The Manu Smriti and its impact on the caste system in a new light

[aneeshm]

The Manu Smriti is a text which is the favourite of the Marxist historians who rule academia in India, because it contains six oppressive verses, which they love to quote to in criticism of Hinduism (by association with caste and oppression). The problem is, they do not state the authoritativeness with which these verses are to be taken, and what position they occupy, nor their origin. They also completely neglect the rest of the text, which is a jewel of jurisprudence.

Now I've come across this excellent series of articles about the Manu Smriti. They are interesting even for a non-Indian reader, because they provide insight into what is probably the oldest and yet contemporarily relevant legal code in the world. For the first time in human history, someone declared that justice did not consist of an eye for an eye.

It also provides a model for a welfare society which does not involve coercion - and which, in fact, actually worked until rigidity from within and barbarism from outside destroyed it - and may work again, though in a drastically modified form.

The Manu Smriti in a new light: Part One

It contains, at the bottom, the links to the remaining parts.

The last part is yet to come up (dealing with Brahminical hegemony). I will bump this thread when it does.

[Timexwatch]

[Kuciwalker]

Hindu civilization

[aneeshm]

It's quite an interesting series of articles, even for a non-Indian non-Hindu.

[Eli]

Dude. Face it. The west rules, the east sucks. It's our philosophy that matters, not to mention our style of writing numbers.

[aneeshm]

I've faced that fact long ago. That is the situation as it is now. It is my job, and the job of every other Indian, to change that, and make you look like beggars by comparison, when our time comes.

[aneeshm]

But this thread relates to the history of jurisprudence, not the current situation. It is of historical interest.

[Heresson]

To give aneeshm a proper due, I've read part of a book claiming caste system wasn't all that harsh until teh evil Englishmen came.

[Verto]

Originally posted by Eli
Dude. Face it. NO ONE ****ING CARES.

fixed

[Eli]

Originally posted by aneeshm
I've faced that fact long ago. That is the situation as it is now. It is my job, and the job of every other Indian, to change that, and make you look like beggars by comparison, when our time comes.

No. It's your job to understand why the west rules and adopt it's methods and culture. You're already half way there.

[Dr Strangelove]

You haven't included any discussion of how the Manu Smriti relates to caste. For all we know caste may have been considered as dharma itself by this literature. Furthermore if someone considers the caste system as being dharma, i.e., the natural order then the Manu Smriti could be considered as justifying the caste system.

In the New Testament Christ is quoted as encouraging slaves to treat their masters as their brothers and for masters to treat slaves likewise as brothers. To an antebellum slave owner this clearly constituted biblical justification for slavery, but an antebellum abolitionist would reply that no true brother would keep his brother as a slave.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Heresson
To give aneeshm a proper due, I've read part of a book claiming caste system wasn't all that harsh until teh evil Englishmen came.

There's also books claiming that the moon is an artefact left by alien visitors.

[Saras]

Originally posted by aneeshm
It is my job, and the job of Superman, to change that, and make you look like beggars by comparison, when our time comes.

Fixed.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by aneeshm
It's quite an interesting series of articles, even for a non-Indian non-Hindu.

I doubt that.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Heresson
To give aneeshm a proper due, I've read part of a book claiming caste system wasn't all that harsh until teh evil Englishmen came.

Guuta's Book of Caste Humor?