Abstract

This discourse is the critical analysis of the age-old legal manuscript of India, The Manusmriti or the Laws of Manu. This manuscript being the oldest law guiding India owes much to the significance of Indian Legal History so much so that it attributes to a lot of social structures in India especially the caste system. The researcher would critically analyse the direct contextual script of Manusmriti's gender bias and how it has been reflected in our social practices. As a consequence of it, many other laws which came to force at a later point of time had also imbibed in itself the shades of Manuspriti and the discrimination it upholds and this will be understood by the readers of this research paper. To lay it out more specific, the discriminative aspect of a women’s employment, liberty, property rights, marital obligations and political rights given in Manusmriti will be critically evaluated through this research work. Eventually, the researcher would also reflect upon how society gradually got rid of this ancient law and refrained from grave consequences. Thus, the evolution of gender equality through policymaking, governance and especially the law-making concerning the impact of Manusmriti could be understood. The researcher has would use the doctrinal research method for conducting this research work. Several articles, interviews, historical writings, the document of Manusmriti and a few constitutional assembly debates would be used to evolve this research paper.

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