Change in Systems of Values In Indian society

Introduction
Values in the Vedic Period
Values in the Post-Vedic Period
Values in the Buddhist Period
Manusmriti : Veda of the Brahmanical Revival
Values in the Islamic Period
The Modern Value System

Introduction

Although systems of values are fairly resilient and stable, they do go through fundamental changes over time. Values have a close relationship with other facets of the social system to which they belong, and when the value system changes, the entire social system also changes. A question that has divided opinion is whether social change, or the change of the social system, is caused by a change in value systems or by some other factors, including a change in value systems. Let's take a look at how the culture to which we belong has changed in terms of its value system.

When discussing "Indian Values," it is common to assume that all groups of Indians have held the same principles throughout history. This is obviously untrue. We have ample textual and other evidence that the dominant elites' values have undergone significant changes over different socio-cultural eras, in addition to variations in the value systems of members of various strata and other segments of Indian society.

Attempts to study specific values in isolation from the dynamics of the system as a whole tend to be superficial because socio-cultural systems are holistic systems. Sometimes they even give false information. This is especially true for traditional sociocultural systems that have existed for a long time, like the Indian system, and whose structural and cultural components have a high degree of coherence. As a result, we will examine how the dynamics of the traditional socio-cultural system have changed since the Rigvedic era. This would serve as an example of how the underlying principles of a civilisation that has maintained remarkable continuity have changed significantly over time.

Values in the Vedic Period

The earliest literary source, the Rigveda, tells us a lot about the people who arrived in India and settled there around 1500 B.C. C. It informs us that the aggressive Aryans destroyed 99 cities and defeated their inhabitants, known as "dasa.". The winning appears to have led to the emergence of the subsequent pattern.

Conflict of Values Between the Conquerors and the Vanquished
The defeated individuals are referred to as pani and dasa (slave). Rich traders are how the pani are portrayed. The pani's abundance in cattle drew the attention of the Aryans greatly. Being traders, the pani were adamant about receiving payment before selling their cows and other valuables. The semi-nomadic Aryan found it absurd that pani were inclined to demand something in return for everything they gave. The Aryan and non-Aryan peoples' clash of race and culture played a variety of subtle roles in forming Indian cultural traditions and value systems. The formation of the varna stratification, the distinctiveness of the elite and popular streams of culture, and the dualistic nature of sacred and secular law are all directly attributable to this clash and the resulting patterns of adjustment.
Duality of Norms and Values
Social values and norms became a vehicle for the hatred of the racially distinct people who were under racial subjugation. There are two sets of norms in the Rigveda, one for the Aryan and one for the non-Aryan. Samvanana, an Aryan poet, urges his people to coexist in peace and harmony. "May you go together, speak together, and have the same understanding as your minds know," he says, referring to how the gods of old shared their portions. However, none of the Rigvedic poets ever emphasized how desirable it would be for the Aryan to coexist in harmony with the dasa.

Therefore, it would seem that the foundations of the valuational patterns that have survived to the present day were established a very long time ago, possibly even during the Vedic era itself. The facts briefly mentioned above show how the Aryan priests and warriors had started to view the non-Aryan traders (Pani) as a constant source of wealth for extortion and the dasa as the people whose only duty was to serve the Aryan master. The complex legal structure found in the Smriti, which establishes distinct moral standards, privileges, and punishments for people of various Varnas. The dual moral and legal standards established in the Veda for Aryans and non-Aryans are another factor that contributes to this.

However, their spirit of militancy waned after they made their way to the Indo-Gangetic plains and began to cooperate with the pre-Aryans. They assimilated a lot of non-Aryan values and beliefs. Elite Aryan conflicts also started to emerge within their ranks. The priestly Brahmana proclaimed their superiority over the kingly and warrior Kshatriya through the Brahmana Grantha. The Kshatriya was required to pay for a number of complex and expensive yajna that were prescribed. The Kshatriya uprised in opposition to this regime. Their outrage was captured in the Upanishad.

Values in the Post-Vedic Period

The Upanishad views the discovery of the Self as the life's ultimate goal. Participants and contributors came from all walks of life. People were drawn to the Upanishads because their language was simple and accessible. Even the younger members of the priestly elite had grown disinterested in the complex sacrifices and rituals. This wave dealt the Varna hierarchy as well as the priestly elites' position at the top a devastating blow.

The idea of racial purity seems to have been so severely compromised by the time of the Upanishadic era that it became a component of ritual purity. Accordingly, it was mandated that each child go through specific sacraments or Sanskara in order to gain formal entry into the community. These sacraments are to be observed to commemorate significant events in a person's life, from conception to death.

It appears that whenever the elites in traditional societies want to get rid of the recent past, they attempt to bring back the distant past. A complete return to the bygone era is never feasible due to the extensive time gap. Typically, only the outermost manifestation of the distant past is revived. The tenets of Varna-hierarchy were discredited during the Upanishadic period. The traditional social order was overthrown by the lower castes, women, and the younger generation of elites. Many well-liked non-Aryan values were accepted into the elite stream during this time. Even priests had to familiarize themselves with the recently emerging metaphysical concepts as the stronghold of the priestly elites loosened to such an extent.

Values in the Buddhist Period

Buddhism once more questioned the social norms that the Post-Vedic era sought to restore. The influence of Buddhism was enormous. Buddha preached in terms understood by the average person, in contrast to Brahmanical elites. He promoted the equality of all people. Sanskrit is the language of the Brahmanical lore. Only the elite could access it. All castes could study the teachings of the Buddha. Buddha denounced the massive Vedic sacrifices, calling them wasteful and pointless. Kings, wealthy merchants, artisans, and peasants all started to practice Buddhism.

Buddhism encouraged industry and business growth by upholding the principle of caste equality and emphasizing thrift and hard work. Trade and industry during this time period saw impressive advancements. Buddhist literature makes reference to a wide variety of trades and crafts. The Jataka lists eighteen different kinds of guilds for workers and artisans. In Sanskrit, they are referred to as sheni or puga (seni and puga). They were acknowledged by the royal court. Each guild once had a head craftsman. In Sanskrit, he is known as Jethaka or Pamukha (jyeshtha or pramukha). He was a crucial player in the royal court. A prosperous commercial class gradually emerged.

The caste system and the complete separation of society based solely on birth were disrupted by Buddhism. The constant influx of foreign hordes into India gave the racial basis for the color doctrine another jolt. They perfectly matched Patanjali's description of a Brahmana's physical characteristics, which included having a white complexion and blond hair.

Manusmriti: Veda of the Brahmanical Revival

Racial purity standards had to be replaced with ritual purity in order to preserve the distinctiveness of the Brahman. Despite theoretically emphasizing the color/doctrine, the Brahman had also lost some of their racial purity. The pre-Aryan darker people who were at the bottom of the social scale represented yet another threat. They made up the vast majority of the population. They were fundamentally different from the Aryans in terms of norms and culture.

The priestly elites needed to overcome all of these obstacles in order to survive, and they also needed to revive the dying Brahmanical tradition. Manusmriti, the Veda of the Brahmanical revival, appeared in this time of crisis. Smriti were presented as the precepts of mythical seers, in contrast to the Sutra of the Post-Vedic period, which were acknowledged to be human creations. Manu, the ancient father, is rightfully credited with writing the Manusmriti, the grand treatise of the revivalist era, as his work actually laid the groundwork for the social and moral order that was supposed to be based on Vedic tradition.

Values in the Islamic Period

Since the Arab conquest of Sind at the beginning of the eighth century, Islam has had an impact on India. In 1973, there were sixty million Muslims living in India. 101 million Muslims lived in India as of 1991 (Census 1991), accounting for approximately 12.1 percent of the country's total population. Islamic values have a significant impact on India's cultural tradition both historically and sociologically.

We are essentially discussing the Hindu Great tradition when we discuss the values from the Vedic period, the Upanishadic period, and so forth. In contrast, the Islamic Great tradition is based on a worldview that is essentially "nonhierarchical, strictly monotheistic, and messianic-historical in ethos" (Singh 1973: 68). It is non-hierarchical in the sense that, in contrast to Hindu tradition, Islam holds that all men are created equal in the eyes of God. According to Manu, the Brahmin hold the highest position in Hindu tradition, followed by the Kshatriya, the Vaishya, and the Sudra at the bottom.

In contrast to Hinduism, which has many different Gods and Goddesses that are worshiped, Islam is monotheistic in that its adherents hold that there is only one supreme God. Due to the fact that it can be traced back to the time of Abraham, or Ibrahim, it has a messianic-historical ethos. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism can all be traced to the sons of Abraham. It holds to the idea that a messiah will come and save the world, and that the end of the world will bring about the Day of Judgment.

Islamic values have changed over time, just like Hindu values or any other values for that matter. Between Islam and Hinduism, there has been a lot of blending. The Hindu concept of "bhakti" is present in the Muslim sect known as Sufism. Similar to how Hindu and Islamic great traditions have values, so does the Sikh religion. The Muslim population of India had characteristics because of extensive sociocultural interaction that are absent among Muslims in other nations. In their society, there are resemblances to caste systems. A few traditions have also been adopted from the Hindu community. In a similar vein, Hindu groups in North India adopted the Muslim practice of wearing a veil, known as a "purdah," as their own.

The Modern Value System

The traditional value system of India, which formed the basis of its social structure

and institutions for more than fifteen hundred years, began to show signs of rapid

change and decline as a result of the impact of modern social forces. These forces

were brought about, for the most part, by the British rule. The change did not come

merely because the rulers were foreigners. It came about primarily because the

British represented a radically different type of society - the modern, industrial-capitalist

society in all its economic-technical, political-legal, and cultural-ideological dimensions.

Moreover, the industrial-capitalist civilisation is an expanding one. It cannot leave

the traditional societies to continue as they have been. Because of its own dynamics,

it tends to bring about structural and valuational changes in the traditional societies.

The British Rule and Indian Value System

An urban middle class with values that were not just different but actually at odds with traditional values was born as a result of the effects of British rule on Indian society. It adopted the individualism, rationalism, competitiveness, acquisitiveness, and dynamism of contemporary capitalist society. The harmonious life of the traditional society, where the values of cooperation and contentment prevail, was in stark contrast to this. Except for the "sanyasi," the family group served as the fundamental social unit to which every member of society belonged in India.

British rule had a positive impact on opening up communication between Indian elites and Western society. The English language evolved into a lens through which Indians could observe changes in Western culture. They acquired the principles of freedom. They eventually learned and internalized the concepts of equality, liberty, and fraternity. While India was fighting for independence, the idea of democracy and self-rule, or swaraj, became a popular goal for our leaders. Indeed, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Vivekanand, Gandhi, Nehru, and Tagore are just a few of the national figures who have benefited from western values.