SOCIETY AND RELIGION

SOCIETY AND RELIGION

The brahmanas became richer because of land grants, and claimed many privileges which are listed in the Naradasmriti (fifth century AD). There was a great increase in the number of castes and sub-castes with the large-scale absorption of foreigners and tribals. The position of the shudras improved slightly; they were permitted to listen to the epics and Puranas, to worship a new god called Krishna, and to perform certain domestic rites such as probably paying fees to the priests. Shudras were now considered as agricultur­ists rather than servants and slaves. But the untouchables increased in number, especially the chandalas. According to Fa-Hsien, they had to face many disabilities. They lived outside the village and dealt in meat and flesh. They were not allowed to enter the town as they were considered polluted. Women's position declined.

Disallowed formal education and inheritance of property, they were married early. Widow marriage was disallowed. The first reference to sati appears in Gupta times in AD 510 at Eran.

Buddhism no longer received royal patronage, though according to Fa-Hsien Buddhism was in a very flourishing state. Bhagavatism or Vaishnavism overshadowed Mahayana Buddhism by the time of the Guptas. By the sixth century, Vishnu became a member of the trinity of gods along with Siva and Brahma. A few Gupta kings were worshippers of Siva, but Siva does not seem to have been as important as Vishnu in the early Gupta period. Idol worship in the temples became a common feature of Hindusim from the Gupta period onwards. Many festivals also came to be celebrated. Agricultural festivals observed by different classes of people were given a religious garb and colour, and turned into good sources of income for the priest. Religious toleration was, however, prevalent.

The Shakti cult gave rise to consorts to gods, and goddesses like Lakshmi, Parvati, Durga, etc. appeared. Tantricism also became popular in the fifth century. The schools of Hindu philosophy were enunciated in this period. By the fourth century AD Bhagvadgita was finally compiled, which taught devotion to Lord Krishna and stressed the performance of the functions assigned to each varna. Henceforth, the concept of bhakti developed; worship superseded sacrifice.