Dating back to the early centuries CE, the Manusmriti serves as a cornerstone of Dharmaśāstra literature, outlining duties, rights and social order. More than a dusty relic, it became a guiding star for traditional Hindu jurisprudence, prescribing everything from ritual purity to property rights and succession.

Initially transmitted orally, its verses codified norms around caste, gender roles and kingship. Brahminical authority found clear expression here: priests, warriors, merchants and laborers each received detailed duties, which helped shape village governance for centuries. Under British colonial rule, a single smriti—Manusmriti—was elevated to the status of “Hindu law,” even though regional customs varied wildly. East India Company judges, eager for a neat legal code, leaned heavily on its text, often ignoring local traditions—an irony that still sparks debate among historians.

Its influence didn’t end with colonial courts. Landmark judgements in independent India have grappled with Manusmriti’s prescriptions, especially around inheritance or caste-based discrimination. The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling affirming equality in temple entry, for instance, indirectly challenged smriti-based exclusions. Feminist scholars also point out its restrictive stance on women’s autonomy—an issue that remains a hot potato in contemporary discussions on personal laws and gender justice.

Today, Manusmriti occupies a double-edged place in public life. On one hand, it’s studied as part of the Civil Services syllabus and by legal historians tracing the evolution of South Asian law. On the other, activists and legislators debate whether its moral codes have any place in a pluralistic democracy. As conversations around the Uniform Civil Code gain steam, echoes of these ancient verses resurface—sometimes to defend tradition, sometimes to urge reform.

Far from gathering dust, the Manusmriti continues to cast a long shadow. Its mix of ritual injunctions and social regulations reminds modern society how legal norms evolve—and how easily they can become entangled with questions of power and identity.