Right from the days of the Rig Veda, marriage was a well established institution in India. Monogamy was the rule in Aryan marriage, although in certain marriages, polygamy also existed.. The Vedic times donot however speak of polyandry or matriarchy. The Vedic Aryans believed in monogamy whereas the Vedic rules have focused on a man having many wives but has never spoken of a woman having many husbands.
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Amongst the Aryans, kinship was always traces through males. The Aryans used to worship their deceased male ancestors. The female ancestors were also worshipped, but only jointly with their deceased husbands. It is surprising to know that the Hindus, Greeks and the Romans had similar laws during the Vedic period.
Family Ideal
Vedic marriages were considered to be very sacred. The wife was honoured and give a significant place in the house immediately after marriage. She instantly became the mistress of the house and if she was the wife of the eldest brother, then she had the right to control the younger brothers and sisters of her husband. She had an important role to play in the ceremonies and rituals of the family. Manu directed the men of the society to respect the women in order to remain safe themselves. It was believed that the wife is a gift from God to the husband and he should always support her till she is faithful. Disputes between the husband and the wife were neither entertained in the King’s court nor in the customary tribunals. Any type of action that could create a gap between the sacred relation of husband and wife was not allowed.
Caste
There is still a controversy as to whether there was a developed caste system during the Vedic period or not. It is however proved that before the end of the Rigveda period, four prominent castes being – the Brahamanas, the Rajanya or Kshatriya, the Vis or Vaisya and the Sudras already existed. During the Yajurveda, several other castes and sub-castes came into existence based on these four castes. The Vedic characteristics of caste system included heredity, common occupation and restriction on inter-caste marriage.
Now a days it is believed that the caste system came into existence since the dawn of civilization. Initially it was demarcated on the basis of professions. The highest caste were the Brahmanas, who were the priests by profession and they used to take care of the religious ceremonies and education. The people belonging to this caste were respected and regarded by the people belonging to the other castes. The fighters and the administrators were known as the Kshatriyas. The people who carried on the trade, commerce and business were called the Vaishyas. The lowest caste were the Sudras. This caste suffered from certain disabilities. Though initially the caste system was made according to professions, Later on it was strictly based on birth and now it is well settled that castes are based upon heredity. The caste system is an integral portion of Hindu Laws.
Today caste is a more special combination than a religious group. Caste has become an integral feature of the Hindu society because religion has mingled with society.
