question_answer

'The Mahabharata is a story of kinship, marriages and patriliny.' Examine the statement.

Or

'Because of the diversity of the Indian subcontinent there have always been populations whose social practices were not influenced by the Brahminical ideas during 600 BCE-600 CE.' Examine the statement.

 

Answer:

Mahabharata is a story of kinship, marriages and patriliny:

(i) Family which is a unit and is part of large networks of people, is defined as relatives.

(ii) System of patriliny was prevalent in north India.

(iii) Blood relations of two groups of cousins - the Kauravas and Pandavas.

(iv) Under patriliny, sons could claim the resources of their father when the latter died.

(v) After marriage, woman had to give up father?s gotra and opt husband?s gotra on marriage.

(vi) Man and woman who are members of same gotra could not marry. They will be considered as brother and sister.

(vii) According to Sutras only Kshatriya could be a king.

Or

Sixth century BCE is regarded as major turning point in early Indian History.

(i) It was the era associated with the growing population and emerging new cities.

(ii) It witnessed growth of diversified system of thoughts including Buddhism and Jainism.

(iii) It is also associated with the emergence of sixteen Mahajan Padas.

(iv) Magadh was known as best Mahajanpad and became the most powerful. The population in that area were attracted towards new power centre having new policies rather than prevailing south Indian Brahminical ideas.

(v) Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the empire extended control as far northwest as Afghanistan and Baluchistan.

(vi) There were five major political centres in the empire - the capital city Pataliputra, Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri.

(vii) These reflects that centre of knowledge shifted from South India to North India.