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Kinship, Caste And Class
Describe how were the kinship relations with reference to Mahabharata.
Kinship or familial ties is the backdrop on which the story of Mahabharata decelops. Two warring cousins, the Pandavas and the kauravas. Where ultimately Kauravas are defeated and the Pandavas come as a victorious.
Let us discuss in detail the kinship relation according to the Mahabharata..
1. We find that the system was patrilineal and it was the eldest son that inherited the throne but in case of Kauravas their father being blind, the throne goes to his brother Pandu. But untimely death of Pandu and his sons still being minor the blind brother beomes the king. Thus we can see that it was within family the throne remains.
2. Another important aspect of familial tie can be seen in how the elder brother decides the fate of his younger siblings and how his authority is not questioned. For example the marriage of Bhima with Hidimba, a rakshasa, is decided by his elder brother and we do not find any mention of resistance from Bhima to the decision.
3. There is also how Pandava's mother's words and Draupadi's marriage with the entire brother, it could be understood that there was hierarchy in the family relations. And those with the top authority within the family made the decisions.
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“Brahmanical norms regarding marriage and occupations were not always followed in ancient times.” Give arguments in support of this statement.
Explain why patriliny may have been particularly important among elite families.
Discuss whether kings in early states were invariably Kshatriyas.
Compare and contrast the dharma or norms mentioned in the stories of Drona, Hidimba and Matanga.
In what ways was the Buddhist theory of a social contract different from the Brahmanical view of society derived from the Purusha Sukta?
The following is an excerpt from the Mahabharata in which Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava, speaks to Sanjaya, a messenger:
Sanjaya, convey my respectful greetings to all the Brahmanas and the chief priest of the house of Dhritarashtra. I bow respectfully to teacher Drona .... I hold the feet of our preceptor Kripa .... (and) the chief of the Kurus, the great Bhishma. I bow respectfully to the old king (Dhritarashtra). I greet and ask after the health of his son Dpryodhana and his younger brother ......Also greet all the young Kuru warriors who are our brothers, sons and grandsons......Greet above all him, who is to us like father and mother, the wise Vidura (born of a slave woman)......I bow to the elderly ladies who are known as our mothers. To those who are our wives you say this, 'I hope they are well-protected.'...... Our daughters-in-law born of good families and mothers of children greet on my behalf. Embrace for me those who are our daughters..... The beautiful, fragrant, well-dressed courtesans of ours, you should also greet. Greet the slave women and their children, greet the aged, the maimed (and) the helpless.
Try and identify the criteria use to make this list in terms of age, gender, kinship ties. Are there any other criteria? For each category, explain why they are placed in a particular position in the list.
This is what a famous historian of Indian literature Maurice Winternitz, wrote about the Mahabharata: “just because the Mahabharata represents more of an entire literature.... and contains so much and so many kinds of things....(it) give (s) us an insight into the most profound depths of the soul of the Indian folk.' Discuss.
Discuss whether the Mahabharata could have been the work of a single author.
How important were gender differences in early societies? Give reasons for your answer.
Discuss the evidence that suggests that Brahmanical prescriptions about kinship and marriage were not universally followed.
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