The Manusmriti (Sanskrit मनुस्मृति), translated "Laws of Manu" or "Institutions of Manu", is regarded as a foundational work of Hindu law and ancient Indian society, compiled and written quite late, c.200 CE in India. It is one of the eighteen Smritis of the Dharma Sastra (or "laws of righteous conduct"); Smriti means "what is remembered" and is applied in general to a Hindu text other than the Vedas, including traditional Indian epics, the Puranas, and science and grammar treatises. Unlike the Vedas which are considered to be eternal or of divine origin, the Smritis are considered to be of human origin and therefore susceptible to the flaws of humans. They contain laws, rules and codes of conduct to be applied by individuals, communities and nations. Some of these laws codify the Hindu caste system and discuss the "stages of life for a twice-born man". The book is ascribed to Manu, said to be the forefather of all human race. Manu's writings condemned the indian sub continent into the dark ages living under the hindu belief in the oppressive caste system.

Manusmriti was quoted, especially by the British Colonial rulers of India as "the law-book" of the Hindus. Some Hindus allege that the colonial rulers, like Robert Clive and Lord Macaulay, would have found it a useful tool. The caste system as prescribed by the Manusmriti developed a society and a civilization that was very easy to subjugate and rule.

Some people over the ages have quoted or interpreted the Manusmriti to justify Brahmin supremacy, the sanctity of the caste system and the lower status given to the so-called Dalits.

Manusmriti is attributed for having rendered the caste system secure by the elaboration of a system of conventional precepts. The society consisted of four (later hereditary) classes - Brahmanas (teachers and priests), Kshatriyas (administrators and armymen), Vaishyas, also called as Aryas (traders, farmers and herdsmen) and Shudras (servants). It clearly defined the relative position and the duties of the several castes, and determined the penalties to be indicted on any transgressions of the limits assigned to each of them.

While the

shanakaistu kriya-lopadimah Kshatriya-jatayah |

vrashalatvam gata loke brahmna-darshanen cha ||43||

Paundrash-Chaudra-Dravidah-Kamboja-Yavanah-Shakah |

Paradah Pahlavash-Chinah Kirata Daradah Khashah ||44||

— (Manusmritti, X.43-44)

which according to Indian History Sourcebook (The Laws of Manu) translates as follows:

43. But in consequence of the omission of the sacred rites, and of their not consulting Brahmanas, the following tribes of Kshatriyas have gradually sunk in this world to the condition of Shudras;

44. (Viz.) the Paundrakas, the Chodas, the Dravidas, the Kambojas, the Yavanas, the Shakas, the Paradas, the Pahlavas, the Chinas, the Kiratas, the Daradas and the Khashas.

Indian History Sourcebook: The Laws of Manu, c. 1500 BC, translated by G. Buhler

The Daradas lived to north-east of Kashmir, the Paradas on river Sailoda in Sinkiang province of China, the Kambojas in the regions of Pamirs (Tajikstan) and Badakshan (Afghanistan) north of Hindukush, the Yavanas in Bactria (Balkh) and the Shakas (Scythians) beyond river Jaxartes (Syr Darya) in Central Asia. The Pahlavas refer to the Persians. The Yavanas of Manu Smriti refer to the Greeks but in the after-times, the terms "Yavana" or "Yona", "Yonaka" took on a wider meaning of Mlechchas/Barbarians and a designation to all foreign tribes or the westerners visiting India (Padama Purana, Srshtikanda, 47.69-75).

Praise of the Manusmriti

It's caste system or Varna Vyavastha is said to have rendered the society organized, peaceful, vanished unemployment, created respect for teachers and priests, preserved the purity of food and of blood through marriage. The study of Vedas and Vedic worship is recommended.

Some of the positive injunctions of Manusmriti are:

• II - 2. "To act solely from a desire for rewards is not laudable, yet an exemption from that desire is not (to be found) in this (world): for on (that) desire is grounded the study of the Veda and the performance of the actions, prescribed by the Veda."
• II - 3. "The desire (for rewards), indeed, has its root in the conception that an act can yield them, and in consequence of (that) conception sacrifices are performed; vows and the laws prescribing restraints are all stated to be kept through the idea that they will bear fruit."
• III - 13. "The knowledge of the sacred law is prescribed for those who are not given to the acquisition of wealth and to the gratification of their desires; to those who seek the knowledge of the sacred law the supreme authority is the revelation (Sruti)."
• III - 93. "Through the attachment of his organs (to sensual pleasure) a man doubtlessly will incur guilt; but if he keep them under complete control, he will obtain success (in gaining all his aims)."
• III -
  
  
  
  161. "Let him (a Student) not, even though in pain, (speak words) cutting (others) to the quick; let him not injure others in thought or deed; let him not utter speeches which make (others) afraid of him, since that will prevent him from gaining heaven."
• III - 162. "A Brahmana should always fear homage as if it were poison; and constantly desire (to suffer) scorn as (he would long for) nectar."
• IV - 2. "A Brahmana must seek a means of subsistence which either causes no, or at least little pain (to others), and live (by that) except in times of distress."
• IV - 3. "For the purpose of gaining bare subsistence, let him (a Brahmana) accumulate property by (following those) irreproachable occupations (which are prescribed for) his (caste), without (unduly) fatiguing his body."
• VI - 60. "By the restraint of his senses, by the destruction of love and hatred, and by the abstention from injuring the creatures, he becomes fit for immortality."
• VIII - 13. "Either the court (of justice) must not be entered, or the truth must be spoken; a man who either says nothing or speaks falsely, becomes sinful."
• VIII - 14. "Where justice is destroyed by injustice, or truth by falsehood, while the judges look on, there they shall also be destroyed."

Criticism of Manusmriti

Needless to say, the Manusmriti has been criticised and condemned. Manusmriti's detractors feel that some of its injunctions favor one community (the Brahmins) over others. It is also accused of trying to imply that the Shudras as races foreign to India. Almost all of its injunctions pertaining to the Shudras are seen as tools for their exploitation. While it is sometimes claimed (with almost no evidence) that certain passages of Manusmriti which are highly biased against Shudras are later additions or interpolations, it must be noted that atleast some of the statements in the Manusmriti against Shudras were already present by the time of Shankaracharya (7th-8th Century CE), who quotes them in some of his commentaries. So it is unlikely that these so-called interpolations, if there were any, were done much later than the writing of the text itself.

Here are some selections:

• I – 91. "One occupation only the Lord prescribed to the shudra - to serve meekly even these other three castes."
• I – 93. "As the Brahmana sprang from (Prajapati’s i.e. God’s) mouth, as he was first-born, and as he possesses the veda, he is by right the lord of this whole creation."
• II – 31. "Let (the first part of ) a brahmin’s (denote) something auspicious, a kshatriya’s name be connected with power and a vaishya’s with wealth, but a Shudra’s (express something) contemptible."
• II – 100. "Whatever exists in the world is the property of the Brahmana; on account of the excellence of his origin the Brahmana is indeed, entitled to it all."
• VIII – 37. "When a learned Brahmin has found treasure, deposited in former (times), he may take even the whole (of it); for he is the master of everything."
• VIII – 270. "A shudra who insults a twice born man with gross invective, shall have his tongue cut out; for he is of low origin."
• VIII – 271. "If he mentions names and castes of the (twice born) with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers, shall be thrust red hot into his mouth."
• IX – 189. "The property of a Brahmana must never be taken by the king, that is a settled rule; but (the property of men) of other castes the king may take on failure of all (heirs)."
• IX – 317. "A Brahmin, whether learned or ignorant, is a powerful divinity."
• X – 129. "No collection of wealth must be made by a shudra even though he be able to do it; for a shudra who has acquired wealth gives pain to Brahmana."
• XI – 261-62. "A Brahmana who has killed even the peoples of the three worlds, is completely freed from all sins on reciting three times the Rig, Yajur or Sama- Veda with the Upanishad."
• XII. 4. "If the shudra intentionally listens for committing to memory the veda, then his ears should be filled with (molten) lead and lac; if he utters the veda, then his tongue should be cut off; if he has mastered the veda his body should be cut to pieces."

The Manusmriti is also condemned as highly anti-feminist.

• IX – 3 . "Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence."
• IX – 18. "Women have no business with the text of the veda."
• IX - 17. "(When creating them) Manu allotted to women (a love of their) bed, (of their) seat and (of) ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice, and bad conduct."

One common defence of these passages is that they are being quoted out of context (though the context would have to be shown to alter their meaning if this defence were to be sustained). It is also notable that Hinduism, unlike the Christian Churches, does not have a highly organized ordained hierarchy of clergy (there is no centralized religious figure like the Pope, though there are many Acharya-s, Baba-s and Guru-s with limited following). A counter-criticism from condemns the British colonialists to have made the world to regard the Manu Smriti as the supreme law book of the Hindus, so that they could ridicule the Hindu dharma and denigrate those of Indian origin.

References

Sacred Books of the East, The Laws of Manu, translation by G. Buhler, vol. xxv, Oxford (1886)