Delhi Public School Ghaziabad Vasundhara

NTSC
Ancient India
Topic- Early Vedic Ages
The period is divided in two parts early vedic age (1500 C.E-1000C.E) and later vedic
(1000 C.E-600 C.E).
The period is named so as the four vedas were written in this period .Rigved, Samved,
Yajurved and Atharveda.
The makers of this period were the Aryans .The word Aryan is derived from Sanskrit
which means favourably disposed towards newcomers and later it implied men of good
family.
Aryans were semi nomadic people lived in great steppe land which stretches from Poland
to central Asia.
On their way to India the Aryans first appeared in Iran .After crossing the Hindkush
mountains (Khyber Pass ) they came to India during 1500 B.C.
We know about the Aryans in India through Rigveda which is the earliest specimen of
Indo-European language and the only literary source of early vedic period.
Aryans did not lead settled life so they could not leave behind any solid material remains.
The earliest Aryans lived in the region of Saptasindhava i.e land of seven rivers covered
by the area of eastern Afghanistan, Punjab and Fringes of Western Uttar Pradesh.
The Sindhu or Indus river was par excellence for the Aryans. Another river mentioned is
Saraswati and was the first of Rigvedic rivers as its bank witnessed the development of
vedic rituals and sacrifices.
Yamuna is mentioned twice and ganga only once.
They knew the Himalaya as one of its peak Mujavat a source of soma plant is
mentioned.
They knew nothing about the Vindhyas and was not familiar with sea.
Social condition- a) lead semi nomadic life. b) people gave primary loyality to the
tribe( Jana) . c) family was patriarchal joint family. d) the head of family was called
Kulapa or Kulpati .
Women were equal to man, no evidence of child marriage, women received education
and also widow remarriage was in practice.
Polity : family was the basis of both social and political structure. King was called as
rajan and his post was hereditary.
Other functionaries were: Purohita (the priest), Senani(the leader of army), Gramini
(the head of village).
Important Assemblies : Sabha, Samiti
Economy main occupation was pastoralist and agriculture being the secondary.
Staple crop was barley (yava).
Coins unknown and barter system was practiced. Cow being the most valuable and wars
were fought over it .
They knew about gold but not silver. The term ayas was used for copper and bronze.

Religion Rig Vedic religion was primitive animism .Altogether 33 gods were identified
and categorized under terrestrial, atmospheric and celestial. Indra ,Agni, and Varun as
chief deity.