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Research Paper | English Language and Literature | Volume 15 Issue 6, June 2026 | Pages: 1319 - 1327 | India
Childhood in Classical and Precolonial Indian Literature: Cultural Constructions, Moral Formation, and Social Order
Abstract: This study is on the representation of childhood in ancient and pre-colonial Indian literature. It questions the universalist notions of childhood as a naturally innocent, independent and universally experienced stage of life. It explores the conception of childhood in indigenous cultural, religious and social contexts drawing on classics like as the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, Puranic narratives, Panchatantra stories, Jataka tales and Bhakti poetry. Childhood, in these literary traditions, is also not depicted as a time of individual independence but as a socially inscribed and culturally regulated stage, constituted by moral teaching, religious ideals, family responsibility, and communal expectations. The child figures such as Rama, Krishna, Prahlada and Dhruva embody the ideals of obedience, commitment, courage and self-discipline. They are examples of ethical conduct and societal duty. The analysis shows how caste, gender and social hierarchy deeply affected childhoods and generated many, unequal childhoods, not one universal childhood. Bhakti literature introduces emotional and spiritual dimensions by describing infancy as a nucleus of heavenly love and devotion. The study highlights non-Western literary traditions and the limitations of hegemonic Western frames of reference in comprehending diverse childhood experiences. It advocates culturally grounded and historically informed methods in Childhood Studies and demonstrates that childhood in classical and precolonial Indian literature is a complex cultural creation shaped by religion, morality, social stratification, and collective identity.
Keywords: Childhood, Classical Indian Literature, Precolonial India, Dharma, Bhakti, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Pedagogy, Cultural Studies
How to Cite?: Preethy Mary George, "Childhood in Classical and Precolonial Indian Literature: Cultural Constructions, Moral Formation, and Social Order", Volume 15 Issue 6, June 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1319-1327, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26624234010, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26624234010