Consider the following statements regarding the rules of marriage in early societies: 1. All eight forms of marriage were considered equally good and desirable. 2. The Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras recognised as many as eight forms of marriage. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements regarding the rules of… - NCERT Class 12 History MCQ

NCERT Class 12 History — Chapter 3: Kinship, Caste and Class - Early Societies (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)

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Consider the following statements regarding the rules of marriage in early societies:

All eight forms of marriage were considered equally good and desirable.
The Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras recognised as many as eight forms of marriage.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

NCERT textbook question

From NCERT Themes in Indian History - I · Page 58

Options

A1 only
B2 only
CBoth 1 and 2
DNeither 1 nor 2

Did you get this right?

Solution

The correct option is

2 only

Explanation

The Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras serve as the foundational texts for social and legal codes in early Indian society, prescribing norms for various social institutions, including marriage.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras explicitly recognized as many as eight forms of marriage. These are traditionally listed as Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya, Asura, Gandharva, Rakshasa, and Paishacha.

Statement 2 is Correct: These texts did not consider all forms to be equally good or desirable. A clear distinction was made between "approved" and "unapproved" forms:

The first four forms (Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, and Prajapatya) were considered ideal and religiously sanctioned.
The remaining four (Asura, Gandharva, Rakshasa, and Paishacha) were generally condemned. Among these, the Paishacha form was considered the most base and sinful.

Key Takeaway: Ancient legal texts classified marriage into eight types but maintained a strict hierarchy, validating only the first four as noble while condemning the others as contrary to Dharma.

Your note

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