Vedic Age PDF

VEDIC AGE Dr. Arun Kumar Assistant Professor Department of History Lovely Professional University,Phagwara, Punjab.  Learning Outcomes  know the various sources to know about the Early Vedic period...

VEDIC AGE Dr. Arun Kumar Assistant Professor Department of History Lovely Professional University,Phagwara, Punjab.  Learning Outcomes  know the various sources to know about the Early Vedic period  understand the theory of a large-scale migration by the Indo-Aryan through these sources and critically evaluate it  know the nature of economy, society, polity and religion of the Early Vedic people.  Understand about all the aspects of the later vedic age.  Introduction Rigveda is considered to be the earliest collection of hymns available, and so, we shall start by examining the Rigveda for an understanding of the Early Vedic period and then go on to other Vedas and allied texts which are placed later.  Introduction  First, the Vedas are thought to have been composed by the Aryans and it was long believed that the Aryans played a major role in civilizing the Indian subcontinent.  Second, when the contents of the Rigveda are compared with the contents of the Later Vedas and allied texts, it becomes clear that significant changes took place in the Vedic society itself. Geographical Area  Sources Two types of sources to study the Early Vedic period: 1. Literary 2. Archaeological Sources  Literary Sources Four Vedas: 1. Rigveda 2. Samveda 3. Yajurveda 4. Atharvaveda Rigveda is the earliest text.  Literary Sources Word ‘veda’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Vid’ which means ‘to know’.  Literary Sources  Four Vedas are also ‘Samhitas’, in the sense that they represent the oral tradition of the time  Rigvedic Samhita comprises ten books or ‘Mandalas’ of which books II to VII are considered to be the earliest and belong specifically to the Early Vedic Phase.  Books I, VIII, IX and X are considered later additions to the Samhita.  Archaeological Sources  Excavations conducted in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, northern Rajasthan, along the Indus and Ghaggar rivers over the last 40 years, have unearthed many post- Harappan /Chalcolithic settlements from these regions.  Dated from 1700 BCE to 600 BCE.  Archaeological Findings  Earlier scholars believed that the Indo- Aryans caused the downfall of the Harappan civilization by destroying the Harappan towns and cities.  Rigvedic hymns which invoke Indra to destroy the dwellers of the forts.  But archaeological evidence has shown that the decline of the Harappan civilization was not caused by any large- scale destruction brought about by an alien invading group.  Archaeological Findings  Attempts to identify the makers of Painted Grey Ware with the Aryans also do not receive strong support from archaeological evidence.  PGW cultures were related to the Aryans, then keeping the theory of invasion in mind, we should have found this pottery type in the areas of Bahawalpur and Punjab i.e. along the route taken by the so-called Aryan migrants.  Pottery types confined to a particular geographical region comprising Haryana, Upper Ganga basin and eastern Rajasthan.  Archaeological Findings  It was earlier thought that there exists a time gap and hence, a cultural discontinuity between the Late Harappan and the post- Harappan Chacolithic period.  Excavations at Bhagwanpura, Dadheri (Haryana), and Manda (Jammu) have shown that the Late Harappan and Painted Grey Wares could be found together without any breaks.  “Invasion” cannot be proved on the basis of the excavated sites.  Economy  Early Vedic society was pastoral; cattle rearing was the dominant occupational activity.  Hymns of the Rigveda yield extensive evidence of the importance of cattle in the Early Vedic society  Terms used for conflicts and battles in this period were gavishti, gavesana, gavyat, etc.  Raja or the chief is called the ‘gopati’ or one who protects cows.  Rigveda, Godhuli is used as a term for a measure of time. Economy  Economy  Apart from ‘Yava’ or barley, no other grains are mentioned.  Copper, with which they were familiar, did not have as much value in agricultural operations as iron implements.  Stone tools (like axes) were used and these are mentioned in the Rigveda.  Fire was used to burn down the forest cover and shifting agriculture was practiced.  Economy  Gift exchange and redistribution had an important economic role in the society. Tribal conflicts led to the payment of tributes and prestations, i.e. bali, to the victorious chiefs by the defeated or the subordinate groups.  Rest of the clansmen of the victorious tribe had a share in the spoils and booty won in the war.  Chief also fed and gave gifts to his clansmen during ceremonial occasions.  Evidence of trade and commerce in Early Vedic society is meager.  No concept of private property based on land- ownership. Society  Society  An example being the battle of the Ten Kings mentioned in the Rigveda.  Bharatas, the Purus, the Yadus, the Druhyus, the Anus and the Turvasus.  Society was patriarchal.  Birth of a son was the common desire of the people.  Various occupational groups such as those of weavers, smiths, carpenters, leather workers, chariot-makers, priests etc. are also mentioned.  Chariot-makers occupied special social status.  No references to beggars, wage-earners or wages in the Rigveda.  Society  The society was based on the works and thus the four varnas were there namely- Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya, Shudra.  Each of them were assigned to specific works.  In Emergency, Apada Dharma , the first three varnas could go for the works assigned to the others.  The status of the women of the royal clans was very good as in the case of Apala, Ghosha , Lopamudra  Polity  Tribal polity was not completely egalitarian. A division is found in the Rigveda itself, which is seen in references to two groups —  Rajanyas, or those who fought the wars, and are credited to be the senior lineage,  Rest of the clansmen or the vis, who formed the junior lineage.  Polity  Clans held large yajnas or sacrifices to help the warrior groups in the wars.  Yajnas the officiating priest or the purohita acted as the mediator between his clansmen and the gods.  Polity  Tribal assemblies e.g. the Gana, Vidatha, Sabha and Samiti are mentioned in the Rigveda.  Sabha may have been the council of select clan members and the Samiti perhaps comprised the whole clan.  Assemblies performed the functions of the government and administration and were also involved in the selection of the raja from amongst the clansmen.  Religion  Religious ideas of the Vedic people are reflected in the hymns of the Rigveda.  Indra was the god of strength, who was invoked to destroy the enemies.  Agni, next in importance to Indra, was the god of fire.  Yama was the god of death and had an important place in the Early Vedic religious beliefs.  Religion Vedic religion was sacrificial in nature. Sacrifices or yajnas were performed: 1. to invoke the gods, 2. in order to grant boons; victory in battles, 3. or for acquisition of cattle, sons etc. Later Vedic Period  Introduction  Period that you are going to study now, extends roughly from 1000 BCE to 600 BCE.  Some of Vedic tribes had moved from the ‘Sapta Sindhava’ region to the Upper- Ganga valley and other adjacent regions.  During the period of this shift a number of changes in their social, political, economic and religious structure took place. Geographical Extension  Sources  Literary Sources  Archaeological Sources  Literary Sources  Later additions especially the 10th Mandala of the Rigveda Samhita and the Sama, the Yajur and the Atharvaveda Samhitas are the other Vedic texts which are assigned to the Later Vedic phase.  Samaveda Samhita is a book of prayers and chants which are from the Rigveda, modified and set to tune for the explicit purpose of singing them during rituals.  Literary Sources  Yajurveda elaborates the rituals which accompany the recitation of hymns. The rituals and the hymns in this Samhita document the social and political milieu of this period.  Artharvaveda contains the folk tradition of this period and represents popular religion. It is a good source for understanding the socio-religious conditions of the common people.  Archaeological Sources  700 PGW sites have been found along the Upper-Ganga basin.  Distribution extends from the dry beds of the river Ghaggar in Bahawalpur and northern Rajasthan, to the watershed of the Indus and Ganges and the Ganga-Yamuna Doab.  Eastern limit of this ware is restricted to the northern plains of the Ganges, as the site of Shravasti indicates.  Important PGW sites are Atranjikhera, Ahichhatra, Noh, Hastinapura, Kurukshetra, Bhagwanpura and Jakhera.  Iron Technology and Its Impact  Evidence of the Later Vedic period suggests a transition from a pastoral society to a sedentary agrarian society.  Socketed axes made of iron were extensively used to clear the forests of the Gangetic Doab for permanent cultivation.  Objects which are found in the excavations are iron tipped arrowheads, spearheads, etc. i.e. weapons of which the largest number comes from the Ahichhatra excavations. Sickles, hoes, axes are rarely found in the excavations.  Iron Technology and Its Impact  One ploughshare has been reported from Jakhera which probably belongs to the end of this period.  Later Vedic period, clearing of forests by burning was carried out in the upper Doab.  Iron tipped weapons and horse chariots helped military activities which were rampant in this period and have been extensively documented in the Mahabharata.  The Nature of Economy  Growth of agriculture in the Later Vedic period was made possible by the availability of vast tracts of fertile alluvial lands of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab and the middle-Ganga valley.  Both archaeological and literary sources document the introduction of rice as the  The Nature of Economy  PGW and Banas culture have yielded charred grains of rice from excavated sites.  Vedic texts mention Vrihi, Tandula and Sali, all denoting rice.  Importance of Pastoralism Declines  Mixed farming led to the rise of sedentary settlements. The PGW deposits are generally 2 to 3 m. deep and indicate that people were living in the same spot for a long time.  At Bhakpura and Jakhera, the excavations show that the earlier phase of circular huts made of wattle-and-daub or wood were replaced in this period by more substantial houses with earth walls.  Changes in the Functions of Rituals  Rituals became much more complicated which could continue for years.  Chief gave gifts to the brahmanas who performed sacrifices for him.  Performance of sacrifices was supposed to grant super-human status to the chiefs meaning that they were superior to rest of the tribe.  Emerging Importance of Land  Land was cultivated through family labor and the help of domestic servants and slaves.  Vaisyas (those who originally belonged to the vis) were the producing class in the society and they became the source of wealth and subsistence for the kshatriyas and the brahmanas who did not actively participate in food production.  Visvakarma Bhauvana, a ruler, was rebuked by Prithvi (the earth) when he tried to make a grant of land.  Polity  Jana  Tribal Chiefs and Warriors  Tribal Assemblies  Raja’s Legitimacy  Tribal Conflicts  The Priest  Society  Concept of Varna  Gotra  Family  Three Stages of Life  Religion Texts of this period indicate two different religious traditions: – the Vedic, which is documented in the Sama and Yajurveda samhitas and the Brahmanas – the non-Vedic or perhaps the folk tradition extensively documented in the Atharvaveda.  Religion  Priest Craft  The Changing Gods  Folk Tradition Thank you