The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has included a verse from the Manu-smriti in its newly introduced Class 9 Social Science textbook to explain that women were accorded respect during the Vedic period. The Manusmriti has remained controversial for years. Many critics say it justified social inequality, while others defend it as part of India’s civilisational heritage and say its teachings are often misunderstood.In the NCERT book, in chapter State and Society up to 1000 CE, the textbook says the Vedic period is “often described as a period during which women held a high and respectful position in society”.The textbook adds that the tradition of respecting women continued in texts written after the Vedic period. It then quotes Manu-smriti 3.56, which says: “Where women, verily, are honoured, there gods rejoice; where, however, they are not honoured, there all sacred rites prove fruitless.”Soon after citing the verse, the textbook says women’s status changed over time. It states, “Over time, the position and roles of women fluctuated, even declined, as social and political conditions changed. However, there are many examples of women continuing to contribute to household management, agriculture, crafts, and religious practices.”The chapter also gives examples from later periods. It says literary works from the Gupta-Vakataka period describe educated women skilled in the arts and mentions queens who played important roles in governance and religious patronage. It also highlights women mentioned in Sangam literature as active participants in society and the economy.The textbook also revisits the concepts of varna and jati. It says early Vedic society did not assign social status solely on the basis of birth. According to the book, social identity was shaped by several factors, including ethnicity, region, language, occupation and cultural relationships.It further explains that the four varnas gradually became linked to specific roles but were originally conceived as functional categories rather than rigid divisions. According to the textbook, the jati system later developed through intermarriage among communities, endogamy and territorial differences. It adds that while the number of varnas remained fixed at four, there was no limit on the number of jatis, which continued to increase as new occupations and social groups emerged.
