The document summarizes aspects of life in ancient Indian society, including the complex caste system, family structure, and village organization. The caste system divided society hierarchically and imposed strict rules regarding social interaction and occupations. Families were typically joint and patriarchal, with women's roles focused on marriage and childrearing. Villages formed the core social unit and centered around agriculture, with castes performing specialized tasks for communal support.
2. The Complex Caste System
The three pillars of Indian life are the caste
system, family, and village
Aryans divided society into four classes (you learned
this in the previous chapter)
Non-Aryans were considered outcasts and held the
lowest jobs
The caste system ensured a stable social order
People could move up castes in the afterlife
5. The Complex Caste System
To ensure spiritual purity, a web of complex caste rules
governed every aspect of life---where people lived, what
they ate, how they dressed, and how they earned a living
Rules forbade marrying outside one’s caste or eating with
members of another caste
High-caste people had the strictest rules to protect them
from the spiritually polluted lower castes
“Untouchables”---lowest ranked caste---life was harsh---
received the most “impure” jobs such as digging
graves, cleaning streets, or turning animal hides into
leather
14. The Complex Caste System
The caste system ensured a stable social order
People could not change their status in this life, but
they could reach a higher caste in a future life by
fulfilling the duties of their present caste
The caste system also adapted to changing conditions,
absorbing foreigners and new occupations into their
own castes
This flexibility allowed people with diverse customs to
live side by side in relative harmony
15. Family Life
Ideal family was the joint family---
parents, children, grandchildren, uncles, and cousins
shared a common dwelling
Indian family was patriarchal---the father or oldest
male in the family headed the household
Arranged marriages were (and still are) common
A dowry was paid by the bride’s family to the groom’s
family
16. Family Life
In early Aryan society, women enjoyed a higher status
than in later times
By late Gupta times, upper-class women were
restricted to their homes
Women were thought to have shakti
Shakti---creative energy of a woman that a man lacked
Positive---helped to make her husband complete
Negative---could be destructive if she didn’t listen
17. Family Life
A woman’s primary duties were to marry, show
devotion to her husband, and raise children
Beyond these responsibilities, women had few rights
within the family and society
Rebirth into a higher existence was gained through
devotion to her husband
18. Family Life
As customs changed, a high-caste widow was
forbidden to remarry
Often, a widow became a sati (“virtuous woman”)
This was accomplished by the widow joining her dead
husband on his funeral pyre (fire)
Some widows accepted this painful death as a noble
duty that would wipe out both her and her husband’s
sins
19. Village Life
The village was at the heart of life
A typical village included a cluster of homes made of
earth or stone
Farmers grew crops such as wheat, rice, cotton, and
sugar cane
Each village included people of different castes who
performed the tasks needed for daily life
Castes might include priests, landowners, herders,
farmers, metalworkers, and carpenters, as well as such
low castes as leather workers and sweepers
20. Village Life
In most of India, farming depended on the rains
brought by the summer monsoons
Too much or too little rain meant famine
Each village ran its own affairs based on caste rules and
traditions
A village headman and council made decisions
Women at one time were able to serve on the councils
but were later restricted and their role in society
became virtually non-existent outside of their homes
