Vedic Period

on

  • Period bw 1500-1000 BC Early Vedic, 1000-600 BC Later Vedic. 
Rig Vedic or Early Vedic (1500-1000 BC) 
  • Beginning of historical age (It has literature), 700 sites were found. Painted grey ware in all those sites therefore also known as PGW civilization. 
  • Vedic Literature: Lots of books divided into 8 parts, Early vedic and later vedic. Early vedic: Vedas, Brahamanas, Arayankas, Upanishads. Veda - means superior knowledge. 
    • Rig Yajur Sama Atharva. 
      • Rig - hymns sung in praise of various gods. Gayatri Mantra, goddess savatri, 10th chapter Purushasukta (First reference of caste system).
      • Yajur - rules at time of sacrifice. 
      • Sama - purpose of chanting during sacrifice (book of chants and origins of Indian music). 
      • Atharva - details of rituals. Besides this: 
    • Brahamanas (treatises relating to prayer) (Commentary on vedas), Aitaraya Brahmana: First reference of Andhra; Satapata Brahmana: Largest Brahmana, Ploughing rituals; Kausikati Brahmana. Brahamana are karma kanda, Aryanakas are Gyan Kanda. 
    • Aranyakas (forest books). Ramayana (Valmiki) & Mahabharata (Veda Vyas). Contains the philosophy of germis and rishis in forest. 
    • Upanishads (philosophical texts dealing with abstract topics - soul et al). Also called Vedanta, because at the end of vedas, Mundako Upanishad: Satyamev Jayate, Maha Upanishad: Vashudev Kutambakam. 
  • Vajpeya (chariot races, and gifts to courtiers) performed by kings and chiefs through Brahmana priests. Most prominent river of the Rigveda is the Sarasvati, next to the Indus. 
  • Economy - mainly cattle rearing, pastoral -> agriculture switch. Limited cultivation, less trade, Industry: Carpentry popular, spinning, goldsmith, potters. Gold coins called nishka (no evidence), Source of income: booty- wealth from war, bali- voluntary offering. 
  • Political org - basic unit - kula/family. Several families joined to form a village (leader gramani). 
    • Group of village - visu (leader vishayapati). Highest political unit - jana/tribe. Tribal groups - Bharatas, Matsyas, Yadus, Purus. Polity -republics. Tribal Chief Rajan Sabha - committee of elders, samiti - committee of all. Vidhata: women were associated, gana: republics. War fought for cows. Administration: Senapati, Purohita, Prajapati, Spasa (Spies) 
  • Society - patriarchal, head of family - grahapati. Women given equal opportunities in intel/spirit development (Apala, Viswavara, Ghosa, Lopamudra - poets). No child marriage/sati. No rigid social divisions. Class divided society but not so rigid, inter marriages and inter dinning, (Anuloma-highclass male, pratiloma: Low class male), Niyoga (Childless widow, new husband is brother of died one). 
  • Religion - worshipped elements such as Prithvi (earth), Agni (fire), Vayu (wind), Varuna (rain) and Indra (thunder, popular). Female gods - Aditi and Usha. No temples, no idol worship. 
  • Practice of megaliths began around 3000 years ago (1000 BC) and was prevalent throughout Deccan and south, North east and Kashmir. Dead were buried with distinctive pots - Black and Red Ware, tools and weapons, horses, ornaments of stone and gold. Rich and poor distinction was clear. 
  • Cist burial is a small stone-built coffin like box to keep the dead persons while Dolmen burial is like a single chamber megalithic tomb having two or more vertical megaliths 
  • Inamgaon (Maharashtra) - buried head towards north, sometimes within the houses, vessels that contained food and water. 
  • Speakers of Indo-Aryan language - Sanskrit - entered NW India from Indo-Iran. Cattle keeping people -> in search of pastures. Occupied whole of North India by 6th century BC (Aryavarta). 
  • Aryans: 

1.2 Later Vedic Age:
  • 1. Later Vedic Literature: Vedangas, Puranas, Upavedas, Ethihasas, 
  • Vedangas: Shiksha (Phonetics), Niruktta (etymology), Vyakarna (Grammar), Jyotisha (Astrology), Chandas (metrics), Kalpa (Deals with rituals) 
  • Puranas: Total 18 puranas, Vishnu purana, Matya purana, Markandeya purana, Vayu purana. Puranas compiled by Brahmanas by 500 AD included stories about gods and goddesses. Written in simple Sanskrit and meant to be read aloud to everybody (incl women and Shudras) who didn't have access to Vedic learning. One could attain the grace of God irrespective of one’s caste status 
  • Upavedas: Ayurveda (medicine)-Rigveda, Gandarva veda (music)- Samaveda, Shilpa veda (Art and architecture)-Arthvaveda, Dhaurveda (war and archery)-Yajurveda. 
    • 3 types of Kalpa: Griha sutra, domestic rituals, every individual have to perform 16 rituals, Upanayana (acceptance of student by teacher), 16th ritual is vivaha. 
    • Srauta Sutra: Public rituals sacrifices, kings perform this ritual for the sake of people. Ashvamedh yagya: Kings perform, Rajasuyagya: After successful completion priest announces king is like a god. 
    • Suluva Sutra: Constrution of fire altar lot of geometry. 
  • Epics: Ramayana and Mahabharta. 
  • Economy - agriculture main, (settled and sedimentary life style), rest made progress. Traded w Babylon, rise of hereditary merchant class. Satamana (gold) krishnala (silver) medium of exchange. 
  • Political org - amalgamation of janas into janapadas. New officials involved in administration. Importance of samiti and sabha declined. King is Bhupala. Source of income bhaga (Taxes). 
  • Administration: Bhagaduga (Tax collector), Sangrahiti (Treasurer), Suta (Charioteer), Kshata (Gateman), Govikarta (Forest officer), Jivagriha (police officer). 
  • Social - 4 division of society (Brahmin, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas & Sudras) or the varna system - thoroughly established. Women lost political rights, child marriages common, Sati comes to reality, widow marriages banned. (8 types of marriages: Brahma (most ideal), Daiva (For Priest), Arsha (Bride price of cow and bull), Prajaptaya (No Dowry), Gandarva (Marriage at first site), Asura (marriage by purchase), Rakshasa (Marriage by elopement), Pisacha (abduction)). 
  • Religion - Prajapathi, Vishnu & Rudra become prominent. Importance of prayers down and yagnas up. Priesthood now a profession and hereditary. Buddhism & jainism direct result of such shenanigans. 
  • Later Vedic - Period of growth of large kingdoms to eastern Gangetic plains. Kuru (Parikshit) and Panchala (Jaivali) kingdoms. Kosala, Kashi and Videha followed. 3 divisions of India - Aryavarta, Madhydesa, Dakshinapatha.

Comments

Post a Comment