What was the contribution of Manusamriti in Hinduism?

Hello,

Manusmriti (MS) is an old legal text or 'dharmashastra' of Hinduism. It describes the social system from the time of the Aryans. This country had, by all accounts, an advanced civilisation and culture at the time, dating back to 3500 BC, even to 6000 or 8000 BC, according to some historians.

It is ascribed to the legendary first man and lawgiver, Manu. The received text dates from circa 100 ce.

Thank you.

Hi,

It is attributed to the legendary first man and lawgiver, Manu. The received text dates from circa 100 ce. The Manu-smriti prescribes to Hindus their dharma—i.e., that set of obligations incumbent on each as a member of one of the four social classes (varnas) and engaged in one of the four stages of life (ashramas).

Manusmriti (MS) is an ancient legal text or 'dharmashastra' of Hinduism . It describes the social system from the time of the Aryans. This country had, by all accounts, an advanced civilisation and culture at the time, dating back to 3500 BC, even to 6000 or 8000 BC, according to some historians. The Manu Smriti is written by Bhrigu , a sage as per Dr B. R. Ambedkar during the peroid of Pushyamitra of Sangha. It was written keeping in mind the social pressures which was exerted because of the rise of Buddhism.

The result of this disregard, deliberate or otherwise, was that in the eyes of generations of Indians, the history of this land starts with the arrival of the Aryans. This “original sin” has led to many distortions, myths, untruths and half-truths. The gods and heroes of the Aryans were foisted on the locals, and the enemies of the Aryans became their enemies, even though they might have been their gods and heroes. Since dharma or religion is nothing but the mores and practices of society, this can be said to be the first forcible mass religious “conversion” in history.

The Aryans devised a social system which would ensure that they would always remain at the top, own all the wealth and command all the power. They made Sanskrit, which was alien to the natives, the language of daily life and commerce. Their mastery over the language naturally made them leaders in society, arbiters and interpreters of all aspects of life.

Of course, the duties performed by the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas benefitted them, and the Shudras also served the other three castes, but that was incidental. No physical labour was assigned to the Brahmins who were assigned the tasks of thought and speech, while the others were relieved of such onerous responsibilities.

Though the MS declares that the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas had a right to learn, they had no right to teach. The learning imparted to these two castes by the Brahmins was very different from what the Brahmins themselves received by virtue of their “superiority”.  But even that stopped after some time and it was only during British rule that education was made accessible to all, with the exception of women, from any caste, including Brahmins.

The MS also prohibited foreign travel, deeming it an irreligious act. This ensured that people remained in isolation, with no exposure to other systems of thought and practice. The social system favoured by the MS was governed by the doctrine of inequality – between caste groups, between man and man and between man and woman.

The Brahmins were presumed to be guiltless, and could do no wrong, and if any of them did, the offender was to be let off with light punishment. Even the corrupt Brahmin was deemed worthy of respect. As Bhudev, or god on earth, even the king paid him obeisance.

Divide and rule

The Aryans devised the caste system with two objectives. Once they had secured and concentrated power in their hands, they divided the rest of society into various social groups with conflicting interests, antagonistic to each other.

Without this, the Aryans, who were few in number, could not have gained the upper hand. They put themselves on top of the food chain as Brahmins. To cement this, they also conferred a divine sanction on it by claiming that it was ordained by Lord Brahma.

This policy of divide and rule resulted, over a period of time,  in more than 6,000 sub-castes, all birth-based, socially isolated from and inimical to each other. A hierarchical system also naturally meant that those on the lowest rung would always remain subjugated and exploited. This fertile terrain for intolerance, mistrust and disunity, the seeds of which were sown so long ago, is still tilled by political parties today.

Hope this helps.