Similarities Between Manu And Confucianism

During the classical era, religions like Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, paganism, and a document depicting "The Laws of Manu the first documented historical Indian law codes among Hindus" originated or were adopted during this period. Political figures during this period adopted new religious systems. Empires adopted religion as a way of unifying the people and providing an ethical code to live by; political leaders used the shared beliefs to reinforce political stratification based on the religion the region adopted. During the early part of the period, empires built powerful militaries in order to expand their territory. Take Ashoka for example, at one point in time, "Ashoka ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent. Once the empire

Both religions in some form supported a caste-based system, however, Confucianism achieved this by writing about "filial piety", whereas the Laws of Manu depict the religious roles of each caste. "Filial piety is obedience"(Confucius). To elaborate, filial piety is the belief within Confucianism that "when parents are alive, children should serve their religiously" (Confucius). As a political leader, parents who support the dynasty will indoctrinate the youth with the same beliefs through filial piety. A great example of this is the Han dynasty. "The Han Dynasty accepted Daoism, and Confucianism when making political decisions and shaping government policy"(Parks). The Han dynasty then transitioned towards a full system supporting Confucianism, which became the "core of Chinese education"(Confucius). Confucius's ideas On the Gentleman suggested that "men who pursue riches and honors improperly should release the desire altogether"(Confucius). This portion of the document suggested that instead of trying to pursue riches he should instead "cling to virtue" (Confucius). Politically, this allowed lower caste members to become virtuous in fulfilling their role to the dynasty, no matter how small a role. When integrated with the dynasty, these ideals ultimately breed complacency across all social caste, which ultimately leads to an easier time deploying administrative decisions within the