15.social Institutions in Ancient India - Varna System
15.social Institutions in Ancient India - Varna System
VARNA SYSTEM
THE VARNA DHARMA OR CASTE IS THE CARDINAL TERM IN THE SOCIAL HERITAGE OF
ANCIENT INDIA.
THE TERM VARNASHRAM DHARMA IMPLIES THAT THE DHARMAS IS NOT THE SAME FOR
ALL.IT IS A UNIQUE SYSTEM OF SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS.IT ALSO IMPLIES THAT THERE IS A
DHARMA APPROPIATE TO EACH CLASS AND TO EACH STAGE IN THE LIFE OF THE
INDIVIDUAL.
THIS THROUGHGOING RECOGNITION THAT MEN ARE NOT THE SAME AND THAT THERE
IS HIERARCHY OF CLASSES EACH WITH ITS AEPERATE DUTIES AND DISTINCTIVE WAY
OF LIFE IS ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING FEATURES OF INDIAN SOCIOLOGY.
THE FACT THAT THE FOUR VARNAS WERE BORN OF THE FROM THE DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE SAMR PURUSHA INDICATES THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF THE VARNAS.IN
OTHER WORDS THEY STANDS FOF THE ECONOMIC PROPS OF THE SOSIETY.THE
SCHEMATIC ARRANGEMENTS OF VARNAS IS FOR THE INTEGRATION OF THE SOCIETY
AND NOT FOR IT DIVISIONS.
THE VARNA SCHEME WAS THE KEYSTONE OF THE ARCH OF THE INDIAN SOCIAL
SCHEME.IT AIMED AT THE PERMANENT SOLUTION OF EVERY SIDE OF THE SOCIAL
PROBLEMS VIZ GENETIC,PSYCHOLOGICAL,SPIRITUAL AND ECONOMIC.
THE VARNA SYSTEM WAS BASED ON FUNCTION AND THAT THE VARNAS WERE
CLASSES AND NOT CASTES.-------ELABORATE.
IN SHORT THE FOUR-FOLD DIVISION IS FOR INTEGRATION AND NOT DIVISION.IT IS THE
CONCEPTION OF THE SINGLE COMMUNITYARRANGED IN FOUR LAYERS.BUT THE REAL
FAULT LIES WITH THE HINDU LAW,WHICH BY ITS PROHIBITION UPHOLDS THE DIVISION
AND RENDERS NORMAL ADJUSTMENTS IMPOSSIBLE.
GOTRA
THE TERM CAME INTO PROMINENCE IN THE LATE VEDIC TIMES.THEY WERE OF
FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE TO THE BRAHAMANS AS INDICATION OF SOCIAL AND
RITUAL IDENTITY.
GOTRA MEANS THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO TRACE THEIR DESCENT TO THE COMMON
ANCESTOR.IT WAS A BELIEF AMONG THE BRAHMANS THAT THEY HAVE DESCENDED
FROM ONE OR OTHER RISHI AFTER WHOM THE GOTRAS WERE NAMED.
THE GOTRA WAS OF CHIEF IMPORTANCE IN CONNECTION WITH MARRIAGE AND
PROPERTY SINCE THE MEMBERS OF THE SAME GOTRA WERE NOT PERMITTED TO
MARRY WITHIN THE SAME GOTRA BUT THEY COULD IN THE ABSENCE OF AN
HEIR,CLAIM RIGHTS TO PROPERTY OWNED BY ONE OF THEIR FELLOW MEMBERS.
THE ADOPTION OF THE GOTRA SYSTEM RAISED THE STATUS OF THE BRAHAMANAS
AND THEY WERE ELEVATED TO THE RESPECTABLE CLASSES.
THE OTHER TWICE BORN CLASSES ADOPTED THE SAME GOTRAS AS THE
BRAHAMANAS ----BASICALLY THE GOTRAS OF THOSE BRAHAMANS WHICH
TRADITIONALLY OFFICIATED AT THEIR DOMESTIC RITUALS.
THE BREACHES OF THE GOTRA REGULATIONS WERE NOT VIEWED SERIOUSLY BY
EARLY LAW GIVERS AND THEY EVEN PRESCRIBED PENANCES FOR SUCH
BREACHES.FOR INSTANCE ,IF A MAN MARRIED A WOMEN OF THE SAME GOTRA HE HAD
TO PERFORM A CHANDRAYANA PENANCE,A SEVERE FAST FOR A MONTH.
PRAVARA
THEY ARE THE STEREOTYPED LIST OF THE NAMES OF
JATI
A GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION HAS ARISEN OUT OF THE
FAMILY
ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY LIVED TOGETHER UNDER ONE AND THE
SAME ROOF AND SHARED THE PROPERTY OF THE FAMILY IN COMMON.
NORMALLY THE THE JOINT FAMILY INCLUDED THREE GENERATIONS AND THIS
FACT IS NOTICED IN SMRITIES,FOR UNDER THE RULES OF THE LAW OF
PARTITION ,ANY MEMBER OF A JOINT FAMILY WHO IS REMOVED MORE THAN
THE THREE DEGREES FROM THE COMMON ANCESTOR CAN CLAIM A SHARE
ON PARTITION.
THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO A WILL AND THE ELDEST SON WAS NOT
ENTITLED TO ANY SPECIAL INHERITANCE THOUGH A VERY SMALL WEIGHTAGE
AMOUNTING TO THE 1/20TH OF THE SHARE WAS PERMITTED.
PARTITION OF THE FAMILY TOOK PLACE EVEN DURING THE LIFETIME OF THE
FATHER
THE FATHER WAS THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY AND ADMINISTRATOR OF THE
JOINT PROPERTY.THE FAMILY WAS PATRIARCHIAL IN NATURE.
SRADDHA, THE RIGHTS COMMEMORATING THE ANCESTORS,BOUND THE
GROUPS TOGETHER.ALL THE RELATIVES OF THE DECEASED(SAPINDA)
JOINED ON THIS OCCASION.THUS THE DEAD AND THE LIVING WERE RELATED
TO EACH OTHER BY THIS RITE.
THE JOINT FAMILY SYSTEM BOUND THE FAMILY WITH A DEEP SENSE OF
SOLIDARITY AND GAVE ITS MEMBERS A GREAT MEASURE OF SOCIAL
SECURITY.
LIMITATIONS
JOINT FAMILY SYSTEM GAVE RISE TO THE NEPOTISM AND
SLAVERY