Critically discuss the opinion of the different historians about Mahabharata as a historical source.

Solution

(i) Mahabharata’s historical facts are doubted by a few European historians. According to them a few of the characters of Mahabharata are historical but most of the events are imaginary. In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas are mentioned as brothers of the Kauravas but in Vedic literature, name of Kauravas is found mentioned several times, but there is no mention of the Pandavas. Waber in his History of Indian Literature, has written that “The character of the Pandavas is imaginary and it has been added to the Mahabharata later on. Besides, these supporting rulers of the Pandavas and the Kauravas mentioned in the Mahabharata were not at all contemporaries”.

(ii) There are some scholars who believe in the facticity of the tale. Archaeologist BB Lal went a long distance to prove it, he dugged a placed named Hastinapura, the name resembles the one mentioned in the text but we really do not know whether they are the same. Although in some other texts we find the names mentioned in Mahabharata, so it looks like some figures were historical.

(iii) Mahabharata is an important source to know the facts about social life of that age. In this epic we find descriptions of caste system, about social evils, about position of the women, about political system and war strategy etc. And it becomes very useful in constructing social history of that time.

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Some More Questions From Kinship, Caste And Class Chapter

What, according to the Dharmashastras, were the ideal occupations for the four varnas? Give one way in which the Brahmanas tried to enforce these norms.

“Brahmanical norms regarding marriage and occupations were not always followed in ancient times.” Give arguments in support of this statement.

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.

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Kinship, Caste And Class

Critically discuss the opinion of the different historians about Mahabharata as a historical source.

Some More Questions From Kinship, Caste And Class Chapter

How was Buddha’s presence shown through symbols? Give two examples.

Describe the position of women with regard to ownership of property in ancient times.

Discuss how access to property sharpened social differences between men and women in ancient times.

What, according to the Dharmashastras, were the ideal occupations for the four varnas? Give one way in which the Brahmanas tried to enforce these norms.

“Brahmanical norms regarding marriage and occupations were not always followed in ancient times.” Give arguments in support of this statement.

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In what ways was the Buddhist theory of a social contract different from the Brahmanical view of society derived from the Purusha Sukta?

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