Ganikas through the lens of Manusmriti and Arthasastra Literature: A Comparative Study of Ancient Indian Perspectives

Abstract: Sources are essential for understanding the past because they provide the evidence needed to interpret historical narratives accurately. One may interpret a text in many different ways from a historical perspective, but specific, important issues must be taken into account. Actually, women, like ganikas, are within the silent voices of history. They have been excluded as actors and authors from being featured in history as they should, and remain one of its most silenced subjects. As the cultured women of the town, ganikas provide an interesting topic of study. Here, an attempt will be made to understand the status of ganikas within a larger socio-cultural framework, to examine the various environments and conditions that facilitated both the increasing contempt for the institution and their portrayal as highly cultured women of the town.