HISTORY
Vedic Civilization - 1
Vedic Age (1500-600 BCE)
General Survey
Introduction
● Vedic culture is known largely from Vedic literature (Rig Vedic
Age 1500-1000 BCE and Later Vedic Period 1000-600 BCE).
● Discovery of 700 PGW sites (900-500-BCE) so far in the
Indo-Ganga divide, upper Ganga valley and Ganga Yamuna
doab has provided archaeological materials to corroborate and
verify literary data in Vedic literature.
● The beginning of the use of iron, not encountered in Harappan
times, is also recorded archaeologically.
● Rig Veda speaks of a simple socioeconomic, political set up
and religious life.
● The later Vedic times witnessed the spread of Vedic culture
from the Punjab area to the south, east, and southeast, i.e. in
various parts of Ganga valley. Changes brought about greater
complexities in socio-economic, political, and religious
conditions than those of Rig Vedic times. PGW sites are found
to have borne material evidence for changes noted above.
Historiography of Vedic Culture and Aryans
● Earlier theory of invasion of northern India by Aryans is no
longer acceptable
● It was more or less a Colonial construct
● This view was prevalent due to particular interpretation of Vedic
texts and when only literary sources were used
● Recent archaeological research and refinements in linguistic
studies have led to a new understanding of the Vedic Age
Rig Veda
● The Rig Veda is the oldest as well as the most important
Samhitas
● The Rig Veda (Veda of praise) consists of 1017 hymns (suktas)
● These are supplemented by 11 others called valakhilyas
● It is for the use of the Hotri priest
● It is divided into 10 books or mandalas
● Mandala III has the famous Gayatri mantra composed by
Vishvamitra
Sama Veda
● It is called the book of chants
● The name is derived from saman, a song or melody
● The origins of Indian music are traced to it
● It consists of stanzas (except 75) taken from the Rig Veda
● These verses were set to tune for the purpose of chanting by
the Udgatri priests at the Soma sacrifice
Yajur Veda
● The Yajur Veda is the Veda of yajus or formulae
● It consists of various mantras (hymns) for the purpose of recitation
and rules to be observed at the time of sacrifice
● It is primarily a guide for the use of the Adhvaryu priest who performs
the ritual
● Royal ceremonies of Rajasuya and Vajapeya are mentioned for the
first time in this Veda
● In contrast to the first two Vedas which are in verse entirely Yajur
Veda is in both verse and prose
● It is divided into two parts: Krishna and Shukla
Atharva Veda
● It is the Veda of the Atharvans or the knowledge of magic
formulas
● It contains charms and spells in verse to ward off evils and
diseases
● Believed to be the work of non-Aryans
● Its contents throw light on the beliefs and practices of the
non-Aryans
● It is divided into two parts: Paippalada and Saunaka
Comparison of Literary and Archaeological Sources
● Earlier theory of invasion of northern India by Aryans is no
longer acceptable. This view was prevalent due to a particular
interpretation of Vedic texts, and when only literary sources
were used. But recent archaeological work and refinements in
linguistic studies have led to the questioning of this theory.
Major archaeological cultures succeeding Harappan in
northern India were:
● Gandhara Grave Culture of Swat Valley;
● OCP culture from 1500 BCE;
● Chalcolithic cultures associated with Black-and-Red ware and
Black-slipped potteries from 2000 to 500 BCE;
PGW from 1200-400 BCE — first in Rajasthan and Punjab and
later in Doab.
● Contemporary with some of these archaeological cultures was
Vedic literature.
● Earliest was Rig Veda. Subsequent to this are Atharva, Yajur,
and Sama Vedas. Attached to each Veda are other categories
of texts composed later, such as Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and
Upanishads.
Their dating is uncertain as they were memorized and handed
down orally for centuries and could only have been written down by
about 400 BCE.
● Further additions are made to the Vedic corpus such as sutra
texts.
● These cover a wide range of subjects from the ideal society of
Dharma-sutras (giving rise to later Dharma-sastras) to details of
etymology as in Yaska’s Nirukta.
Norms relating to social duties, obligations, and rites are included
in Dharma-sutras, Grihya-sutras, and Srauta-sutras.
● These three sutra texts attributed to the same author are
sometimes given the label of Kalpa-sutras.
● There is also a division into sruti, those which are revealed
such as Vedas, as distinct from smrti texts which are
memorized such as sutras. Smrti also included, according to
some, it has Purana tradition, which covered two epics as well
as much later texts of Puranas.
Within Vedic texts, there are sections which are of an earlier date
and others which are later. Therefore chronology of such texts can
only be approximate. In using these as source material, we have to
also keep in mind that these were concerned with religious rituals
and beliefs.
