Describe the position of woman in the later vedic period.
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The life of the people of the Later Vedic Society was not as simple as that of the preceding Rig Vedic Society. Several large Kingdoms grew during this period, and they kept fighting with each other. Caste System was slowly gaining its momentum. The position of women was degrading and evil practices such as dowry came into practice. Besides Agriculture, people started to opt for several new occupations to make their living.
The Later Vedic Society and Civilization witnessed far-reaching changes in the sphere of caste system. The traditional four classes such as Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra, still existed during this period. However, various sub-castes sprang up in addition to the traditional four castes. As regards the condition of women in the Later Vedic Age, we find that the high position occupied by them in the Age of the Rig-Veda was no longer prevalent in this age. They lost their right of Upanayana and the right to perform religious rites and the right to join in political affairs. Though we hear the names of Gargi and Maitreyi, whose scholarship was recognized by the society as whole women lost their earlier status. The marriage rules became discriminating towards the bride. The women lost their earlier freedom and equality which they enjoyed in domestic life. Polygamy became more general. Polyandry also appeared in a restricted way. People wanted to have a male child. Birth of a female child was unwelcome. Dowry system became popular. Women during the Later Vedic Period were looked as inferior in status. Women were treated as objects for fulfillment of passion and not as partners of men. In the Later Vedic Civilization, they lost political and economic rights and were deprived from inheritance to properties.
In Later Vedic period, the position that the women folk enjoyed in the early Vedic society, was not retained. In Vedic society participation of wives was required in many rituals. It was thought that a widow had to perform a ‘symbolic’ self-immolation at the death of her husband. That the ritual was symbolic in the early period seems evident from the re-marriage of widow, generally to the husband’s brother. Women could select their husband in an assembly called `sayambhar’. But in most cases the women had to lead an unhappy married life. This was simply because their husbands were allowed to have more than one wives and this was especially quite common among the upper classes of the ancient Indian society. Characteristics of the status of upper-caste women in later centuries were that early marriages were advocated, often even pre-puberty marriages. A widow was expected to live in austerity, but if of the Kshatriya caste should preferably immolate herself on the funeral pyre of her husband especially if he had died a hero’s death. This would make her ‘Sati’. The earliest historical evidence for this practice dates from A.D. 510, when it was commemorated in an inscription at Fran. Manu assigns to the Women of Vedic age, a position of dependence, if not of subordination. The Arthasastra attests to considerable restraints placed on their movements. In the Deccan their movements were comparatively free and their rights more clearly defined. Several instances are known of royal ladies in South India excelling themselves in music and fine arts. In the Gupta period instances are not rare of women participating in administrative job. Prabhabati, the daughter of Chandra Gupta II performed administrative duties in her kingdom. Instances of women of the upper classes extending their phase of activities beyond the domestic circle are provided by the queen and queen’s regent in Kashmir, Rajasthan, Orissa and Andhra. Institutions were established for co-education. In the work called Amarkosh written in the Gupta era names of the teachers and professors are there and they belonged to female sex. They were the authors of Vedic scripts and ‘mantras ‘. A small number of women with some measure of freedom chose to opt out of the normal house holding activities required of a woman and became nuns, or trained to be courtesans or joined troops of performers
The Later Vedic Society and Civilization witnessed far-reaching changes in the sphere of caste system. The traditional four classes such as Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra, still existed during this period. However, various sub-castes sprang up in addition to the traditional four castes. As regards the condition of women in the Later Vedic Age, we find that the high position occupied by them in the Age of the Rig-Veda was no longer prevalent in this age. They lost their right of Upanayana and the right to perform religious rites and the right to join in political affairs. Though we hear the names of Gargi and Maitreyi, whose scholarship was recognized by the society as whole women lost their earlier status. The marriage rules became discriminating towards the bride. The women lost their earlier freedom and equality which they enjoyed in domestic life. Polygamy became more general. Polyandry also appeared in a restricted way. People wanted to have a male child. Birth of a female child was unwelcome. Dowry system became popular. Women during the Later Vedic Period were looked as inferior in status. Women were treated as objects for fulfillment of passion and not as partners of men. In the Later Vedic Civilization, they lost political and economic rights and were deprived from inheritance to properties.
In Later Vedic period, the position that the women folk enjoyed in the early Vedic society, was not retained. In Vedic society participation of wives was required in many rituals. It was thought that a widow had to perform a ‘symbolic’ self-immolation at the death of her husband. That the ritual was symbolic in the early period seems evident from the re-marriage of widow, generally to the husband’s brother. Women could select their husband in an assembly called `sayambhar’. But in most cases the women had to lead an unhappy married life. This was simply because their husbands were allowed to have more than one wives and this was especially quite common among the upper classes of the ancient Indian society. Characteristics of the status of upper-caste women in later centuries were that early marriages were advocated, often even pre-puberty marriages. A widow was expected to live in austerity, but if of the Kshatriya caste should preferably immolate herself on the funeral pyre of her husband especially if he had died a hero’s death. This would make her ‘Sati’. The earliest historical evidence for this practice dates from A.D. 510, when it was commemorated in an inscription at Fran. Manu assigns to the Women of Vedic age, a position of dependence, if not of subordination. The Arthasastra attests to considerable restraints placed on their movements. In the Deccan their movements were comparatively free and their rights more clearly defined. Several instances are known of royal ladies in South India excelling themselves in music and fine arts. In the Gupta period instances are not rare of women participating in administrative job. Prabhabati, the daughter of Chandra Gupta II performed administrative duties in her kingdom. Instances of women of the upper classes extending their phase of activities beyond the domestic circle are provided by the queen and queen’s regent in Kashmir, Rajasthan, Orissa and Andhra. Institutions were established for co-education. In the work called Amarkosh written in the Gupta era names of the teachers and professors are there and they belonged to female sex. They were the authors of Vedic scripts and ‘mantras ‘. A small number of women with some measure of freedom chose to opt out of the normal house holding activities required of a woman and became nuns, or trained to be courtesans or joined troops of performers
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The position of woman had a sharp decline in the Later Vedic Period. The political rights were denied to them and they no longer were allowed to attend the assemblies. The custom of child marriage and polygamy started during the later vedic period.
The Son was considered hope of family and daughter as source of misery. The participation of woman with her husband in religious rites was also snatched.
All the above facts are mentioned in the later vedic literature like Atharveda, Aitriya Brahmana, Manusmriti and Mahabharata etc.
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