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Among all the groups in the society, the Shudras where the higher caste children were taught.
had the most difficult life. They were the poorest Most of them learnt Sanskrit and Mathematics
because most of them were either cultivators or and read the religious books. At Nalanda (in
peasants. All over the world at this time, the Bihar), there was a famous Buddhist monastery
peasants were badly treated. The serfs in Europe, and university. In the Gupta period, there had
and the peasants in China also suffered. They been a keen interest in all aspects of learning,
were the ones who produced food and, there- especially in science. But, the interest in science
fore, everyone they had very few rights and was now declining. Indian scholars were not
could not appear to anyone or protest against the interested in making new discoveries. They were
hardships which they had to bear. In India, they content to go on repeating what were already
were also looked down upon because of their known. Even the knowledge that they had, was
low caste. Sometimes, when they were very often used for the wrong purposes. For example,
badly treated, they tried to run away to a differ- the discoveries of Aryabhatta in astronomy were
ent part of the country. But, even this was not used in order to make further discoveries
seldom possible. about the earth, the sun and the universe.
Apart from the Shudras, there were the Instead, they were mixed up with ignorant and
untouchables who continued to do the lowly superstitious ideas about astrology. Indian
work. medical knowledge had been world famous, but
now new knowledge in this subject was stopped
RELIGIOUS CONDITION OF INDIA
because it was said that anyone who touched a
Even before Muhammd Ghori, Islam had
dead body would lose caste. This was almost
become popular in Sind, Multan and Lahore etc.
unfortunate because in other parts of the world,
In the rest of India, Hinduism prevailed. With the
especially in the Arab countries and in China,
efforts by Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya,
there was a great advancement in knowledge
Kumaril Bhatt, Mahadevacharaya, etc. Hinduism
during this period. India was, therefore, getting
had just been reinvigorated. Other religions were
left behind.
Buddhism and Jainism, but both of them were
Sanskrit was still the language of learning and of
declining. Many orthodox people believed that
literature. Perhaps the most popular work in
God will come to their aid at the time of war or
Sanskrit was the Katha-Saritasagara, a collection
danger.
of stories. Biographies of kings were also written,
In the 12th century, a progressive and popular
such as Bilhana’s Vikramankadeva-Charita.
movement started in India known as the
Kalhana’s remarkable history of Kashmir called
Lingayats who were the devotees of Shiva. They
the Rajatarangini was written in the twelfth
strongly criticised the caste system and boycotted
century. The worship of Lord Krishna had
practices like sacrifice, keeping fasts and going on
increased in northern India and the story of the
pilgrimage. In social sphere, they opposed child
love of Radha and Krishna was very popular.
marriage and supported widow remarriage. But,
Many poems were written on this theme and
the influence of this sect war very limited.
Jayadeva’s Gita-Govinda was one of these.
EDUCATION AND LEARNING
In addition to Sanskrit, other languages were
The Brahmins were responsible not only for
developing. These were to become the languages
performing the religious ceremonies, but also for
with which we are familiar today as regional
teaching. The schools were held in the temples
languages. They arose out of the Apabhramsha
Social Science-7 22
