Contents - iasjunior.com · Gramani Head of Vis – Vispati Head of Jana – Rajan/King • There were several tribal kingdoms during the Rig Vedic Period such as Bharatas, Matsyas,

BEGINNER MODULE – ANCIENT HISTORY- VEDIC PERIOD

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Contents

Vedic Period Vedic Period ............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Original Home of the Aryans ............................................................................................................................... 3

Vedic Literature ................................................................................................................................................... 4

Vedas ............................................................................................................................................................... 4

Brahmanas ....................................................................................................................................................... 5

Aranyakas & Upanishads ................................................................................................................................. 5

Sruti and Smriti ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Rig Vedic Period ................................................................................................................................................... 6

Material Life ..................................................................................................................................................... 6

Political Organization ....................................................................................................................................... 7

Social Life ......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Social Divisions................................................................................................................................................. 8

Rig Vedic Gods ................................................................................................................................................. 9

Later Vedic Period ............................................................................................................................................. 10

Economy ........................................................................................................................................................ 10

Political Organization ..................................................................................................................................... 10

Social Life ....................................................................................................................................................... 12

Gods, Rituals and Philosophy ............................................................................................................................ 14

Important Vedic Rituals ..................................................................................................................................... 15

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Vedic Period

Original Home of the Aryans

• Different scholars have expressed different opinions regarding the original homeland of the Aryans

and have tried to justify their contentions based on history, philology, racial anthropology and

archaeological discoveries.

• The various scholars and their suggested original homes are as follows:

Max Muller Central Asia

Bal Gangadhar Tilak Arctic region

Swamy Dayanand Saraswathi Tibet

A.C.Das Sapta Sindhu region

• The period between 1500 B.C and 600 B.C may be divided into:

Early Vedic Period (1500 – 1000 B.C)

Later Vedic Period (1000 – 600 B.C)




Vedic Literature

• Vedic literature is the most significant source of information about the Vedic civilization.

• The Vedic literature consists of three successive classes of literary creations, namely:

Vedas

• Veda means “knowledge”. The Vedas formed the earliest segment of Vedic literature.

• Vedas

• Brahmanas

• Aranyakas and Upanishads




• The Vedic literature had been evolved in the course of many centuries and was handed down from

generation to generation by the word of mouth.

• The Vedas are the collection of hymns, prayers, charms, litanies, and sacrificial formulae.

• Vedas are four in number, namely:

Brahmanas

The Brahmanas are prose texts. It describes about the meaning of Vedic hymns, their applications, and stories of their origins in details. Besides, it also explains the details about rituals and philosophies.

Aranyakas & Upanishads

• Aranyakas and Upanishads exemplify philosophical meditations of the hermits and ascetics on soul, god, world, etc. These are partly included in the Brahmanas or attached, and partly exist as separate works.

• They, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads are attached to one or the other

of the four Vedas.

• Compositions of the hymns are credited to Hindu Rishis (monks) of divine origin.

• The Vedas are called ‘apaurusheya’ (not created by man) and ‘nitya’ (existing in all eternity) while the Rishis are known as inspired seers who received the mantras from the Supreme deity.

Sruti and Smriti

• Vedic literature is primarily of two types, Sruti and Smriti. The Veda is called Sruti and is the highest authority.

• The other texts are called Smritis, and they derive authority from the Sruti. The Sruti is

apaurusheya (eternal and authorless), and Smritis are the words of seers.

• Smritis could be broadly classified as:

1. Rig Veda – It is the oldest Veda. It is a collection of hymns

2. Sama Veda – It is a collection of songs, which are mostly taken from Rig Veda

3. Yajur Veda – It is a collection of sacrificial formulae

4. Atharva Veda – It is a collection of spells and charms

1. Vedangas – Subjects required to understand various aspects of the Veda

2. Upavedas – Arts and sciences

3. Upangas – Understanding of dharma and debating it

4. Darsanas – Windows to truth




Rig Vedic Period

• During the Rig Vedic Period, the Aryans were mostly confined to the Indus region.

• The Rig Veda refers to Sapta Sindhu or the land of seven rivers. This includes the five rivers of

Punjab, namely Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej along with the Indus and Saraswati.

• The political, social and cultural life of the Rig Vedic people can be traced from the hymns of the

Rig Veda.

Material Life

• Rig Vedic Aryans owed their success in India to their use of horses, chariots and possibly some

better arms made of bronze.

• Probably they introduced spoked wheel.

• Possibly used copper supplied by the Khetri mines in Rajasthan.




• Possessed better knowledge of agriculture. Used wooden ploughshare. They were acquainted with

sowing, harvesting and threshing, and knew about the different seasons.

• Can be called predominantly pastoral people. Their wealth was measured in terms of their cattle.

The term for war in the Rig Veda is gavisthi or search for cows.

• Gifts made to priests were in terms of cows and women slaves and not land.

• Land did not form a well-established type of private property.

• The Rig Veda mentions other artisans such as the carpenter, the chariot-maker, the weaver, the

leather worker, the potter, etc.

• The term ayas used for copper or bronze shows that metal working was known.

• There is no clear evidence of regular trade. They were more acquainted with land routes. The word

Samudra mentioned in the Rig Veda mainly denotes a collection of water.

Political Organization

Kula

(Family)

Grama

(Village)

Vis

(Clan)

Jana

(People/Tribe)

Rashtra

(Country)

People living

under the same

roof (griha)

Collection of

several families

Collection of

several grama

Collection of

several vis

Aggregation of all

Jana

Head of family –

Kulapa

Head of Gram –

Gramani

Head of Vis –

Vispati

Head of Jana –

Rajan/King

• There were several tribal kingdoms during the Rig Vedic Period such as Bharatas, Matsyas, Yadus

and Purus.

• The king’s post had become hereditary. The king was assisted by purohita or priest and senani or

army chief.

• The two priests who played a major part in the time of Rig Veda are Vasishtha and Vishvamitra.

Vasishtha was conservative and Vishvamitra was liberal. Vishvamitra composed gayatri mantra to

widen the Aryan world.

• Several tribal assemblies such as the sabha, samiti, vidatha, gana are mentioned in the Rig Veda.

Even women attended the sabha and vidatha.

• But the two important assemblies were the sabha and the samiti.

o The Samiti mainly dealt with the policy decisions and political business, included common

people.




o The Sabha was a selected body of the elders or nobles and less political in character.

Social Life

• The Rig Vedic society was patriarchal. • Women could attend assemblies. They could offer sacrifices along with their husbands. • The institution of marriage was established. • Child marriage was not prevalent, and women could select their husbands. • The marriageable age in the Rig Veda seems to have been 16 to 17. • Some of the notable women of this age were Apala, Ghosha, Vishwavara etc.

Social Divisions

• There was no hereditary caste distinction in the early Vedic age. • The Aryan Society was divided into four Varnas based on duties.

• Brahmanas (teacher and priests)

• Kshatriya (rulers and administrators)

• Vaisya (farmers, merchants, and bankers)

• Sudra (artisan and laborers)

• There was complete freedom and mobility for the adoption of a profession. Trades and

occupations did not assume a hereditary character in the society.




Rig Vedic Gods

• The Rig Vedic Aryans worshipped the natural forces.

• Major deities – Indra (Rain God), Agni (Fire), Varuna (Water), Soma (God of plants), Marut

(Storm deity)

• Female divinities - Aditi and Usha

• In the patriarchal set-up the male gods were far more important than the female.

• There were no temples. The dominant mode of worshipping was through the recitation of prayers and offering of sacrifices.




Later Vedic Period

• The period that followed the Rig Vedic Age is known as the Later Vedic Age.

• This age witnessed the composition of three later Veda Samhitas, namely the Samaveda

Samhita, the Yajurveda Samhita, the Atharvaveda Samhita; as well as the Brahmanas and the Upanishads of all the four Vedas and later two great epics—the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. All these later Vedic texts were compiled in the Upper Gangetic basin in 1000—600 BC.

• The main settlement of the Rig Vedic people was the region of Indus and Saraswati

valleys. However, during the later Vedic period, Samhitas and Brahmanas mentions that the settlements covered virtually the whole of northern India.

Economy

• Agriculture was main occupation. Besides barley and wheat, rice(vrihi) became their chief crops.

Various kinds of lentils were also produced. Cow dung was used as manure.

• Iron also called as shyama or krishna ayas came into use.

• The later Vedic period saw the rise of diverse arts and crafts like smiths, smelters, weaving,

carpenter, pottery, jewel workers.

• They were acquainted with four types of pottery – black-and-red ware, black-slipped ware, painted

grey ware and red ware. The last type of pottery was most popular with them.

• The most distinctive pottery or the period is known as Painted Grey Ware.

• Agriculture and various crafts enabled the later Vedic people to lead a settled life.

• The Vedic text also refer to the seas and sea voyages. This suggests some kind of commerce which

may have been stimulated by the rise of new arts and crafts.

Political Organization

• In later Vedic times Rig Vedic popular assemblies lost importance and royal power increased at

their cost. The vidatha completely disappeared.

• The sabha and samiti were dominated by chiefs and rich nobles. Women were no longer permitted

to sit on the sabha, and it was dominated by nobles and brahmanas.

• Larger kingdoms were formed during the later Vedic period. Many jana or tribes were

amalgamated to from janapadas or rashtras.




• The royal power had increased along with the increase in the size of the kingdom.

• The king performed various rituals and sacrifices to strengthen his position. They include Rajasuya

(consecration ceremony), Asvamedha (horse sacrifice) and Vajpeya (chariot race).

• The kings also assumed titles like Rajavisvajanan, Ahilabhuvanapathi (lord of all earth), Ekrat and

Samrat (sole ruler).

• Kuru and Panchala kingdoms flourished.

• Besides Purohita, Senani and Gramani we hear new officers like

Sangrahitri Treasurer

Bhagadugha Collector of taxes

Sthapati Chief judge

Suta Charioteer

Takshan Carpenter

Kshatri Chamberlain

• At the lower levels, administration was carried on by the village assemblies.

• The king did not posses a standing army. Tribal units were mustered in times of war.




Social Life

• The Varna system was thoroughly established during this period. The Brahmins were the supreme

in this four-fold division. Kshatriyas were second on rank.

• All the three higher varnas were entitled to upanayana. The fourth varna was deprived of the

sacred thread ceremony and the recitation of the gayatri mantra and with this began the imposition

of disabilities on the shudras.

• According to the Aitareya Brahmana, in relation to the prince, the Brahmana is described as a seeker of livelihood and an acceptor of gifts but removable at will.

• A Vaisya is called tribute-paying, meant for being beaten, and to be oppressed at will.

• The worst position is reserved for the shudras. He is called the servant of another, to be

made to work at will by another, and to be beaten at will.

• Certain sections of artisans such as rathakara or chariot-maker enjoyed a higher status and were

entitled to the sacred thread ceremony.




• In the family, the power of the father increased. Male ancestors came to be worshipped.

• Women were generally given a lower position. Ordinarily women were thought to be inferior and

subordinate to men. However, the women in the royal household enjoyed certain privileges.

• Institution of gotra appeared and gotra exogamy began to be practiced. No marriage could take

place between persons belonging to the same gotra.

• Ashramas or four stages of life were not well established in Vedic times.

• In the post-Vedic texts, we hear of four ashramas

• Anuloma marriage: Marriage of a man below his varna was called Anuloma. It was sanctioned by the sacred texts.

• Pratiloma marriage: Marriage of a girl or women to one lower than her own varna. It was

not sanctioned by the sacred texts.

• Eight types of marriage were prevalent in the later Vedic age.

Brahma Marriage of a girl to a man of the same Varna with Vedic rites and rituals

Daiva The father gives the daughter to the sacrificial priest as part of fee or dakshina

Arsa A token bride-price of a cow and a bull is given

Prajapati Marriage without dowry and bride-price

Gandharva Marriage by the consent of two parties, often clandestine. A special form of it

was swayamvara or self-choice

Asura Marriage by purchase

Paisacha It is seduction of a girl while asleep, mentally deranged or drunk, hence it can

hardly be called a marriage

Rakshasa Marriage by capture

1. Brahmachari (student)

2. Grihastha (householder)

3. Vanaprastha (hermit)

4. Sannyasin (ascetic)




Gods, Rituals and Philosophy

• Gods of early Vedic period like Indra and Agni lost their importance.

• Prajapathi (the creator), Vishnu (the protector) and Rudra (the god of animals) became

prominent during the later Vedic period.

• Pushan, who was supposed to look after cattle, came to be regarded as the god of the shudras.

• The mode of worship changed considerably. Sacrifices became more important than prayers.

• The guest was known as goghna or one who was fed on cattle. The sacrificer was known as the

yajamana, the performer of yajna.

• The formulae for sacrifices were invented, adopted and elaborated by the priestly class. The

brahmanas claimed a monopoly of priestly knowledge and expertise.




• Towards the end of the Vedic period began a strong reaction against priestly domination, against

cults and rituals.

• The Upanishads criticized the rituals and laid stress on the value of right belief and knowledge.

Brahma emerged as the supreme entity.

Important Vedic Rituals

Asvamedha Horse sacrifice meant to establish a king’s supremacy over other kings

Vajapeya A chariot race meant to re-establish a king’s supremacy over his people

Rajasuya A consecration ceremony which conferred supreme power on the king

Ratnahavimsi A part of Rajasuya ceremony where different officials(ratnins) invoked

different gods and goddesses

Upanayana An initiation ceremony to confer dvija status to boys of the higher varnas in

their eighth year

Garbhadhana A ceremony to promote conception in women

Pumsayam A ceremony to procure a male child

Semontonayam A ceremony to ensure the safety of the child in the womb

Jatkarma A birth ceremony performed before the cutting of the umbilical cord

Culakarma A ceremony, also known as tonsure, performed for boys in their third year








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Contents - iasjunior.com · Gramani Head of Vis – Vispati Head of Jana – Rajan/King • There were several tribal kingdoms during the Rig Vedic Period such as Bharatas, Matsyas,