English
We are again told that to a distinguishéd handsome suitor a father should give away his daughter “though she have not attained the proper age.” This is laid down as an exception, and the usual rule therefore, we should infer, was to give away girls at “the proper age.” And we are expressly , ‘told that a girl when marriageable should wait for ,three years and then give herself away (IX, 90), and ithat her father should rather keep her unmarried the whole of her life than give her away to a bridegroom who is not suitable (IX, 89). The ancient custom of raising issue on a brother’s widow seems to have fallen into disuse. Manu in his CHAP. X.] DOMESTIC LIFE, &C. 167 anxiety to adhere to ancient rule, and also to pro- claim a purer custom, seems to flatly contradict himself. In (IX, 59 & 60) he says that on failure’, of issue by her husband, a wife or widow who has been: authorized may obtain the desired offspring by a bro-' ther-in-law, or by some other Sapinda of the husband. | But shortly after he emphatically declares that a widow must never be appointed to raise issue in this way; that in the sacred texts the appointment of widows is nowhere mentioned ; that the practice is reprehended by the learned as fit for cattle (IX, 64 to 68). This - is pretty strong language, and shews how utterly the somewhat primitive custom had fallen into disuse. It will be seen from what has been stated above that the Institutes of Manu. are somewhat composite in their character. The author tries to adhere to ancient law, often quotes the current sayings and verses of his time,—many of which have been found in the MahAbhé- rata,—and at the same time heis anxious to proclaim a. pure law forthe Aryans. Actuated by such different in- fluences, Manu is sometimes uncertain in the rules he lays down; but the general scope and object of his law cannot be mistaken by the candid reader. And if such a reader carefully peruses all the chapters and verses in- the Code bearing on the position of women, be will in spite of some objectionable passages certainly form a high idea of the status of women, and of the Hindu civi- lization and manners of Manu’s time. 168 BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK Iv. Women were regarded as dependeat on their male relations ;—this Manu emphatically declares. But nevertheless women were honored in their families, res- pected by their relations, held in esteem by the socicty in which they lived. And this will appear not only from the rules of Manu but from the general tone of all Sanscrit literature. “The Acharya (teacher) is ten times more venerable than the Up4dyaya (sub-teacher), the father a hundred times more than the teacher, but the mother a thousand . times more than | the father. II, 145.* “Women must be honored and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands, and brothers-in-law, who desire their own welfare. ; “Where women are honored, there the gods are pleased ; but where whey * are not honored, no sacred tite yields reward, v.“ Where female relations live in ae the family soon wholly perishes ; but that family where they are not unhappy, ever prospers”, ITI, 55 to 57. On the other hand, we have as clear an enunciation of women’s duties. “In childhood a female must be subject to her father ; in youth to her husband ; when her lord is dead, to her Sons 5 a woman must never be independent. # She aust not seek to separate herself from her * See Vol. II, p. 89. CHAP. X.] DOMESTIC LIFE, &C. 169 father, husband, or sons. By leaving them she would make both her own and her husband’s family contempt- ible. ’ “She must always be cheerful, clever in the manage- ment of her household affairs, careful in cleaning her utensils,.and economical in expenditure. “Him to whom her father may give her, or her brother, with her father’s permission, she shall obey as long as she lives, and when he is dead, she must not insult his memory. “Though destitute of virtue, or seeking pleasure, or devoid of good qualities, yet a husband must be con- stantly worshipped as a god by a faithful wife. *” “No sacrifice, no vow, no fast, must be performed. by women apart from their husbands; if a wife obeys her husband, she will for that reason alone be exalted in heaven, V. 148 to 151, & 154 & 155. CHAPTER XI. CIVIL AND MILITARY ADMINISTRATION. As we have seen before, Houen Tsang gives us an interesting picture of the court of Siladitya H, Emperor of Northern India, at a great assemblage of a religious character at which kings of twenty different countrics * with their courtiers and retainers were present. Manu "gives us a humbler, but ng less interesting picture of ithe daily duties and the private life of kings. To protect his subjects, to deal impartial justice, and to punish the wrong-doer were the essential duties of , a king, and the very existence of society depended on the performance of these duties (VII, 2, 16 to 35). ‘Drinking, dice, women, and hunting were said to be the oe pernicious faults of kings (VII, 50). The king rose in the last watch of the night, and . having performed personal purification, and offered oblations to the fire, he entered the hall of audience in the mtorning. There he gratified all subjects who came to see him, and having dismissed them, he took counsel with his ministers in a lonely place, unobserved by the public (VII, 145 to 147). When the consultation was over, the king took his customary exercise, bathed and entered the inner apartments in order to take his ‘CHAP. XL] ADMINISTRATION. 171 meals, The food was prepared by faithful servants hallowed by sacred texts that destroyed poison, and well tried females served him with fans, water, and per- fumes. The carefulness which is enjoined in the mat- ter of food, is enjoined also in respect of the king’s car- riages, bed, seat, bath, toilet and ornaments, and shews that the risk of death by poison or treachery was guarded ‘against in the ordinary arrangements in a Rae house- hold (VII, 216 to 220). | After taking his meals the king passed some time | with his wives in the inngr apartments; but ia the ‘afternoon he issued again in his robes of state and in- k | spected his fighting men, his chariots, animals, weapons, land accoutrements. And then having performed his “twilight devotions, he gave audience to his secret spies, and heard secret reports collected for his information. After this he entered his inner apartments again and jhad his supper. Then after refreshing himself by the sound of music, he retired to rest (VII, 221 to 225). * This is a rational routine of daily life, and was generally followed by Hindu kings, as we learn from various Sanscrit dramas and tales, When we speak of Hindu kings generally, we do not, it must be remem- bered, speak of great emperors like Asoka, Vikramaditya or Siladitya, but of humbler kings who reigned in their little kingdoms, from the Punjab to Bengal. According | to Houen Tsang’s accounts, such kingdoms were gen- erally petty ones, and there were several such kingdoms 172 BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK Iv. in the modern province of Bengal, as we have seen be- fore. The king of such a kingdom, if he was a man of vigour and intelligence, had a hold over the adminis- tration of his kingdom, knew his principal officers - and checked their work, kept his little army in trim order, amassed wealth and beautified his capital. On the other hand, if he was a weak man, as he too often was, his ministers and officers served their own ends, -sevenue fell into arrear, the army was disorganized, and the country probably suffered defeat and humiliation at the hands of a neighbouring king. Such petty rivalries and wars were not infrequent, but beyond the temporary humiliation of a king, and the payment of a ransom perhaps, they did little harm to the country at targe. Wars in India caused less harassment to the people at large than wars anywhere else in the world, Houen Tsang’s account of the way in which adminis- tration was carried on is brief and clear. “(As the ad- ministration of the country is conducted on benign principles, the executive is simple. * * The private demesnes of the crown are divided into four principal parts ; the first is for carrying out the affairs of state jand providing sacrificial offerings; the second is for providing subsidies for the ministers and chief officers of state; the third is for rewarding men of distinguish- ed ability, and the fourth is for charity to religious — I bodies, whereby the field of merit is cultivated. In this way the taxes on the pebdple are light, and the personal er xl | ADMINISTRATION. 173, jservice required of them is moderate, Each one keeps. ‘his own worldly. goods in peace, and all till the ground ' for their subsistence. Those who cultivate the a) | estates pay a sixth part of the produce as tribute. The! “merchants who engage in commerce come and go. in ‘carrying out their transactions. The river passages’ and the road barriers are open on payment of a small’ , toll. When the public works - require it, labour is exe ‘acted but paid for. The payment is in strict proportion | | to the work done. “The military guard the frontiers,or go out to pun-: ish the refractory. .They also mount guard at night round : the palace. The soldiers are levied according to the "requirements of the service ; they are promised certain payments and are publicly enrolled. The governors, ministers, magistrates and officials have each a portion of land consigned to them for their personal support.” It will be seen from the above that, according to the ancient custom of India, ail the officials were paid by as- signments of land.