[Solved] Origins of Untouchability: Dharmashastra Phase

In which phase, the concept of untouchability was put clearly?

[39th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1994]

Detailed Solution & Historical Context

Concept

Untouchability was not a feature of early Vedic society but emerged as an extreme extension of ritual purity and social stratification.

Authentic Source Evidence

While the four-fold Varna system appears in the late Rig Veda, the category of 'Untouchables' (Antyajas/Chandalas) is codified clearly only in the Dharmashastra texts (post 600 BCE).

Analytical Breakdown

Logic 1: The Rigvedic phase (A) had a fluid social structure based on occupation.

Logic 2: The Dharmashastra phase (D) rigidified laws regarding pollution and contact, formally segregating certain groups outside the Varna fold.

Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic

"Who were the Chandalas mentioned in early texts?"

They were groups tasked with handling corpses and cleaning, placed at the bottom of the social hierarchy and treated as untouchable.

Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip

"The emergence of untouchability marks a transition from a functional division of labor to a rigid, hereditary system of social exclusion."

Topic Clusters (click to see related topic questions)

Manusmriti 2