Write about the status of women in vedic period
Answers
Introduction
Women play a key role in strengthening the dynamism of human civilization. According to Altekar (1938, p. 1), “one of the best ways to understand the spirit of a civilization and to appreciate its excellences and realise its limitations is to study the history of the position and status of women in it.” Although the ancient Indian texts have focused on women’s visibility in this regard, historians, while reconstructing the past, have created certain spaces for women that exist merely within definite parameters (Chakravarti & Roy 1988). In regard Indian history, women’s studies have a tendency to throw light on the broad terminology of women’s status, which has, consequentially, focused on a restricted set of queries. These queries, as well as their parameters seek to explore women’s roles and positions in different socio-cultural, as well as economic and political spheres of the country (Sharma 2014). Moreover these parameters have tended to create a major lacuna in our perception of the societal structure that had endeavored to shape gender roles and positions in ancient India. The influence of Indian society on gender has varied widely over time and space due to the differences in socio-cultural traditions and practices (Chakravarti & Roy 1988). Since early times, societal structure has played an active role in stimulating change in women’s roles and positions, but with time has also hindered the progress of the country. In this context, this study has made an attempt to assess women’s status and to highlight the structural framework of gender relations in ancient Indian civilization.
Materials and Methods
Based on the ancient Indian manuscripts and texts: the Védas; the Great Epics, the Rámáyana and the Mahābhārata; the Buddhist texts; the Smritis; the Purānas; and the Dharmaśāstras; this study has made an attempt to assess women’s roles and positions in ancient Indian civilization. Following the chronology of the ancient period in Indian history, the study has been confined to four distinct periods: the Early Vedic or Rig Vedic period (1500 BC–1000 BC), the Epic or Later Vedic period (1000 BC–600 BC), the Jainism and Buddhism period (600 BC–200 BC) and the age of Dharmaśāstras, Mánusmriti (200 BC–647 AD).
The Dharmaśāstras are part of Hindu discourse, and the Dharmaśāstras period is considered to be from 600 BC to 200 AD. On the other hand Jainism and Buddhism also flourished in ancient India during the same period. Women’s status began to decline in 200 BC during the Dharmaśāstras period with Mánu’s codification (Mánusmriti) of societal legislation. Therefore, to avoid an overlap of periods and to highlight women’s status in ancient Indian civilization irrespective of religious bias, the Jainism and Buddhism period and the period of Dharmaśāstras, Mánusmriti is considered separately as 600 BC to 200 BC, and 200 BC to 647 AD, respectively.
Discussions
The Early Vedic or the Rig Vedic Period (1500 BC–1000 BC)
Women were dignified with a respectable status in early Vedic civilization. Dravidian culture “has had a very long history as a referential term for the southern portion of India” (Marr 1975, p. 30), in which women were honored as well as empowered in the affairs of the home and family. They were also honored by their participation in all the socio-cultural activities of early Indian civilization. Moreover, “the Aryan culture, based on the Vedic culture, remained the centralizing factor” (Burrow 1975, p. 29) of the early Vedic civilization. Women’s freedom to participate in war, gymnastics, archery, horse riding, public activities, education, decision making, and in the selection of male partners has portrayed the nature of women’s status in the social canvas of the Rig Vedic period (Altekar 1938). As explained in Devi and Subrahmanyam (2014), the value of women and the respect shown towards them was not only limited to the idea of mistress of the household, rather, women demonstrated huge potential for contributing to human civilization during the Vedic period. The Ṛg-Vedá-Saṃhitā text revealed that the “goddess Durgā” (trans. Müller 1869, p. 211); “Aditi, the goddess of freedom” (trans. Müller 1869, p. 243); and Sárasvatī the “best mother, best of rivers, best of goddesses” (trans. Griffith 1896, Hymn XLI) were worshipped with complete dedication. Sculptures representing early Vedic society have also shown that women were placed in a higher status in this society.