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Education of Women in Ancient India.

In ancient India, women held a unique position. They were well-regarde...
Course

Woman education (EDM4003)

3 Documents
Students shared 3 documents in this course
Academic year: 2020/2021
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Aligarh Muslim University

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Education of Women in Ancient India.

In ancient India, women held a unique position. They were well-regarded and self-reliant members of society. Unmarried young women who are well- educated should be married to well-educated men. In those days, early marriage was not popular. Even women have the option of picking their own husbands. In Vedic India, the practise of child marriage and forced widowhood was not common.

In ancient India, women had free access to education and could pursue their studies. Vedic sacrifices and mantra utterance were required of them. Even the Rigvedic hymns were composed by poetesses in some cases. It's not uncommon to come across references to women of renown like Visvavara and Lopamudra as well as Urvasi and Ghosa, Sulabha and Lilabati. Yajnavalka's wife, Maitreyi, was a well-known philosopher in ancient India, and she and her husband would discuss difficult philosophical questions.

Gargi and Yajnavalka engaged in a philosophical debate as well. Ancient Indian mathematician Lilabati was renowned for his prodigious abilities. In other words, ancient society was not anti-women in the education department, as evidenced by the fact that many of its female members achieved high levels of academic proficiency. In ancient times, women had the same educational opportunities as men.

As with boys, girls should have been able to participate in the Upanayana (Vedic initiation). As a result of their status and morality, women in the Vedic period were highly valued. They had made a positive impact on education. There must have been a large number of women who received a general education in literature and the arts.

Family was the only educational institution, and even boys were taught by their fathers or elders for a long time. When it came to girls, the same was true. However, a new group of female educators emerged in later centuries (Upadhyayani). Until the 12th century, there was no purdah custom in Hindu society, so women were free to enter the teaching profession. Female teachers may have restricted themselves to the education of female students. Panini mentions chhatrisalas, or women's boarding schools, which were likely run by female teachers.

Mild forms of co-education were also common in ancient India. While attending college, boys and girls were sometimes taught together. According to Bhavabhuti's "Malatimadhava" (written in the 8th century AD), nun Kamandaki was educated alongside Bhurivasu and Devarata at a renowned educational centre.

In the 'Uttara-Rama-charit (of the same author) we see Atreyi and Kusa and Lava receiving their education.

In the early Vedic period in India, it is difficult to determine exactly how much education was given to women. A certain amount of Vedic and literary education had to be provided to all girls as part of the mandatory Upanayana ritual. However, as women's religious status declined in the later Vedic period, they suffered a significant setback in their education.

Girls were gradually banned from taking upanayana, and by 500 B., it had become a formality. Since women were no longer allowed to recite Vedic mantras or perform Vedic sacrifices after Upanayana was abolished, it had a devastating effect on their religious status. Thus, women were not allowed to take part in Vedic studies. It became more conservative and rigid as a result of the arrival of foreigners in the Brahmanical society.

Measures of defence were taken by the pandits. As a result, the women had their freedom taken away. They had been confined to their own house for some time. Women were denied the opportunity to pursue a college education as a result of the new circumstances. Her status as a scion of the Manu Code (Manusmriti or Manusanghita) (200 A.) was solidified. "Nothing must be done independently by a girl, by a young woman, or even by an old woman," says Manu. Manu goes on to say that "a female must be subject to her father in childhood, to her husband in youth, when her lord is dead to her sons," and that a woman must never be independent.

"The males of the family must keep the women in their homes dependent

who were often attached to temples (devadasis). These people had a reputation for being witty and cunning. They were taught to read, sing, and dance by these semi-prostitutes. In some cases, these women served as spies in the government. India has a long tradition of educating prostitutes. Kautilya's Arthasastra refers to the education of prostitutes, as stated in the passage.

There's no denying that Buddhism had an impact on women's education. Nuns were also part of the Buddhist monastic order (bhikshunis). However, the Buddha agreed to this arrangement with the utmost reluctance. It is likely that he was expressing the views of his time, which were anti-feminist and opposed to women's rights.

Mahaprajapati, his aunt, had expressed an interest in joining the order three times before he finally said no. Ananda, the Buddha's first and most cherished disciple, pleaded with him to relent. The admission of women, he said, would ruin his work and he expressed his sorrow. To gain entry into the monastery, nuns had to be accepted by the monks, who made them dependent on them for their survival.

Numerous evidences support Manu's sexist view of women, which the Buddha appears to have echoed. It's true that the number of Buddhist nunneries didn't grow as quickly as would have been ideal. There weren't many of them. Because it's so obvious, I'll spare you the details. Female education received only an indirect boost from the Buddhist movement. By the 4th century A., nunneries had fallen out of favour. Chinese pilgrims from the 5th and 7th centuries. They are not mentioned by A. at all.

Modern Ceylon and Burma (Myanmar) have fewer nuns than monks, which is interesting to contemplate. Nunneries in these countries do not teach girls the same lessons as monasteries do boys. That Buddhist nunneries had little impact on women's access to education is demonstrated here. Nothing indicates that nunneries, like monasteries, evolved into educational hubs.

Even during the height of Buddhism's power in India, it did little to help women's education. These nuns, however, had received instruction in

Buddhist doctrines as well as basic literacy skills. In all likelihood, some students have reached a higher level of proficiency. Several Buddhist nuns are mentioned in Buddhist texts for their academic achievements. Teachers and scholars alike have hailed from among them.

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Education of Women in Ancient India.

Course: Woman education (EDM4003)

3 Documents
Students shared 3 documents in this course

University: Aligarh Muslim University

Was this document helpful?
Education of Women in Ancient India.
In ancient India, women held a unique position. They were well-regarded
and self-reliant members of society. Unmarried young women who are well-
educated should be married to well-educated men. In those days, early
marriage was not popular. Even women have the option of picking their own
husbands. In Vedic India, the practise of child marriage and forced
widowhood was not common.
In ancient India, women had free access to education and could pursue their
studies. Vedic sacrifices and mantra utterance were required of them. Even
the Rigvedic hymns were composed by poetesses in some cases. It's not
uncommon to come across references to women of renown like Visvavara
and Lopamudra as well as Urvasi and Ghosa, Sulabha and Lilabati.
Yajnavalka's wife, Maitreyi, was a well-known philosopher in ancient India,
and she and her husband would discuss difficult philosophical questions.
Gargi and Yajnavalka engaged in a philosophical debate as well. Ancient
Indian mathematician Lilabati was renowned for his prodigious abilities. In
other words, ancient society was not anti-women in the education
department, as evidenced by the fact that many of its female members
achieved high levels of academic proficiency. In ancient times, women had
the same educational opportunities as men.
As with boys, girls should have been able to participate in the Upanayana
(Vedic initiation). As a result of their status and morality, women in the
Vedic period were highly valued. They had made a positive impact on
education. There must have been a large number of women who received a
general education in literature and the arts.
Family was the only educational institution, and even boys were taught by
their fathers or elders for a long time. When it came to girls, the same was
true. However, a new group of female educators emerged in later centuries
(Upadhyayani). Until the 12th century, there was no purdah custom in Hindu
society, so women were free to enter the teaching profession. Female
teachers may have restricted themselves to the education of female students.
Panini mentions chhatrisalas, or women's boarding schools, which were
likely run by female teachers.

Students also viewed

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