormous regional variations.

What method did Sukthankar’s team use to prepare the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata?

Comparing manuscripts, selecting common verses, and documenting variations in footnotes.

Why are regional variations in the Mahabharata significant for social history?

They reflect dynamic interactions between dominant traditions and local practices.

Which Vedic deity is invoked during traditional Hindu marriage rituals as per the Rigveda?

Indra.

What does the Rigvedic mantra during marriage rituals symbolize about patrilocal norms?

Transition of the bride from father’s to husband’s house; reinforcement of patriarchal norms.

In early Indian texts, how is descent traced in patrilineal societies?

Through the male line – father to son, grandson, etc.

How does the Mahabharata reinforce the value of patriliny?

Through narratives of succession disputes among male heirs, like the Kauravas and Pandavas.

What Brahmanical belief was associated with exogamy?

Marriage outside the kin group ensured ritual purity and societal order.

Which key text classifies eight forms of marriage and favours Brahmanical norms?

Manusmriti.

Which form of marriage in the Manusmriti is based purely on desire?

Gandharva (voluntary union of a maiden and her lover).

Which form of marriage in the Manusmriti involved bride price?

Asura.

Why is Prabhavati Gupta’s rule considered an exception in patrilineal polity?

She ruled as a woman regent despite the male-dominated norm.

How do Satavahana rulers challenge Brahmanical gotra norms?

By retaining matronymic gotras and practicing endogamy.

What does the title “Gotami-puta” signify in Satavahana inscriptions?

Matronymic identity – son of Gotami.

Why is the prevalence of endogamous marriage among Satavahanas significant?

It deviates from Brahmanical exogamy and reflects South Indian kinship systems.

How does the Mahabharata episode of Draupadi's marriage reflect social anxieties?

It attempts to justify polyandry via divine explanations, indicating discomfort with the practice.

What does the depiction of Draupadi’s polyandry suggest about elite marriage customs?

Polyandry may have existed among elites during crises or in specific regions.

What Brahmanical strategy legitimised the varna order?

Claiming divine origin via the Purusha Sukta.

According to Dharmashastras, what was the only occupation assigned to Shudras?

Service to higher varnas.

How does the story of Ekalavya in the Mahabharata reveal caste discrimination?

Denied formal training due to being a Nishada; sacrificed his thumb to uphold caste hierarchy.

Why is the title “eka bamhana” claimed by Satavahana king Siri-Satakani contradictory?

Though a Brahmana, he fought Kshatriyas and married outside prescribed norms.

What argument does the Majjhima Nikaya offer against Brahmanical superiority?

Wealth, not birth, dictates social respect and servitude.

What does the Mandasor inscription reveal about social mobility of artisan guilds?

Migrant weavers gained status, diversified roles, and built temples.

Which religious text critiques Brahmanical caste rigidity through a Shudra protagonist?

Matanga Jataka.

How does the Bodhisattva in Matanga Jataka reject caste-based exclusion?

By asserting moral virtue over birth as the basis for respect.

According to Manusmriti, could women inherit paternal estate?

No; they were allowed only stridhana.

What form of wealth were women permitted to control under Brahmanical law?

Gifts received at marriage, i.e., stridhana.

What condition did Manusmriti place on women’s control over valuables?

Required husband’s permission.

Why does the Mahabharata episode of Draupadi’s staking expose gender subordination?

She was treated as property after Yudhisthira lost her in a dice game.

According to Buddhist texts, what enables a Shudra to command respect?

Wealth, irrespective of birth.

What does the Mahabharata call itself, revealing its claim to historicity?

Itihasa – “thus it was”.

What role did Sutas play in the early transmission of the Mahabharata?

Oral composers and narrators of heroic tales.

What major archaeological site is linked to the Mahabharata’s narrative?

Hastinapura, excavated by B.B. Lal.

What period do B.B. Lal’s brick structures in Hastinapura date to?

c. 12th–3rd centuries BCE.

How did the Mahabharata evolve after 200 BCE in terms of content?

Expansion of didactic material and incorporation of Vaishnavite ideas.

How does the story “Kunti O Nishadi” critique the Mahabharata’s moral silence?

Highlights unacknowledged deaths of innocents in the Pandavas’ escape.

What alternative theory of kingship does the Sutta Pitaka propose?

Kingship as a social contract, based on popular consent and taxation.

What term is used in Buddhist texts for a democratically chosen king?

Mahasammata.

Why did Brahmanas oppose merchant-kshatriya hybrids like sarthavaha?

Blurred varna lines, challenging fixed ritual hierarchy.

What does the story of Hidimba and Bhima imply about integration of forest communities?

Reflects partial assimilation of non-Brahmanical groups into elite lineages.

What term did Brahmanas use to describe ‘outsiders’ like Shakas and nomads?

Mlechchhas.

What linguistic feature marks the Mahabharata’s accessibility to broader audiences?

Simpler Sanskrit than the Vedas or prashastis.

What practice among Himalayan communities supports historical existence of polyandry?

Ongoing cultural norms allowing polyandrous marriages.

Why is the use of metronymics among Satavahanas historically significant?

Challenges the exclusivity of patrilineal identification.

Why is the Puranaruru poem about a poor but generous chief relevant to social values?

Highlights prestige linked to generosity, not just wealth or birth.

What is a key difference between varna and jati in Brahmanical classification?

Varna is fixed and divine; jati is occupational and flexible.

Why were Chandalas forced to live outside cities according to Fa Xian?

To prevent their ‘polluting’ presence in upper caste society.

What are two restrictions Manusmriti placed on Chandalas?

Use of discarded utensils and prohibition from walking in cities at night.

How did early Buddhism critique caste-based social stratification?

Rejected status by birth; supported merit and ethical conduct.

What historical insight does the evolution of the Mahabharata offer?

Continuous dialogue between elites and regional cultures, evolving over centuries.