VEDIC PERIOD

The Vedic Age was between 1500 BC and 600 BC. This is the major civilization that
occurred in ancient India after the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization by 1400 BC. The
Vedas were composed in this period and this gives this age the name. The Vedas are also the
chief source of information about this era. The Vedic Age started with the coming of the
Aryans or Indo-Aryans. Since our knowledge of the early Aryans is based on these Vedas,
the culture of this period is referred to as the Vedic Culture.
The word 'Veda' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Vid' which means 'to know. The Vedas
are essentially a compilation of prayers and hymns, offered by different families of poets and
sagas to various gods. These four Vedas are also 'Samhitas' (a collection), in the sense that
they represent the oral tradition of the time.

Vedic literature is considered one, but it shall not be done as the timeline differs. The other
three Vedas refer to Ganga, Yamuna, etc. in Rigveda there is mention of the five rivers in
Punjab and Indus. So, the information in rig Veda is different from the other three. Rig Veda
is in form of shlok which are in honor of God.

Since the hymns were meant to be read, learnt and transmitted orally, they were not written
when they were better composed. Due to this reason, none of the Samhitas can be dated with
absolute certainty. Each Samhita represents a collection through a period over a few
centuries.

They are the four collections (Samhitas) that are called the Veda, or Vedas.

The Rigveda, or ‘Veda of Verses’, the earliest of those, is composed of about 1000 hymns
addressed to various deities and mostly arranged to serve the needs of the priestly families
who were the custodians of that sacred literature.

The Samaveda, or ‘Veda of Chants’, is made up of a selection of verses—drawn almost

wholly from the Rigveda—that are provided with musical notation and are intended as an aid
to the performance of sacred songs.

The Yajurveda, or ‘Veda of Sacrificial Formulas’, contains prose formulas applicable to

various rites, along with verses intended for a similar purpose.

The Atharvaveda, or ‘Veda of Spells’, is a later compilation that includes incantations and
magic spells.

To each Veda is attached a body of prose writings of later date called Brahmanas (c.800–600
BCE), which explain the ceremonial applications of the texts and the origin and importance
of the sacrificial rites for which the Vedas were composed.

Further appendices, the Aranyakas (c.600 BCE) and the Upanishads (c.700–500 BCE),
respectively expound the symbolism of the more difficult rites and speculate on the nature of
the universe and humanity’s relation to it.

Migration of the Aryans

A few centuries after the decline of the Harappan civilization, a new culture flourished in the
same region and gradually spread across the Ganga-Yamuna plains. This culture came to be
known as the Aryan culture. The Aryans were semi-nomadic pastoral people.

The Vedic Age started with the Aryan occupation of the Indo-Gangetic Plains. The word
Arya means ‘Noble’. As they referred to each other as Arya in the texts and hence they are
now called Aryans They spoke Sanskrit, an Indo-European language. Certain historians
consider that Aryans would have migrated from outside. The Indus region is nearer to
Afghanistan, so these Sanskrit-speaking tribes could have passed through Afghanistan,
coming from central Asia where the horse was found. They came to Iran from Europe from
the Caspian Sea. Some could have crossed the passes.
It is believed that they entered India through the Khyber Pass.

Ex. Parsis living in Iran are fire-worshippers, Aryans are also fire worshippers in a way, so it
could have been possible that after living in Iran for a while in this migration process, they
would have learnt it.
Due to the increase in population, the powerful ones would have pushed out the other or if
they would have started worshipping someone else.
There are two inscriptions found-
Boghazkui in Iraq and the treaty of Hittite and mittani. Where are three gods- indra, varuna,
and nasatya. This proves that aryans came from the west.

There were significant differences between the Aryan culture and the culture that preceded it.
The Aryans settled on the banks of rivers Indus (Sindhu) and Saraswati. They composed
many hymns in honor of the gods and goddesses they worshipped.

Vedic civilization is divided into two- 1. Early Vedic/ Rig Vedic, 2. Later Vedic/ Sam, Yajur,
Atharva.
The other three vedas would have been composed near to each other. These vedas are also
subdivided. The core of a veda is Samhita which has shlok, then Brahmanas which is
commentary, then Aranyakas that are forest books and Upanishads (best specimen of
literature anywhere in the world).

Early Vedic Period (1500 BC - 1000 BC)

Rig Vedic Period (1500 BC – 1000 BC).

Initially, the Aryans lived in the land known as “Sapta Sindhu” (Land of the Seven Rivers).
These seven rivers were: Sindhu (Indus), Vipash (Beas), Vitasta (Jhelum), Parushni (Ravi),
Asikni (Chenab), Shutudri (Satluj) and Saraswati. Considering the political, social and
religious structure it is concluded that Rig Veda is the oldest. It consists of hymns which are
called as Richa which are in the form of shlok, lyrical. It gives us information about polity,
religion, society, and the economy.
Three type people mentioned in Rigveda- Dasa, Dasyu, Panis. They hate the most to Panis as
they were cattle thief. Dasa term consequently came to be used as slave. Dasyu also denoted
lower class.
One of the hymns (Richa) in Rigveda states that water was tied with snake, which may be a
dam.
The rivers in Rig Veda are identified with Indus and its tributaries, which conveys that the
Aryans at first even lived near Indus. Some sites have been found near today’s Peshawar,
which lies near the Khyber Pass, and there have been horse skeletons found in these sites,
which makes the historians believe that it is a site of Aryans, and as the horse is not native to
India, the Aryans came from outside.
There is mention of people, who don’t have noses, which are called Anas. It could be a group
of people who may not have a pointed nose.
There is mention of Dasa and Dasyu. But there is no mention of slavery in the rig veda. So
Dasyu is in the context of dacoit.
Tribes around are practicing rudimentary agriculture which involves slash and burn. Aryans
are associated with having cows, but buffaloes are indigenous to India.
Rig Vedic Period- 1500 BC – 1000 BC, but some other scholar says it is 1200 BC some say
1300 BC

Social Life

All the members of the tribes are divided into families. All these members may be related to
one ancestor or a different ancestor. Here comes the word Kula. Jana is used for people, and
when these people are divided, they are divided into different Kula. There is also Gotra.
When people share the same cow. Families are connected with each other through Gotra.
Marriages cannot be done in the same gotra as they share the same ancestors. Pravara is the
sharing of the same rishis; it is in a way remembrance of the great people in their gotra. To
keep the genes healthy, one wasn’t allowed to marry in the same gotra. So, marriages have to
be gotra excluding.
Varna in rig Veda is about color and is not about caste. But later there is a story in the 10 th
Mandala, Purushsukta, that a body was divided into parts, the heart being brahmin, the chest
being Kshatriya, thighs being Vaishyas, and the feet’s being shudras. Till this time, shudras
were not considered untouchables. The reference about untouchability comes the Gupta times
i.e., 320 AD. And the varna system was around 1000 BC. So, there is a story, one person lost
everything in gambling, now he has nothing to take care of his family, so in order to earn a
living they had to serve the people. In the Vedic period, Shudras were to serve people but
there was no concept of untouchability.
Another thing that comes from Gupta period is ‘Sati’. That is one more reason why it is said
that the position of women in the vedic period was much better than the Gupta period, where
it deteriorated at a much lower level

Early/ Rig Vedic- people don’t settle at one place for a long period of time. There is
continuous migration. Tribal organization or tribal polity, due to which there is equality in
every aspect. A tribe may be scattered in different groups. They all are identified with the
tribe and not with their land. These tribes have connections with each other.

They were non-vegetarians. There is a term in rig veda called “Godhan” which is made for
guest. And the literal meaning of it is slaughtering of a cow, which is done for the food of
guest.

The settlement of these nomadic tribes of Rigveda would have taken around 300 years, and
hence after their settlement, they started claiming the land they started settling in. they called
their tribes ‘Jan’, and the place as ‘Jana pada’ as the places where these Jana’s put their foot
(Pada). These Janapadas can be seen in terms of Mahabharat, the acquisition of land. The
land has become major commodity.
.

Political Life

In Tribal polity, the chief is the first amongst the equals, which is the different than that of
kings where he is always the superior. In tribal polity decisions are taken in a consensus, the
chief is not the only authority like that of the king. Tribal Chief is referred to as ‘Rajan’. The
context of the word Rajan seems to be changing from Rig Veda and the other three vedas.
Tribal chief is elected whereas the king is not. Tribal chief is not the sovereign, apart from the
Rajan, there are assemblies of the people who have a say in every matter. Sabha is a council
of elders (rajan cannot overrule the sabha) , Samiti is where the entire tribe can participate (it
came into picture only in case of emergency), and there was also a Vidhata.
There is no mention of a permanent army, or bureaucracy. No system of taxation. It is bali
and bhag which are considered as voluntary gifts. Rajan is supposed to lead in battles, and
they are horse riders. The chief would be chosen on the criteria that he shall be able to protect
the tribe, and also lead the tribe in battles. It is a both offensive and defensive situation. The
position is not hereditary. It will be decided on the basis of capability.
Rajan is not collecting any taxes, but he will enjoy certain privileges. The war booty, that is
won is divided amongst the tribe, but the Rajan has a larger share. They don’t have a standing
army, they had militia. Militia is where every one would defend and save the tribe.
The tribal polity also has council, which have certain criteria like adult male, adult male or
female, or only older men or women.

These Vedic tribes were not only fighting but also at times collaborating with non-Aryans.
Aryans defeated the locals in these small skirmishes. they were horse riders, though there
wealth is cow. `
The Rig veda mentions the battle of Dasrajana (Dashradnya Yuddha), where 10 tribes fought
together. The older Indian language that is Mundari, so the 5 tribal chiefs out of 10 had their
name similar to Mundari which is why they may have been non-Aryans, the other 5 had
Sanskrit names which shows that they were Aryans

Economic Life

In Rig-Veda, there are very few mentions of agriculture, and the one that is mentioned is of
Rudimentary agriculture, which is also referred as slash and burn. Wealth is not agriculture
produce but cows. They were pastoralist and also in some sense nomadic. The terms for
agriculture in Rig Veda are in Mundari language but in other vedas it is in Sanskrit language.

They were more focussed on animal husbandry, specifically cow. In the other three vedas
agriculture seems to be more advanced. So Rigvedic people probably may have been
nomadic, as the texts mentions of clearing forest and then cultivating and then again moving
to a new place. And as there is moving in a large group it could have been slow. There is also
mention of horse. Cattle is wealth, especially cow. Over a period of time they could have
fought for these cows, and at times even with other tribes or groups, which practice
agriculture. Aryans tribes were also fighting with each other as well as non-Aryans. People
usually fought for cows and hence some were called panis. They hate the most to Panis as
they were cattle thief.

Religious Life

Ahura Mazda is the god who is mentioned in the context of the people who lived in
Afghanistan. In the Rigvedic text, the Ahura word is mentioned as Asura, who is not
considered to be good by these Aryans in Vedas. Further, the people worshipping Ahura or
Asura were called Asur.

Later Vedic Period

Later Vedic Period- 1000 BC to 600 BC- other three Vedas were composed- they are called
composed because it was a compilation of shloks that were written by many rushis, also they
were not only religion-oriented, but also talked about their social, economic and political
lives. Even here there was no untouchability. They worshipped, many gods, they were both
male and female. In the rig veda, the female gods were not as important as male gods. Even
the shloks were compiled by women sages. in the other three veda there are changes in the
form of worship.

Gotra and Pravar-

Gavishthi- War or Battle.
Duhitri- Daughter, the one who washes the cow’s milk
Worship is in form of Yagna which is Sacrifice.
Certain communities also practiced settled agriculture; their knowledge is more advance.
Over a period of time, even these tribes or Aryans also took to settled agriculture. With
agriculture there comes stability, hence they start claiming land.
Indra is supposed to have killed a serpent who had stopped the water, now historians say that
there may be a dam built by agriculturists to store water, and dam would have been like a
snake.

Later vedic people have settled down and are living in villages. Earlier the tribe was known
as “Jana”, now they are known as “Janapada”, which means that the tribe has set a foot now.
Social Life
Political Life
In the later vedic period, the tribes demarcate their boundaries and claim a particular territory.
This territory is called Janapada. Areas were usually claimed through the rivers.
Now by the end of the later vedic period, Janapada changed to Mahajanapada. There were
16 big states in north India. These have got their mention in Mahabharata and Ramayana.
Land revenue surpasses all other sources of revenues. The position of tribal chief is
converted into a monarchical position in the kingdom. Now the king can collect taxes, there
is a administrative structure which subdivided a big state into provinces, etc. there was
military administration and revenue administration, the revenue administration would itself
be undertaking the work of justice. Attacks on other states were justified.
The concept of Ashvamedha yagna came into existence.
Varna vyavastha also came into existence.

Now the king has his ministers in the hierarchy, there is a standing army.
There is a special sacrifice called Raja Surya.

Religious Life
Economic Life
Economic life in the later vedic period- agriculture gives surplus. Head of the agricultural
state claimed the land. Even as there is surplus, people would be selling it. Now how would
the king be paying its army. As in the early vedic period, there was no standing army, there
was no tax collection.
Around 800 BC they would have got to know about Iron. In Sanskrit there is a word called
krishnalayas. Iron could have made the clearing of forest easier and faster. Due to which
agriculture increased. But these areas were marshy so it was not that easy to clear the forest.
In shatpat brahmanas, a group of books in vedas, there is a story, vidhaya Madhav was shown
path was fire (Agni). So, it is interpreted that these marshy lands were burnt down and that is
how the forest were cleared and agriculture land increased. In the buddhist literature there is
mention of a no. of maha van. But still a large forest area was cleared.
The Political structure included a monarchical form of government with a king known as
Rajan. In the patriarchal families, Jana was the largest social unit in Rig Vedic times. The
hierarchical division of the social grouping was done as kula (family) – grama – visu – Jana.
The Tribal assemblies were called Sabhas and Samitis. Examples of tribal kingdoms:
Bharatas, Matsyas, Yadus and Purus.

Women in society enjoyed respectable positions. They were allowed to take part in Sabhas
and Samitis. There were women poets too (Apala, Lopamudra, Viswavara and Ghosa).
Cattle, especially cows, were an important commodity. In the early Vedic society monogamy
was practised but polygamy was observed among royalty and noble families. Child marriage
was prohibited and social distinctions existed but were not rigid and hereditary.

The economy of the early Vedic period included pastoral and cattle-rearing people who
practised agriculture and had horse chariots. Rivers were used for transport. Initially, trade
was conducted through the barter system but later on, coins called ‘nishka’ were in use.

People worshipped natural forces like earth, fire, wind, rain, thunder, etc. by personifying
them into deities. Indra (thunder) was the most important deity. Other deities were Prithvi
(earth), Agni (fire), Varuna (rain) and Vayu (wind). Female deities were Ushas and Aditi.
There were no temples and no idol worship.

Changes in the later Vedic phase

Later Vedic Period or Painted Grey Ware Phase (1000 BC – 600 BC)

In the later Vedic period, the Aryans moved eastwards and occupied western and eastern UP
(Kosala) and Bihar.

The Kingdoms like Mahajanapadas were formed by amalgamating smaller kingdoms. To

enhance the position, the King's power increased and various sacrifices were performed by
him. The Sacrifices were Rajasuya (consecration ceremony), Vajapeya (chariot race) and
Ashwamedha (horse sacrifice).

With the evolving period, the Varna system of social distinction also became more distinct. It
became less based on occupation and more hereditary. The four divisions of society in
decreasing social ranking were: Brahmanas (priests), Kshatriyas (rulers), Vaishyas
(agriculturists, traders and artisans), and Shudras (servers of the upper three classes).

The position of women in society diminished as they were not permitted to attend sabhas and
samitis. Many social changes emerged such as gotras were institutionalised, child marriages
became common, new sub-castes based on occupation created.

Agriculture was the chief occupation in the later Vedic period with industrial work like
metalwork, pottery and carpentry as the secondary occupations. There was foreign trade with
far off regions like Babylon and Sumeria.
Individuals worshipped Prajapati (creator) and Vishnu (preserver) as the prime gods whereas
Indra and Agni lost their significance. The importance of prayers diminished and rituals and
sacrifices became more elaborate. The priestly class became very powerful and they dictated
the rules of the rites and rituals. Due to this orthodoxy, Buddhism and Jainism emerged
towards the end of this period.

Vedic Religion

Vedic religion, also called Vedism, is the religion of the ancient Indo-European speaking
peoples who entered India about 1500 BCE from the region of present-day Iran. It takes its
name from the collections of sacred texts known as the Vedas.

Vedism is the oldest stratum of religious activity in India for which there exist written
materials. It was one of the major traditions that shaped Hinduism. Knowledge of Vedic
religion is derived from surviving texts and also from certain rites that continue to be
observed within the framework of modern Hinduism.

The earliest Vedic religious beliefs included some held in common with other Indo-European
speaking peoples, particularly with the early Iranians. Though it is impossible to say when
Vedism eventually gave way to classical Hinduism, a decrease in literary activity among the
Vedic schools from the 5th century BCE onward can be observed, and at that time a more
Hindu character began to appear.

Vedic Rituals

The ancient Vedic worshippers offered sacrifices to gods in the hope that they in return
would grant abundant numbers of cattle, good fortune, good health, long life, and male
progeny, among other material benefits. To ensure the efficacy of their prayers, the people
came to believe that their offerings could be made more acceptable to the gods if
accompanied by songs of praise and other invocations of the gods’ might and power. Thus
originated the rites described in the Vedas. Every sacrifice was performed on behalf of an
individual, i.e., the patron or yajamana (“sacrificer”), who bore the expenses.

The rites of Vedic sacrifice were relatively simple in the early period when the Rigveda was
composed. They required neither temples nor images. The ceremonies took place in an open
space that was consecrated afresh for every important occasion. The altar (Vedi) was a
quadrangle marked out by hollowing or slightly raising the ground. The agnyadheya
(“installation of the fire”) was a necessary preliminary to all the large public rituals and was
preceded by the patron’s fast.

The sacrifices themselves were of two major types—domestic (grihya) and public (srauta, or
vaitanika).

The domestic rites were observed by the householder himself or with the help of a single
priest and were performed over the domestic hearth fire. Some occurred daily or monthly,
and others accompanied a particular event, such as the samskaras - sacraments marking each
stage of an upper-caste Indian’s life, from conception to death.

The grand rites performed in public, by contrast, lasted several days or months and could
usually be undertaken only by wealthy men or kings. They required the services of many
priests and were usually performed at three fire-altars. The most characteristic of the public
ceremonies was the soma sacrifice, which ensured the prosperity and well-being of both
human beings and gods. In that basic ritual, a sacrificer was first consecrated, after which
juice was pressed three times from the soma plant, part being offered to the fire and part
consumed by the priests. Each of the three occasions was preceded and followed by
recitations and chants. Edibles such as meat, butter, milk, and barley cake could also be
offered to a sacred fire.

Animal sacrifice—the killing of a goat—existed either independently or as an integral part of

the sacrifice of soma. The celebrated Ashvamedha, “horse sacrifice,” was an elaborate variant
of the soma sacrifice.

Human sacrifice (purushamedha) is described and alluded to as a former practice but

probably was merely symbolic. The sacrifice of the mythical giant Purusha, from whose
dismembered limbs sprang up the four major social classes (varnas), probably served as a
model for the conjectured human sacrifices. Other ceremonies marked fixed dates of the lunar
calendar, such as the full or new moon or the change of seasons.

Conclusion

When people today learn about India's ancient Vedas they discover a tradition perhaps 5000
years old, guided by illumined seers living in harmony with nature, chanting arcane mantras,
and performing mysterious fire rituals. This image of the Vedic world appears fascinating but
is also difficult to understand, suggesting perhaps a mystical fantasy more than any deeper
reality.

It is India as a culture and civilization of knowledge, both scientific and spiritual, both inner
and outer, culminating in the supreme science of consciousness. Such a Vedic knowledge-
based civilization is more than information technology, though it can work with it and
possibly transform it. Vedic knowledge is post-industrial and post-modern, one could say,
though it comes to us from the dawn of history, its vision is beyond time and space.

Vedic knowledge represents not only the past but also the future of India. It helped shape the
characteristic features of India's vast and enduring Dharmic civilization through the centuries,
as the Vedas first of all were formulated to teach Dharma. India's traditional philosophies,
arts and sciences have strong Vedic connections. The Vedas were one of the main
inspirations for India's Independence Movement, particularly through Dayananda Sarasvati,
Lokmanya Tilak and Sri Aurobindo, and India's great gurus today continue to honour them.

The Vedas are not mere religious books and do not propose any articles of faith. They direct
us to discover the Divine within us, for which they provide the guidance and the practises for
each one of us to apply.

Yet, this poignant image of the Vedic living is but an introduction into a radically different
worldview than our current high-tech society, invoking a cosmic vision that takes us beyond
time and space to the origins of the universe much like modern physics, but in an experiential
way within our own consc
Rig veda has the mention of Indus and its tributaries. Vedic sites are associated with painted
grey wares (PCW) pottery, which is the area of Punjab, Himachal. In the Gangetic belt too
there is a finding of PCW additionally with copper and iron tools. So copper tool sites are
associated with Rig Vedic people and sites with iron tools are associated with the other three
Vedas which are considered as the later Vedic period.