Question

“There are evidences that suggest that the Brahmnical prescription about occupation and rules of marriage were not universally followed in the ancient India.” Explain this statement with examples.

Answer 1

Brahmanical texts were not universally followed in ancient times.

1. After marriage, women were supposed to give up the father's gotra. Nonetheless, the names of the women who married Satavahana rulers were still derived from different gotras. Their husband's gotra was not adopted.
2. The Shastras stated that only Kshatriyas were eligible to reign. However, a large number of ruling families claimed to be Vaishyas or Brahmanas.
3. Some populations, like the Nishadadas and pastoralists who lived on the move, had customs that were unaffected by Brahmanical concepts.
4. There were cases where members of the same caste worked in several different occupations, such as Mandasor silk weavers.
5. Examples of Chandalas refusing to follow the Shastras' mandated life of humiliation.
6. Marriage mostly occurred within the caste.
7. Bhima and Hidimba were two examples of marriages that occasionally occurred outside of the caste.
8. It was forbidden for women to inherit their father's property. There are certain exceptions, including Prabhavati Gupta.