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S E L T \ I T U P T a ( I . S E L t \ i t u P T A Pt.D. ( i r s ProQuest Number: 10731270 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10731270 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 4 8 1 0 6 - 1346 Evolution of Hindu Marriage with special reference to rituals (C.1000 B.C.- A.D.500) By Nilakshi Sengupta Thesis submitted for the Ph.D.Degree of the University of London.. School of Orifcental and African Studies,March 1958 Acknowledgement— ■wnoiiwuin !■ i I wish to express my deep gratitude to Prof A.L. Basham, whose valuable guidance and unfailing encouragement made this work possible. His sound scholarship and interpretative talents have been particularly helpful to me. I am also indebted to Mr. ^.A. Rylands,School of Oriental and African Studies, for helping me with the Sanskrit texts. Finally I wish to thank my sister Dr. Minakshi Ghosh and also Sajida Haq and Mr. Ashoke Gupta for helping me in various x-^ays in preparing the thesis. Abstract This thesis presents a chronological survey of the evo­ lution of Hindu marriage down to circa A.D. 500* The rituals of marriage are discussed in the first two chapters. The first chapter deals with the marriage rituals in the time of the Rg-Veda* and the Atharva-Veda. in the second chapter the marriage ceremonies of the G-rhyasutras are described in detail. These rituals have been compared to other Indo-European marriage rituals and those of the indigeneous tribes to show evidence of the fusion of ... cultures. An attempt has been made to establish signi - ficance of every ritual. In the third chapter the different forms of marriage as described in t|ie Dharmasutras and Smrtis are discussed. The reason of the acceptance of the lower forms in the later text seems to be the growth of intermarriage with non-Aryans. The four inferior forms of-.'marriage are suggested to be of later development. In the fourth chapter age of marriage, polygamy, polyandry and intercaste marriages are discussed. The gradual low­ ering of age is suggested to be the result of the reaction on the part of the high caste Aryans to non-Aryan sexual customs of which they did not approve of .The fifth chapter deals with widowhood and Divorce. Sati ,widow-remarriage also Niyoga and their gradual evolution are discussed. The sixth chapter deals with the position of women in religion, public life, law and society. The gradual decline of their position in later days is pointed out and its causes are analysed. CONTENTS Introduction Chapter I Marriage rituals in Rg-Veda and Atharva-Veda * i,«wp»TurmChapter II , Marriage rituals in Grhyasutras Chapter III Forms of Marriage Some aspects of early Hindu marriage Chapter V Widowhood and Divorce The Position of Women Conclusion b\\>U w Abbreviation Ait* Br Aitareya Brahmana Ap.GR Apastamba Grhyasutra 3) W cot' *m «. i c\ A.B.O.R. I. Annals of Bhandarkar Oriental Reseach Institute Asv. Gr. Xsvalayana Grhyasutra * « A.V. Atharva-’freda A.I.O.C. All India Oriental Conference Asv. Gr. Par. Asvalayana Grhya Parisista Ann Anusasana Parva Bhar. Gr.i Bharadvaja Grhyasutra Baudh. Gr. Baudhayana Grhyasutra . x>vv,,( "T& O.U-cA ka-y 1jV>ov fvT*.A $ u t v t t D.K.A.W. ’ Denkschriften Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften 3>.N- 1> igkoi n ; k.o. v a- P . F. R> "Pie. FK.tt.vA. i w 's'^vva.s E.R.E Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics . t>U . Q.a.u.FiVma 3) S kV'*' a Gobh.Gr. Gobhila Grhyasutra G.O.S. Gaekwad Oriental Series H.S. Hindu Samskarast H.H.M History of Human Carriage H.O.S Harvard Oriental Series H.L.C• Hindu Law and Customs / — Hir. Gr. Hiranyakesin Grhyasutra V. H.D.S. Hiaflury of Dharmasastras I.C. Indian Culture I.H.Q. Indian Historical Quaterly I.A. Indian Antiquary Ind. Stud. Xndische Studien J. Jatakas J.A.O.S. Journal of American Oriental Society J* *13 .A .S . Journal of Bengal Asiatic Society J.B.O.R.S, Journal of Bihar and Orissa Research Society Kum. Kumaras ambhava Kaut. Kautilyam Arthasastra Kane. Kamasutra Kaus. Kaus^ka Sutra Mait. Sam Maitrayani Samhita* Mai. Malavikagnimitra M.G.I.P. Medicine in Grundress der Indo arischen Philologie Medh. Medhatithi M.E. Miscellaneous Essays M. Mantrapatha fto. Wo* Man.Gr. Manava Grhyasutra Par. Gr. Paraskara Grhyasutra ♦ P.W.H.C. Position of Women in Hindu Civilization P.T.S. Pali Text Society R.V. Eg-Veda R.B.M Ritual and Belief in Morocco Raghu Raghuvamsa * / __ Sat. Br. Satapatha Brahmana Sankh.Gr Saiikhayana Grhyasutra S.E.W Symbolism og Sast and West / _ Saku Sakuntala S.L.A. Sexual life In Ancient £ndia S #A*E.S Some Aspects of Earliest SocialHistory of India s .b .e . Sacred Book of the East Vo*', Sk. V <*j)\ s rt<\ DUcor-t** 3 h+t a V.P. Vinaya* Pitaka0 Yajnc. - : .x Yajnavalkya Smr|£i # INTRODUCTION In the pages that follow we have made an attempt to trace the roots and evolution of Hindu marriage from the earliest times of which we have any record, down to 500 A*D. We have tried to present a systematic picture of the development of the insti­ tution of marriage and its rituals and the position of women affected by it. The study of these rituals is interesting in as much as it reveals the fusion of the culture of the Indo-Aryans with that of the indigenous tribes and other inhabitants of India as also in that it seems as a pointer to the evolution of the status of women in home and society and the socio-cultural outlook on marital life throughout the ages. The Aryans when they migrated to India had ali'eady a definite ideology regarding the institution of marriage as well as a set of rules and regulations with the corresponding rituals. Simple as these rituals were, those are enough to throw light on the status of women in home and society, as also on what was believed about the nature of the union of man and women. In later days with the expansion of the Aryans in all directions over the country, much as they tried ( II ) to keep the purity of their stock intact, there was fusion of races and consequently of cultures, customs and rituals. Some of the indigenous races of India had a fairly developed civilization and culture and also their own social customs and institutions. With their expansion the Aryans absorbed the customs of the pre-Aryans and non-Aryans, as it is evident from a study of the gradual transformation of the simple Yedic rituals to the highly complicated forms of the later sutras. The study is mainly based on literary sources the exact dating of which is a very difficult problem, as there are so many differences of opinion. We have Hi generally accepted the dating of P.V. Kane as this seems to be the most recent and correct. Although the texts belong to different periods down to the Guptas, the commentators are all of the medieval period and are often influenced by the ideas of their own times, as we have tried to point out. We have also brought to bear on the subject our personal knowledge of the local customs and practices prevalent in India. These have been referred to to throw light on the rites of the X, P.V. fcccrve. 5 Hi sK> h.vj of G^koJV'm.OuS'atH.O.S ^ Vo t . ' i l , 1 . Ck./i.0>\.e> ( III ) early period, as have those of the indigenous tribes of India, Among the earliest religious texts Rg-Veda & and Atharva-Veda are most useful for our purpose. The period of Vedic Samhitas may go hack to the period & •}£ between 1500 and 1000 B.O. But the parts used by us mostly belong to the end of that , period. The Brahmanas, belonging to different Vedas have also been used, and throw some light on the subject. The G-rhyasutras or domestic rituals are very useful as they contain the ceremonies of marriage in detail. The G-rhyasutras * generally belong to the period of 800 to 4-00 B.O. But some of the Grhyasutras are later, and belong to the * Pharmasutra period i.e. 600 - 300 B.O. There are a number of mantras quoted in the sutras, which do not occur in the samhitas and are quite separate from the sutra texts. These are the Mantra Brahmana quoted by * Gobhila and Mantrap at ha quoted by Apastamba. The Pharma- sutras are the oldest law books of the Indians and are the books of instruction on spiritual ans secular law. The Arthasastra of Kautilya, the most important early Indian manual of statecraft and secular law, belongs * Here, and throughout this work we have adopted the chronology of P.V.Kane. ( IV ) to 300 to 100 B.O. At a somewhat later date appeared the versified compendia of law and customs known as Dharma^astras or Smrtis, of which the oldest is Manu * Smrti, compiled Between 200 B.O.
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