Correct Option
The correct option is 1, 2 and 3 only.
Explanation
The Manusmriti (Laws of Manu), composed between c. 200 BCE and 200 CE, is one of the most authoritative Dharmashastras. It codified social norms, particularly regarding the varna system and the status of those considered outside the system, such as the chandalas. The text prescribes strict rules of social exclusion for these groups to maintain ritual purity for the upper varnas.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Correct: According to the Manusmriti, chandalas were considered "untouchables" and were socially ostracized. They were explicitly required to live outside the village boundaries to prevent contact with the settled population.
- Statement 2 is Correct: The text mandated that chandalas use discarded utensils (specifically broken vessels) rather than new or regular ones, reinforcing their status of ritual impurity.
- Statement 3 is Correct: They were required to wear clothes taken from corpses (clothes of the dead) and ornaments made of iron, rather than gold or silver, distinguishing them visually from other social groups.
- Statement 4 is Incorrect: The Manusmriti explicitly forbade chandalas from walking about in villages and cities at night. Their movement was restricted to prevent accidental contact or "pollution" during hours of low visibility.
Key Takeaway: The Manusmriti institutionalized extreme social exclusion for chandalas, enforcing physical segregation (living outside villages), sumptuary restrictions (iron ornaments, discarded utensils), and temporal restrictions on movement (banned at night).