Part 6 - Economic Condition in the Mālatīmādhava and 8th-century India

Economy is the backbone of a country. Wicksteed, an English economist once said that a man can neither be a saint nor a poet, nor a lover unless he has something to eat. Similarly political development, cultural achievement and transformation and social progress are possible only by the attainment of minimum standards of living. In real sense social progress is contingent upon economic development.^[1]

In the Mālatīmādhava, Bhavabhūti has depicted the various aspects of his society from which a better economic life can be drawn out. Here, Bhavabhūti has portrayed the picture of king, the minister, the common people, the servants or door-keeper and other people who were dealt with various professions. In the 9^th act of the Mālatīmādhava, Bhavabhūti has given a picturesque description of the city Padmāvatī through the speech of Saudāminī. Accordingly there were lofty mansions, temples and buttresses of city gate etc. in the city of Padmāvatī which show that Padmāvatī was a very rich and prosperous city.^[2] It shows good economic condition of the people of 8^th century A.D.It is also found that Mādhava’s father Devarāta, the minister of the king Vidarbha, sent his son from Kuṇḍinapura to Padmāvatī for the sake of education.^[3] It indicates the existence of famous educational institution in the city Padmāvatī.

During Bhavabhūti’s time people adopted different professions to support their livelihood. As Bhavabhūti has shown that Mādhava and Mālatī were good artists who could have drawn lively portrait which proves it that art of painting was a profession of people at the time of Bhavabhūti.^[4] In many places of the Mālatīmādhava, there are references of various gold ornaments used by the ladies of Bhavabhūti’s time such as anklets, necklace, bracelets etc.¹⁹⁸ From this it can be assumed that people adopted the profession of jewellery at the time of Bhavabhūti. Again, people were highly concerned regarding their dress during 8^th century A.D. as Bhavabhūti has given the reference of clothes such as china silk, red silk, white silk etc.¹⁹⁹ which clearly indicates that people of his time imported their silk cloth from China and thus a trade link between India and China existed during 8^th century A.D. Among the references of various weapons^[5] sword^[6] is one of those which denotes that the iron industry also developed at the time of Bhavabhūi. Here, it is worth of mention that the city was protected by the city guards^[7] which indicates that soldiers were employed in the city in order to protect the city from enemy.

From the above discussion on the social aspects it is revealed that Brāhmaṇas were pious and highly adorable during Bhavabhūti’s time but no reference is found about the payment of fees (dakṣiṇā) to Brāhmaṇas on religious occasions. Moreover, It is also not known whether Brāhmaṇas received any gifts or not during Bhavabhūti’s time. In the Mahavīracarita, it is found that like the Brāhmaṇas, the Kṣatriyas also practised penances and performed sacrifices.^[8] In the Uttararāmacarita,Kṣatriyas were found to have studied the Vedas and Vedāṅgas.^[9] But in the Mālatīmādhava, no such reference is found. He has not described about battlefield of warriors. In case of Vaiśya, he does not portray traders and their trade with other countries. However he has portrayed the Śūdras dealing with the service of other three caste. Moreover, apart from these four castes he has described about one subcaste namely Caṇḍāla through the horrible deeds of Aghoraghaṇṭa and Kapālakuṇḍalā.

Here Bhavabhūti has shown marriage of Mālatī with the undesired bridegroom. However he has alluded to some significant marriage rituals of his time through the marriage of Mālatī. It is noted that no particular age restriction is mentioned by Bhavabhūti regarding the marriage of a girl. No mention is found regarding the treatment received by the bride in her new home after marriage. Again, Bhavabhūti does not provide a little information about the conjugal love and the relationship between husband and wife. Moreover, there is no mention of rituals performed by the husband with accompaniment of his wife. The practice of monogamy or polygamy is also not known to here.

In spite of the social convention of the age which gave domination to the male, in the Mālatīmādhava Bhavabhūti held the woman in a very high esteem. In this Prakaraṇa Bhavabhūti does not mention about whether women could chant the Vedic mantras or not during his time. Also he has not referred a social norm which restricted the husband not to participate in any kind of religious activity without his wife. Bhavabhūti has remained silent about the position of married lady in her husband’s house. There is no reference regarding the receiving of gifts by girl from father during her marriage. The duties of married woman at her husband’s house are not found. Moreover, Bhavabhūti does not make any mention about the position of widow, the pardā system, the satī system and co-wife of his time. However, through the Mālatīmādhava Bhavabhūti holds a high position of women.

The pictures of student that he paints in the Mālatīmādhava indicates the intellectual atmosphere prevailing in ancient universities. Moreover a good idea is found about the co-education system of Bhavabhūti’s time. From the above analysis it is observed that Bhavabhūti does not depict elaborately the subjects of study of his time. Although he has mentioned a few subjects but there is no reference of subjects viz., Āyurveda, Dhanurveda, Astronomy, Medical science etc. It is also known that during Bhavabhūti’s time the ladies of even royal and well to do families generally learnt only painting, music, dance, garland making, sports and a few other arts and crafts and were seldom imparted higher education. In this Prakaraṇa it is found that Mālatī who is the daughter of the Brāhmaṇa minister Bhūrivasu knew only painting and a few other arts and sports but there is no reference to any arrangement made for her proper education. Here, Bhavabhūti has shown a good relationship between the king and the ministers. Again, it is revealed that the people of Bhavabhūti’s time earned their livelihood through various occupations.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

vide, Ahuja, Ram., Indian Social System, p.433

[2]:

padmāvatī vimalavāriviśālasindhu/
pārāsaritparikarachalato bibharti //
uttuṅgasaudhasuramandiragopurāṭṭa /
saṃghaṭṭapāṭitavimuktamivāntarikṣam //
Mālatīmādhava, IX.1

[3]:

tadidānīṃ vidarbharājamantrinā satā devarātena mādhavaṃ putramānvīkṣikīśravaṇāya kuṇḍinapurādimāṃ padmāvatīṃ prahiṣṇatā suvihitam /
Ibid.,I.p.14

[4]:

tayāpyātmano vinodanimittaṃ mādhavapratichandakamalikhitaṃ tallavaṅgikayā mandārikāyā hasteadyanihitaṃ tāvat /
Ibid., I.p.17
draṣṭavyarupā ca bhavato vikārahetustadatraivālikhyatāṃ mālatī /
Ibid., I.p.38¹⁹⁸ Ibid., VI.p.125¹⁹⁹ Ibid.

[5]:

vividhāyudha /
Ibid., VIII. P.170

[6]:

khaṅgāhati/
Ibid.,V.29

[7]:

nagarakṣipuruṣā /
Ibid., VIII.p.166

[8]:

Mahāvīracarita, I.pp.13-14, III.43

[9]:

Uttararāmacarita,II.p.53