The Aryans and

the Vedic Age

Decline of the Indus River Valley

civilizations
Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were the largest
cities
Civilizations participated in long-distance
trade
Possible causes:
Monsoons destroyed irrigation and farming
prospects
Invasions
Long distance trade collapsed

Aryans
Root of the word is arya meaning noble
or pure
Spoke an early form of Sanskrit
This Indo-European language is closely
related to Persian, Latin, Greek and modern
Romance languages
Nazis glorified Aryans as a superior race because
they were credited with this important language
development

Aryans
Where did they come from?
Most scholars argue that the Aryans
descended upon North India through the
Hindu Kush around 1500 BC
Some scholars now think that they arrived
much earlier, and perhaps descended from
the Harappan

Aryans and Vedas

Vedas
A collection, in multiple volumes, of hymns,
rituals, and philosophies
The vedas include stories that attempt to
explain how the world was created, who the
gods are, etc.
Thought to be the earliest written texts

Aryans and Vedas

Rig Veda
The earliest Veda
Originally was recited orally and passed down
generation to generation
Children began learning the Rig Veda at an
early age, would learn to chant each syllable
in perfect order

Aryans and Vedas

Portrays Aryans as fierce warriors with
military skill
Aryans did not spread through India
quickly, did not carry out well organized
military campaigns
Aryans were a collection of tribes who
gradually, over generations of warring with
each other came to power in North India

Aryans and Social Order

Each tribe was headed by a raja, or chief
Priests were next in importance
They learned complicated rituals
Rituals typically focused on honoring or
appeasing the gods

Aryans and Social Order

Warrior class
Farmers
Non-Aryans made up the lowest class
They were not slaves
They were only allowed to perform the most
menial tasks

Early Indian Society

1000-500 BC
Tribal rajas were no longer necessary
because tribal life was in decline
Kings controlled large pieces of territory
The Aryan-influenced areas extended all
the way to the Ganges River

Caste System
The system of dividing society into
hereditary groups that limited interaction
with each other, especially marriage
between castes
The hierarchical strata into which Indian
society was divided is called varna

Caste System

Brahmans (priests)
Kshatriya (warriors and officials)
Vaishya (merchants and artisans)
Shudra (peasants and laborers)
Dalit, or untouchables outside the caste
system

Caste System
Brahman
Aryan priests who supported the growth of
royal power
The only caste that was permitted to perform
important, sacred, daily religious rituals

Caste System
Untouchables
Were not permitted to participate in or be near
religious rituals
It is believed that people ended up in this
caste as a result of bad karma that
accumulated in previous lifetimes
Perform(ed) the most menial jobs