Clouse – HIST 1320
Reading quiz on Ancient India
Drawing on specific examples from the required texts, please consider the following: a strict
social hierarchy existed in Ancient India, which placed people from birth into a certain caste
where they remained. How did religious ideas as outlined in the readings justify or support this
strict social structure? Did all castes have power or influence? Do you see evidence of individual
rights or concerns?
Religious beliefs in ancient India justified and supported the Caste System because of their
unified belief in reincarnation, and their beliefs in Dharma, Karma, and honor. In the Bhagavad
Gita, Krishna establishes the idea that “the body is mortal, but that which dwells within the body
is immortal and immeasurable,” introducing the idea of reincarnation while telling Arjuna that he
must fulfill his assigned role as a warrior as a result of his caste. This Hindu text both indicates
that 1) In order to fulfill their dharmic obligations and to live life with honor, people must
complete the tasks assigned to their caste, essentially lending religious authority to the caste
system, and 2) establishes that mobility between the castes is possible if one lives life with
honor.
As far as the varying degrees of influence that different castes had, the Laws of Manu show that
every caste had duties to fulfill that were unique to their castes and necessary for the
functionality of everyday life. For example, the primary responsibilities of the Brahmin were
“teaching, studying, sacrificing for himself, sacrificing for others, making gifts, and receiving
them,” the primary responsibility of the Kshatriya class was to “show how a king should conduct