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Which reference to social conditions duringthe Gupta period, which one of the followingstatements is correct?
  • a)
    The women of all castes were denied theright to work and even considered equalto shudras.
  • b)
    The untouchables were not allowed tolisten to the recitations of religious epicsand puranas.
  • c)
    The practice of Sati was rampant andwidows were not allowed to re-marry.
  • d)
    The number of castes increased with theassimilation of many tribal people intobrahmanical society through the processof land grants.
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Which reference to social conditions duringthe Gupta period, which one...
  • Social Developments during the Gupta period:
    • Large-scale land grants to the brahmanas suggest that the brahmana supremacy increased in Gupta times. The Guptas, who probably were originally vaishyas, came to be looked upon as kshatriyas by the brahmanas. The brahmanas presented the Gupta kings as possessing god-like attributes.
    • All this helped to legitimize the position of the Gupta princes, who became great supporters of the brahmanical order. The brahmanas accumulated wealth on account of the numerous land grants made to them and therefore claimed many privileges, which are listed in the Narada Smriti, the lawbook of Narada, a work of about the fifth century.
    • The castes proliferated into numerous sub-castes as a result of two factors. A large number of foreigners had been assimilated into Indian society, and each group of foreigners was considered a kind of caste. As the foreigners largely came as conquerors they were given the status of kshatriya in society.
  • The Hunas, who came to India towards the close of the fifth century, eventually came to be recognized as one of the thirty-six clans of the Rajputs. Even now some Rajputs bear the title Hun. The other reason for the increase in the number of castes was the absorption of many tribal people into brahmanical society through the process of land grants. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
    • The position of shudras improved during this period. They were now permitted to listen to recitations of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas.
  • The epics and the Puranas represented the kshatriya tradition, whose myths and legends won loyalty to the social order. The shudras could also worship a new god called Krishna and were also permitted to perform certain domestic rites which naturally meant fees for the priests. This can all be linked to some improvement in the economic status of the shudras.
  • From the seventh century onwards, they were mainly represented as agriculturists; in the earlier period, they generally figured as servants, slaves, and agricultural labourers working for the three higher varnas. However, during this period, the number of untouchables increased, especially the chandalas. The chandalas entered the society as early as the fifth century BC.
    • In the Gupta period, like the shudras, women were also allowed to listen to the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas, and were advised to worship Krishna. However, women of the higher orders did not have access to independent sources of livelihood in pre-Gupta and Gupta times. The fact that women of the two lower varnas were free to earn their livelihood, which gave them considerable freedom, but this was denied to women of the upper varnas.
  • The first example of the immolation of a widow after the death of her husband occurred during the Gupta period during 510 AD but it was not rampant. However, some post-Gupta books held  that a woman could remarry if her husband was dead, destroyed, impotent, had become a renouncer or had been excommunicated.
  • Widow remarriage was not allowed to members of the higher orders, but the shudras could practice widow remarriage.
     
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Community Answer
Which reference to social conditions duringthe Gupta period, which one...
Background:
The Gupta period (4th to 6th century CE) is considered a golden age of ancient Indian history. It was a time of political stability, economic prosperity, and intellectual advancement. However, social conditions during this period were marked by the continuation of traditional caste-based social hierarchy and patriarchal norms.

Explanation:
Among the given options, option D is correct. The number of castes increased with the assimilation of many tribal people into the brahmanical society through the process of land grants. This means that as more tribal communities were brought under the influence of the dominant brahmanical society, they were assigned specific castes based on their occupation or social status. This led to the expansion of the caste system during the Gupta period.

Key Points:
- The Gupta period witnessed the assimilation of many tribal communities into the brahmanical society.
- As a result, the number of castes increased during this period.
- The expansion of the caste system further solidified the social hierarchy and divisions in society.
- Land grants were one of the means through which tribal communities were incorporated into the brahmanical society.
- The land grants provided a means of economic support to these communities but also subjected them to the caste-based social structure.

Summary:
Social conditions during the Gupta period were characterized by the expansion of the caste system due to the assimilation of tribal communities into the brahmanical society through land grants. This led to an increase in the number of castes and reinforced the social hierarchy and divisions in society.
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Which reference to social conditions duringthe Gupta period, which one of the followingstatements is correct?a)The women of all castes were denied theright to work and even considered equalto shudras.b)The untouchables were not allowed tolisten to the recitations of religious epicsand puranas.c)The practice of Sati was rampant andwidows were not allowed to re-marry.d)The number of castes increased with theassimilation of many tribal people intobrahmanical society through the processof land grants.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
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Which reference to social conditions duringthe Gupta period, which one of the followingstatements is correct?a)The women of all castes were denied theright to work and even considered equalto shudras.b)The untouchables were not allowed tolisten to the recitations of religious epicsand puranas.c)The practice of Sati was rampant andwidows were not allowed to re-marry.d)The number of castes increased with theassimilation of many tribal people intobrahmanical society through the processof land grants.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? for UPSC 2024 is part of UPSC preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the UPSC exam syllabus. Information about Which reference to social conditions duringthe Gupta period, which one of the followingstatements is correct?a)The women of all castes were denied theright to work and even considered equalto shudras.b)The untouchables were not allowed tolisten to the recitations of religious epicsand puranas.c)The practice of Sati was rampant andwidows were not allowed to re-marry.d)The number of castes increased with theassimilation of many tribal people intobrahmanical society through the processof land grants.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for UPSC 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Which reference to social conditions duringthe Gupta period, which one of the followingstatements is correct?a)The women of all castes were denied theright to work and even considered equalto shudras.b)The untouchables were not allowed tolisten to the recitations of religious epicsand puranas.c)The practice of Sati was rampant andwidows were not allowed to re-marry.d)The number of castes increased with theassimilation of many tribal people intobrahmanical society through the processof land grants.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?.
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