Kinship, Caste and Class (Mahabharata)

when did the project to prepare a critical edition of Mahabharata start? Who was involved?

1919, under the leadership of noted Indian Sanskritist, V.S. Sukthankar and his team of scholars

How many years did it take to compile the critical edition of Mahabharata?

47 years

when was the issue of social history explored by historians for the first time?

19th - 20th century

What are the meanings of

* kula
* jnati
* vamsha

* kula : Families
* jnati : larger network of kinfolk
* vamsha : libeage

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What is described as kinfolk?

A technical term for relatives

or

Families are usually parts of a larger network of people known as kinfolk

Define patriliny

when descent is traced through the father

Define matriliny

When descent is traced through the mother

Which ruling family did Kauravas and Pandavas belong to?

Kurus

Who emerged victorious in Mahabharata?

Pandavas

What was the first section of Sanskrit Mahabharata?

Adi Parvan

Define the different types of marriage

* Endogamy : Marriage within a unit
* Exogamy : Marriage outside the unit
* Polygyny : Practice of a man having several wives
* Polyandry : Practice of a woman having several husbands

What does ‘ Gotami - puta ‘ reger to?

Son of Gotami

Which ruling lineage did not follow the rules of gotra?

Satvahanas

What were the Sanskrit texts compibled by Brahmanas to lay down codes of social behaviour?

* Manusmriti
* Dharmashastra
* Dharmasutra

When was the Manusmriti compiled?

between 200 BCE and 200 CE

How many forms of marriage were recognised by Dharmashastra and Dharmasutra?

8 forms of marriage

first 4 were good

last 4 were condemned

Who were gotras named after?

Vedic seers

Define metronymics

Names derived from that of the mother

How were positions within the caste order determined?

by birth in a family that belonged to a particular caste

What were the four categories or varnas?

brahmanas

Kshatriyas

Vaishyas

Shudras

What were occupations assigned to

* Brahmanas
* Kshatriyas
* Vaishyas
* Shudras

* Brahmanas : Study and teach Vedas, perform sacrifices, and give and receive gifts
* Kshatriyas : engage in warfare, protect people, administer justice, study Vedas, get sacrifices performed, and make gifts
* Vaishyas : Study the avedas, get sacrifices performed, make girfts, engage in agriculture, pastoralism and trade
* Shudras : serving the other varnas

What is *Brihadaranyaka*?

One of the earliest Upanishads

How many pages in total make up the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata?

13,000 pages

Where in the subcontinent were manuscripts of Mahabharata found?

Kashmir, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Nepal

What was the Mahabharata?

The Mahabharata describes a fued over land and power between two groups of cousins - Kauravas and Pandavas

what were gotras named after?

Vedic seers. Everyone belonging to the same gotra were considered his descendants

What were two important rules about gotras?

1) Women were expected to give up their father’s gotra upon marriage and adopt their husband’s gotra

2) Members of the same gotra could not marry

What do we learn about marriage in Satvahana clan from recovered inscriptions?

* some Satvahana rulers were polygynous
* Women who married Satvahana rulers retained their father’s gotra
* many of these women also belonged to the same gotra
* they exemplified the practice of endogamy which ran counter to the Brahmanical notion of exogamy

What is caste?

Caste referes to the hierarchically ordered social categories that were laid down in Dharmashasrtas and Dharmasutras

What were the three strategies evolved to enforce Brahmincal caste norms?

* Asset that the varna order was of divine origin
* to advice kings to ensure that these norms were followed in their kingdoms
* to persuade people into believing that their status was determined at birth

What was Purusha sukta?

Purusha sukta was a hymn in the Rigveda that described the sacrifice of Purusha, the primeval man. All elements of the universe, including the four social categories were supposed to have emanated from his body:

* Brahmanas: mouth
* Kshatriyas : arms
* Vaishyas : Thighs
* Shudras: feet

Who was Drona

Brahmana who taught archery to the Kuru princes. Refused Eklavya because of Dharma.

who was Eklavya

a forest dwelling nishada (hunting community). pupil of Drona. Carved out his image in clay. Observed and learnt. Angered Arjuna. Cut off his right thumb as fee for Drona.