Manusmriti, also known as the Mānava-Dharmaśāstra or Laws of Manu, is an ancient legal text or dharmashastra of Hinduism. It is one of the many legal texts and constitutions among the many Dharmaśāstras of Hinduism. The text is written in sloka verses, containing two non-rhyming lines of 16 syllables each. The over-fifty manuscripts discovered of the text never use the title Manusmriti, but state the title as Manava Dharmasastra in their colophons at the end of each chapter. The structure and contents of the Manusmriti suggest it to be a document predominantly targeted at the Brahmins (priestly class) and the Kshatriyas (king, administration, and warrior class). The text dedicates 1,034 verses, the largest portion, on laws for and expected virtues of Brahmins, and 971 verses for Kshatriyas. The statement of rules for the Vaishyas (merchant class) and the Shudras (artisans and working class) in the text is extraordinarily brief.

The Manusmriti acknowledges and justifies the caste system as the basis of order and regularity of society. It clearly recognizes four classes of people (Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras) . The text proposes numerous laws to minutely govern human life and conduct as applicable to each individual according to her or his social class, duties, and responsibilities. The text also offers an inconsistent and internally conflicting perspective on womens rights.

The British who ruled India used Manusmriti as the standard to settle disputes among Hindus with regard to matters of inheritance, family disputes, marriage, and royal succession. Some Hindu scholars believe that the British found in the Manusmriti a useful tool to promote their interests or perpetuate the social divide among the Hindus to consolidate their power.

In summary, Manusmriti is an ancient legal text of Hinduism that covers a wide range of topics such as social obligations, duties of various castes, and individual responsibilities. It acknowledges and justifies the caste system and proposes numerous laws to govern human life and conduct according to social class. The text has been criticized for its inconsistent and internally conflicting perspective on womens rights and has been used by the British to settle disputes among Hindus.