VEDIC CULTURE

# INTRODUCTION
•The cities of the Harappan Culture had declined by 1500 BCE. Consequently, their economic and
administrative system had slowly declined.
•Around this period, the Aryans entered the north-west India probably from the area around the
CASPIAN SEA in Cental ASIA [this central asian theory is given by MAX MULLER]
•They entered India probably through KHYBER PASS [HINDUKUSH MOUNTAIN]
• The word ‘Arya’ means ‘noble’. Aryans migrated to India in several waves through the passes in the
northwestern mountains. Their earliest life seems to have been mainly pastoral, agriculture being a
secondary occupation.
• They initially settled in the valleys of the north-west and the plains of the Punjab. Later, they moved
into the Indo-Gangetic plains. They led a nomadic life and were mainly in search of pastures.
•By 6th century BCE, they occupied the whole of North India, which was referred to as Aryavarta.
• The period between 1500 BCE and 600 BCE may be divided into: „
The Early Vedic Period or Rig Vedic Period (1500 BCE–1000 BCE)
„The Later Vedic Period (1000 BCE–600 BCE)

VEDIC PERIOD
1500-600BC

RIG-VEDIC LATER VEDIC

PERIOD PERIOD
1500-1000BC 1000-600BC

# ASSUMPTION ABOUT ORIGINAL HOMELAND OF ARYANS

Origin Scholars
Saptasindu Dr. Sampoornanand
River Devika D.S. Triveda
Tibet Dayanand Saraswati
Kashmir and Himalayan Dr. L.D Kalla
North pole Bal Gangadhar Tilak [ book- Arctic home of the vedas]
Central asia Max Muller and Reed
Germany Penka and Hert
Tribal Conflicts-

•The first group of Aryans fought against the Dravidians and other inhabitants whom they defeated
and are supposed to have been pushed down towards south India.

•The enemies were described by Aryans as Panis and Dasas.

• The Panis were cattle-thieves.

•The aryans came in conflict with local inhabitants called as DASA, DASYUS.

•DASAS- early aryans

•DASYUS- original inhabitants of the country
•TRASADASYUS [aryan chief]- they were soft towards DASAS but not with DASYUS
•The term dasyuhatya (slaughter of the dasyus) is repeatedly mentioned in the Rig Veda.
•The country, ‘Bharatvarsha’ is named after the Bharata tribe, which is mentioned in the Rig Veda.

• The famous Battle of Ten Kings or the Dasrajan Yudha was fought between the tribe Bharatas, led by
king Sudas and the Confederacy of the other ten tribes – Puru, Yadu, Turvasa, Anu, Druhyu, Alina,
Paktha, Bhalanas, Shiva and Vishanin. The former five are said to be Aryan tribes while the latter five
are said to be Non-Aryan tribes. The Bharatas emerged victorious in the battle which was fought on
the banks of river Parushni (present Ravi).

1. Early Vedic Civilization or Rig Vedic Period (1500 BC – 1000 BC)

At first, the Aryans lived in the land known as “Sapta Sindhu” meaning Land of the Seven Rivers. The name
of the seven rivers were: Sindhu (Indus), Vipash (Beas), Vitasta (Jhelum), Parushni (Ravi), Asikni (Chenab),
Shutudri (Satluj) and Saraswati.

2. Political Structure
•The head of the government was known as Rajan.
•The largest political and administrative unit was Jana in Rig Vedic times.
•The name of the basic unit of political organization was ‘Kula‘
•Multiple families together formed a ‘grama‘.
•Leader of ‘grama’ was called ‘Gramani‘.
•Groups of villages were known as ‘visu’, headed by ‘vishayapati‘.
•Tribal assemblies were known as Sabhas and Samitis. The names of tribal kingdoms are- Bharatas, Matsyas
Yadus and Purus.
Jana -
Rajan

Vis[clan]-
vispati ADMINISTRATIVE
UNITS
Gram- Gramini

Kula[family] – Kulapa/
Kulpati
3. Popular Assemblies-
The Aryans had their own folk assembly known as Vidhata meant for the economic, social and military
purpose. Though the king enjoyed substantial power, yet he was not an autocrat. In the work of
administration, he consulted two bodies and acted according to their decision. These were: „
Sabha: It was a select body of elders and advised the king on administration. It also functioned as a
court of law and tried criminal cases. The head of the sabha was known as ‘Sabhapati’. „
Samiti: It was the most popular assembly and included common people. The Samiti mainly dealt with
the political business of the state. It also used to elect the king. The head of Samiti was known as ‘Pati’

4. MAJOR OFFICERS –
•Religious officer- purohit
•Spy – Spash
•Durgapati or Castellan- purap
•Pasture officer- Vajapati
•Police- Ugra Judicial officer not mentioned

5. Administration
•The tribal chief or the Rajan was at the centre of the administrative machinery of the Aryans.
• In the work of administration, the king was assisted by a number of functionaries like the Purohita
(priest), the Senani (General of the Army), the Gramani (village headman) and the spsa (spies).
•The king did not maintain any regular or standing army, but during times of war he mustered militias.
The military element was strong in the tribal system of the government.
•The army mainly consisted of Patti (infantry) and Rathins (chariot warriors).
•The soldiers were organised into units known as Sardha, Vrata and Gana. „
•„Bali, the voluntary offerings from the people, was probably received by the chiefs.
• „Vrajapati was the officer who enjoyed authority over a large land or pasture ground. „

6 .Social Structure
•Women occupied respectable positions and were allowed to participate in Sabhas and Samitis.
•There were women poets such as Apala, Lopamudra, Viswavara, and Ghosa.
•Amaju – were the women who wanted to live unmarried for life time.
•Cows became very important among cattle.
•Monogamy was practiced but polygamy was present among royalty and noble families.
•There was no practice of child marriage.
•Social distinctions existed but were not followed rigidly and hereditary.

7. Caste System
•„In the early Vedic age, there was no caste system. Instead, they were divided into classes. „
•Member of the same family could pursue different occupations, arts, crafts and trades and could
change it at will. There was hardly any restriction in intermarriage and change of occupation.

8. RELIGION-
•Main diety- Indra dev
•Mediator between human being and god- Agni deva
•Holy animal- cow
•Cow was also known as ADHANYA- means the thing or animal that cannot be killed.
•Holy river – Saraswati
•The gayatri was mantra is addressed to a diety called Savitri, in Rig veda. Gayatri mantra was
composed by Vishwamitra and it is believed that this mantra was composed to convert people into
ARYANS.
•Mostly male gods were worshipped as the society was patriarchal.
 ANCIENT GODS
1. INDRA DEV •ALSO KNOWN AS PURANDAR
•HE WAS DESTROYER OF FORTS
•HE IS ALSO A RAIN GOD
•250 HYMNS ARE DEDICATED TO HIM
2. AGNI DEV MEDIATOR BETWEEN HUMAN AND GOD
3. RUDRA DEV GOD OF ANIMALS
4. DAUS CONSIDERED AS OLDEST GOD AND FATHER OF WORLD

5. SAVITRI GOD OF LIGHT

6. PUSHAN CATTLE GOD OR CONSIDERED AS GOD OF SHUDRAS

7. VARUN DEVA CREATOR OF EARTH AND SUN, REGULATOR AND RULER OF

WORLD
8. ASHWIN GOD OF CALAMITIES
9. MARUT GOD OF STORM
10. VISHNU GAURDIAN OF EARTH AND GOD OF 3 WORLDS

9. Trade and Commerce-

• Trade was conducted through barter system. There were trade and maritime activities. Sometimes
traders made a journey to distant lands for larger profits in trade.
• The cow was used as a unit of value. Gradually the pieces of gold called “nishka” were used as a
means of exchange.
• Trade and commerce were regulated and managed by a group of people called “Pani”.

10. OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION-

•„The Aryans wore dresses made from cotton, wool and deer skin. „
•The garments consisted of three parts—an undergarment called ‘Nivi’, a garment called ‘Vasa’ or
‘Paridhan’ and a mantle known as ‘adhivasa.
• Slaughter of the cow was prohibited since it was considered a sacred animal. People also drank
intoxicating liquor, “Sura”.
•GANA is mentioned 46 times
•Barley and yava was mostly eaten

•Important terms-
-Gau – cow
-Gavishti – war or fight for cow/ search for cows
-Gopati –protector of cows
-Godhuli – measurement of time
-Gavyuti – measurement of distance
-Duhitra – one who milks cow
-Gomat – wealthy man who owns many cattle's
-Niyoga – widow remarriage
-Purpatis- commander of mud forts
-Veknaut- the person who lends money on interest
•The word Aryan denotes – a race
•The 1st permanent home of the Aryans in India was Punjab.
•“The world God and God is my soul” is the philosophy contained in the Upanishads.
•“War begins in the minds of men” is stated in Atharvaveda.
•“Ratnakara” was denoted by the Indian Ocean.
•The earliest Aryan tax – Bali.
•The ancient term for forced labour – Vishti.
•Panini – Wrote Sanskrit Grammar.
•The code of conduct of the Vedic Society was laid out in the text – Smritis.
•The metal was mentioned in Rig-Veda is Lead.
•The word “Gotra” occurs for the 1st time in Rig Veda.
•The literal meaning of the word Aryan is Superior.
•Max Muller was the 1st European to designate Aryan as a race.

Ancient Name of the River Modern Name of the River

Vitasta Jhelum
Askini Chenab
Purushni Ravi
Vipasa Beas

•Vedic Text and their contents:

Manu Smriti Code of law

Sutras Customs and rituals
Upvedas Secular subjects
Brahamanas Explanatory notes on Vedic
mantras

•Important Points:
•Rig veda is also known as-
•Total no. of Vedas – 4.
Apaurshya- it was not made or written by man
•Total no. Of Upanishads – 108.
Nitya – something that will exist till eternity
•Total no. of Vedangas – 6.
Vedas were revealed by gods to sages or rishis
•Total no. of Darshans – 6.
•Total no. of Upaveda – 4.

INTRODUCTION –
The period that followed Rig vedic age is known as LATER VEDIC AGE. The age witnessed the
composition of 3 later vedas i.e samveda, yajur veda and atharva vedaas well as Brahmanas and
upanishads of all the four vedas and later on the two epic- The ramayana and the Mahabharata.
•In later vedic period, indra deva was replaced by Prajapati (the creator)
•Since, 1000BC iron was discovered therefore Iron was used as weapons and instruments
•The four fold division or varna system in Later Vedic period was determined on the basis of birth rather
than occupation.
Political structure
•Larger kingdoms were named ‘Mahajanapadas’ or ‘rashtras‘.
•The power of the king had increased and he was forced to perform various rituals and sacrifices for
making his position strong like Rajasuya (consecration ceremony), Asvamedha (horse sacrifice), and
Vajpeyi (chariot race).
•The titles of kings were Rajavisvajanan, Ahilabhuvanapathi (lord of all earth), Ekrat, and Samrat (sole
ruler).
•The Samiti and the Sabha were diminished.

Social structure
•The Varna system became important and society was divided into four divisions such as Brahmins,
Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras.
•Brahmin and Kshatriyas were in a higher position.
•Various sub-castes were divided on the basis of occupation.
•Women were treated as inferior and subordinate to men and also lost their political position of
attending assemblies.
•Child marriages were common in society.

Economic structure
•More land was treated for cultivation by clearing forests.
•Agriculture became the main occupation of people to grow barley, rice, and wheat.
•Among industrial activity metalwork, leatherwork, carpentry, and pottery advancement became important.
•Internal trade and foreign trade (Babylon through the sea) also became extensive.
•Hereditary merchants (Vaniya) formed a different class.
•Vaisyas indulged in trade and commerce organized themselves into guilds called ‘ganas‘.
•Gold coins like ‘satamana’ (besides ‘nishka’) and silver coins like ‘krishnala‘ –were used as mediums of
exchange.

Religion
•Indra and Agni lost their importance and Prajapathi (the creator), Vishnu (the protector) and Rudra (the
destroyer) became the main gods.
•Rituals became more elaborate and the importance of prayers declined.
•The priesthood became hereditary and they dictated the rules for these rituals and sacrifices.
•As a strong protest against the priesthood, Buddhism and Jainism were raised at the end of this period.

#OTHER IMPORTANT FACTS-

•ATHARVA VEDA- birth of daughter is not appreciated.

•Aitareya brahmana – Daughter were considered as source of misery
•Women were denied of gayatri mantra and upnayana sanskara
•Emergence of Janpads
•Athrava Veda- King as protector of Brahmans and eater of people.
•Sathapatha Brahmana- mentions various stages of Agriculture- ploughing, sowing, reaping and
threshing
•Crops- brley- yava, rice- vrihi, wheat- godhuma.
•Iron was discovered in 1000BC
•Internal trade centers- Hstinapur and Kausambi nagar
•Pushan – who was protector or god of cattles became god of shudras
•Signs of idolatry appear in later vedic time
 # 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.

# Important officer-
• suta – charioteer
•Bhagadugha – tax collector
•Gramini – head of village
•Palagat – messenger
•Sthapati – chief Judge
•Takshan - carpenter
VEDIC LITERATURE- [remaining]
•Upveda – upveda means applied knowledge. Each upveda is associated with one veda
which is the source of knowledge for that.
Vedas Priests Brahmanas Upanishads Upveda
Rig veda Hotri Aitreya and Aitreya and Ayurveda –
Kaushitaki Kaushitaki deals with
medicine
Sama veda Udgatri Tanyamaha and Cahndogya and Gandharva-
jaiminya jaiminya deals with
music and
dance
Yajur veda Adhvarya Tetriya , Tetriya , katha Dhanur – deals
sathapatha Brihadarayaka, in archery
isa
Atharva veda Atharva rishi Gopatha Mundaka, prasna Sthapatiya –
deals with
architecture

•Muktika upanishad- gives list of all 108 upanishad in which muktika is the last upanishad itself

•Svadhyayo adhyetavyah –is a famous statement in the veda, which means everyone should receive
education.

•Sutra – it is comapred to Algebric formula

KALPASUTRA is the most important one it consist of 3 groups-
1. SRAUT SUTRA- rituals and sacrifices of Agni, soma and animal
2. GRIHIJA or SMARTA SUTRA- deals with domestic ceremonies performed by householders
3. DHARMA SUTRA- deals with laws, manners and customs of the people
 ANCIENT NAME PRESENT NAME
1. ASIKINI CHENAB
2. PARUSHINI RAVI
3. VITASTA JHELUM
4. SUTUNDRI SUTLUJ
5.VIPASA BEAS
6. KUBHA KABUL
7. CHARMAVATI CHAMBAL

1. Battle of 10 kings i.e, Dasraja war is mentioned in which mandal of rig veda:

1. 10th Mandal
2. 3rd Mandal
3. 7th Mandal
4. None of the above
2. What is the term used for the “search for cow” or “fight for cows” in rig veda:
1. Gavishti
2. Gopati
3. Godhuli
4. Gomat
3. The name ‘Aghanya’ mentioned in many passages of the Rig veda refers to:
1. Cow
2. Rhinos
3. Women
4. Children
4. Which yajna was performed for coronation of king:

1. Rjasuya yajna
2. Ashwamedha
3. Vajpaye yajna
4. None of the above

5.What was veda also known as-

1. Apaurshya
2. Nitya
3. Both a and b
4. None of these
Answers –

1. 7th mandal
2. Gavishti
3. cow
4. Rajsuya yajna
5. Both a and b