VEDIC AGE

VEDIC AGE

•  The Vedic texts may be divided into two broad chronological strata:
  i) The early Vedic or Regvedic period (1500-1000 B.C.).
  ii) The later Vedic (1000-600B.C.).

 The early Vedic or Regvedic period (1500-1000 B.C.)–

• The source of information of this period includes the archeological evidences as well as the literary source i.e. Rig Veda. It is an important source of information for this period.
• The Rig Veda has many things in common with the Avesta, which is the oldest text in the Iranian language.

Geographical extension –

•  The early Aryans settled in eastern Afghanistan, modern Pakistan, Punjab and parts of western U.P.The whole region in which the Aryans first settled in India is called the Land of Seven Rivers or Sapta Sindhava (the Indus and the five tributaries and the Saraswati).

Political Organization –

•  The tribe = Jana and king = Rajan was the leader in battle and protector of the tribe.
•  His office was not hereditary and was selected among the clan’s men.
• The Rajan was not an absolute monarch government was responsible for councils like Sabhas, Samitis, Gana and Vidhata.
• Women only can attend the Gana and Vidhata.
•  The basic social unit was the Kula = family and head called kulapa.
• King was assisted by the Purohit(important) and head of army was called senani (second imp post)
•  No regular army was maintained by king
•  Aryans army was advanced and use chariot driven by horse.
• No regular revenue system kingdom was maintained by tributes called BALI and assets won in the battle.

Social Life –

• Family was the basic unit of society and was patriarchal in nature.
• Women enjoyed equal powers.
•  Marriage was usually monogamous and indissoluble, but there are a few instances of polyandry, levirate (marry to brother’s widow) and widow marriage.
• No child marriage evidences
•  Both dowry and bride price were recognized during the Early Vedic period.
•  Throughout the Vedic period, education was imparted orally.
•  They enjoyed chariot racing. Both men and women wore ornaments.
•  The Aryans loved music and played the flute, lute and harp.
•  There are references to singing and dancing girls. People also delighted in gambling.

Economy –

• Their bronze smiths were highly skilled and produced tools and weapons much superior to those of Harappa culture. There were artisans like carpenters, weavers, cobblers, potters, etc.
• Aryans followed mixed economy = Agriculture + Pastoral in which pastoral is dominant.
•  Most of their wars were fought for cow (most important form of wealth).
•  Standard unit of exchange was the cow. At the same time coins were also there (gold coins like Nishka, Krishnal and Satmana).
•  Gavyuti= measurement of distance, Gopati = king, Godhuli = time.
•  Lived in fortified mud settlements.
•  The staple crop was ‘yava’or “java” which meant barley.

Religion –

•  From Rig-Veda, we come to know that there were 33 gods that time who were divided into three categories viz., Varuna, Surya, Aditi, and Savitri were heavenly gods. Indra, Rudra, Maruts etc. were Atmospheric gods. Agni, Soma, and Prithvi were earthly gods.
• The Aryans personified the natural forces and looked upon them as living beings.
• Didn’t believe in erecting temples or idol worship. Worshipped in open air through yajnas.

 Later Vedic Period/Painted Grey Ware Phase (1000-600 B.C.) –

Geographical extention –

• They reveal that the Aryans expanded from Punjab over the whole of western U.P. covered by the Ganga-Yamuna doab.
•  In the beginning, they cleared the land by burning;
  Later with the use of iron tools which became common by 1000-800 B.C.
•  In Later Vedic period, many great cities like Videha, Kaushambhi, Kasi, Ayodhya, Hastinapur and Indraprashtha etc. had sprung up.

Political Organization—

• Tiny tribal settlements were replaced by strong kingdoms.
• Powers of the king who was called the Samrat increased.
• importance of assemblies declined.
•  Women were no longer permitted to attend assemblies and the term ‘Rashtra’ indicating territory first appeared in this period.
•  The Sabha and the Samiti were now not powerful enough to check the power of the kings. The office of the monarch had now become more or less hereditary.
•  A regular army was maintained for the protection of the kingdom.

•  The officials got many new assistants of the king were present. References of Priest (Purohita),Commander in chief (Senapati), Charioteer (Suta),Treasurer (Sangrihita), Tax collector (Bhagdugha),
  Chief Queen (Mahisi) and the Great companion (Aksavapa).

social life-

•  The four fold division of society became clear initially based on occupation which later became hereditary; Brahmins (priests), Kshatriya (warriors), Vaishyas (agriculturists, cattle-rearers, and traders) and Shudras (servers of the upper three).
• Women enjoyed freedom and respect but their status deteriorated compared to earlier time.
•  In this age also Chariot racing was the main sport and gambling the main pastime.
• Now in place of four main Varna’s many new castes were born, leading to the complexities of the caste system.
• Life of men divided into four ashrams i.e. Bramhachrya, Grahast, sanyas, vanprast.

Types of marriages –

•  Brahma: Marriage of a duly dowered girl to a man
  of the same class.
•  Daiva: Marriage in which the father gave his
  Daughter to a sacrifi cial priest as part of his fees.
• Arsa: Marriage in which a token bride price of a
  cow and a bull was paid to the daughter’s father.
• Prajapatya: Marriage in which the father gave the
  girl without any dowry and without demanding bride price.
•  Gandharva: Marriage often clandestine, by the consent of the two parties.
• Asura: Marriage by purchase.
•  Rakshasa: Marriage by capture.
• Paishacha: Marriage involving the seduction of a
  girl while sleeping, etc.
•  Anuloma marriage: was the marriage of higher varna man with a lower varna woman.
•  Pratiloma marriage: was the marriage of a lower varna man with a higher varna woman.

Important Vedic Rituals

• Asvamedha: A king performed this sacrifice which meant control over the area in which the royal horse ran uninterrupted. The ceremony lasted for three days at the end of which the horse scarified was performed. The Asvamedha sacrifice concluded with the sacrifice of 21 sterile cows.
• Vajapeva: A chariot race was performed in which the king must win the race (it was fixed). It was meant to re-establish the supremacy of the king over his people.
•  Rajasuya: A sacrifice ceremony which conferred supreme power on the king.
• Ratnahavimsi: A part of Rajasuya ceremony where different royal 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.
• Pumsayam: A ceremony to procure a male child.
• Garbhadhana: A ceremony to promote conception in women.
• Culakarma: A ceremony, also known tonsure performed for boys in their third year.
•  Semontannayam: A ceremony to ensure the safety of the child in the womb.
• Jatkarma: A birth ceremony performed before the cutting of the umbilical cord.

Pottery—

• The later Vedic people used four types of pottery: black and red ware, black-slipped ware, painted grey ware and red ware.

Economy –

• The Nishka replaced cow as a unit of value.
• Rig-Veda mentions only gold and copper or bronze but Later Vedic texts mention tin, lead, silver and iron.

Religion –

•  Rituals and formulae became prominent in the cult of sacrifice.
•  Indra, Varuna, Surya and Agni lost their importance. Prajapati (the creator) became supreme. Vishnu came to be conceived as the preserver and protector of the people.
• Varna systems became more rigid.

The Vedic Literature –

•  The word ‘veda’ comes from the root ‘vidi’ signifying knowledge.
•  Vedas are also known as ‘Shruti’ (to hear) as they were passed from generation through verbal transmission.
•  They are four in all – Rig-Veda, samaveda, yajurveda and Atharveda.
•  Each Veda is further subdivided into Samhitas.

Rig veda –

•  Oldest religious text in the world.
• The third Mandala contains the Gayatri Mantra (addressed to the sun/Savitri – goddess associated with Surya).

Samveda –

•  Derived from the root ‘Saman’ i.e. ‘melody’. It is a collection of melodies.
•  Contains ‘Dhrupad Raga’ which is the oldest of the ragas.

Yajurveda –

•  Deals with the procedure for the performance of sacrifices.
• There are two main text of yajurveda –
• White yajurveda (shukla yajurveda)= mantras
• Black yajurveda (Krishna yajurveda)=commentary in prose

Atharvaveda –

•  Entirely different from three other Vedas.
•  Atharvaveda refers to king as protector of Brahmans and eater of people.
• From the point of view of Vedic rituals, Atharvaveda is the most important.

The Brahamans

• They explain the hymns of the Vedas in an orthodox
  manner.
• Each Veda has several Brahmans attached to it.
•  The most important is ‘Satpatha Brahmana’ attached to Yajurveda which is the most exhaustive and important of all. It recommends ‘One Hundred Sacred Paths’.

The Aranyakas —

• Also called ‘forest books’, written mainly by the hermits living in the jungles for their pupils.
•  These are the concluding part of the Brahman’s.
•  Deals with mysticism and philosophy. Opposed to sacrifice and emphasized meditation.
• Form a bridge between ‘Way of Work’ (Karma Marg) which was the sole concern of the Upanishads and the ‘Way of Knowledge’ (Gyan Marg) which the Brahmans advocated.

The Upanishads–

•  The word means ‘to sit down near someone’ and denotes a student sitting near his guru to learn.
• its also Called Vedanta (the end of the Vedas) firstly because they denote the last phase of the Vedic because they denote the last phase of the Vedic period and secondly because they reveal the final aim of the Vedas.
•  They are the main source of Indian philosophy.
• There are 108 Upanishads.
• They also condemn the ceremonies and the sacrifices.
•  They discuss the various theories of creation of the universe and define the doctrine of action (karma).
•  Mandukyu Upanishad is the source of ‘Satya Mevya Jayate’.

Smritis —

•  Explains rules and regulations in the vedic life.
•  Main are Manusmriti,Naradsmriti , Yagyavalkyasmriti and Parasharsmriti.
•  Dharmasutras contain social laws popularly known as ‘Smriti’.
• Earliest Dharmasutra is the Manusmriti which is also called Manav Darshan.

Vedangas –

• Six Vedangas are Shiksha which deals with pronunciation, Kalpa which deals with rituals, Vyakarana which deals with grammar, Nirukta which deals with etymology or phonetics, Chhanda which deals with meter and Jyotisha which deals with astronomy.

Epics –

There are two epic – Ramayana written by Valmiki
Mahabharata written by Vyas.

I think Vedic Age notes in this article is enough for any examination. For any doubt feel free to talk.