Ancient history LIFE IN VEDIC AGE Class 6, 11 NCERT & OTHER SOURCES
LIFE IN VEDIC AGE THE ARYAN SETTLEMENTS CITIES OF INDUS CIVILIZATION DECLINED BUT CULTURE CONTINUED WITH VARIANCES IN INDIAN SUB CONTINENT DURING 2 ND MILLENIUM B.C. DASYUS ORIGINAL HABITANTS OFINDIA BEFORE COMING OF ARYANS. PEOPLE SPEAKING INDO- ARYAN LANGUAGE (BASIS OF VEDIC SANSKRIT) EMERGED IN NW INDIA. THEIR ACTUAL ORIGINATING PLACE IS UNKNOWN. PERHAPS THEY CAME FROM NE IRAN OR REGION AROUND CASPIAN SEA OR CENTRAL ASIA. THIS PERIOD IS KNOWN AS VEDIC AGE BECAUSE ITS RECONSTRUCTION IS BASED ON VEDIC TEXTS AS SOURCES. VEDIC PERIOD CAN BE DIVIDED INTO EARLY VEDIC ( WHEN RIGVEDA WAS WRITTEN) & LATE VEDIC PERIODS.
EARLY VEDIC LATE VEDIC PERIOD 1500 1000 B.C 1000 600 B.C. EXTENSION OF ARYANS SOCIAL LIFE IS SAME OF EARLY & LATE VEDIC PERIOD. FOOD HABITS LIMITED TO AFGHANISTAN & PUNJAB PATRIARCHAL FAMILIES FATHER WAS KNOWN AS GRIHPATI SIMPLE, MORE USE OF MILK & MILK PRODUCTS. DRANK MADHU & INTOXICATING DRINKS LIKE SURA IN RIGVEDA. COW WAS REFERRED AS AGHANYA MEANS NOT TO BE KILLED. DRESS 3 TYPES NIVI,VAS AND ADHIVAS, TURBAN FOR HEAD MOVED FURTHER TOWARDS SOUTH EAST & EAST. ( BIHAR,BENGAL UPTO VINDHYAN MTS. SAME SAME GOLD & OTHER METAL ORNAMENTS, RICH PEOPLE WORE GOLD THREAD EMBROIDERED
EARLY VEDIC LATE VEDIC POSITION OF WOMEN VARNA SYSYTEM ASHRAM SYSTEM AGE BASED LIFE STAGES EQUAL STATUS WAS GIVEN TO WOMEN ABSENT, SIMPLE SOCIETY BASED ON OCCUPATION & NOT ON BIRTH ABSENT DECLINE IN POSITION AS STATES WERE FORMED HENCE SON WAS MORE PREFERRED. PRESENT, BASED ON BIRTH COMPLEX SOCIETY VARNA SYSTEM MADE 4 DIVISIONS BRAHAMAN KSHATRIYA VAISHYA SHUDRA.THIS FOLLOWED CLASS DISTINCTIONS & UNTOUCHABILITY. LEGACY OF THIS PERIOD BRHAMCHARYA GRIHASTH VANPRASTHA SANNYASA
BULLS & OXEN WAS USED FOR PLOUGHING IN BOTH EARLY & LATER VEDIC. HORSE WAS NOT A NATIVE ANIMAL TO INDIA BROUGHT FROM CENTRAL ASIA. CHARIOT RACING WAS A FAVOURITE AMUSMENT ACTIVITY. CHARIOT MAKERS WERE RESPECTED MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. OTHER ACTIVITIES LIKE MUSIC, DANCING & GAMBLING WERE ALSO VERY POPULAR.
EARLY VEDIC LATER VEDIC ECONOMIC LIFE OTHER OCCUPTIONS COINS Pastoralism chief occupation, CAME AS NOMADS WITH LARGE HERDS OF CATTLE. Agriculture HUNTING,POTTERY PAINTED GREY WARE (PGW) CARPENTRY TANNING BARTER SYSTEM DIDN T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF IRON BARLEY, RICE & WHEAT WAS GROWN RIGVEDIC COINS WERE KNOWN AS NISHKA AGRICULTURE BECAME CHIEF OCCUPATION, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY BARTER SYSTEM, HUNTING PGW & BLACK & RED WARE POTTERIES SPINNING & WEAVING GOLDSMITH LEATHER WORK HAD THE KNOWLEDGE OF IRON. USE OF IRON DATES BACK TO 1000 B.C. IN INDIA SAME SATMAN BECAME MORE POPULAR IN LATER VEDIC.
RELIGIOUS LIFE EARLY VEDIC RELIGION WAS SIMPLE WORSHIPPED NATURE : SKY(DHYOSH), EARTH, SUN, USHA( GODDEDD OF DAWN) MOON, VARUN, INDRA (GOD OF RAINS) WAS FAVOURITE BECAUSE HE WAS A STRONG & COULD STRIKE DOWN DEMONS & ENEMIES. VISHNU (PROTECTOR), SHIVA, SOM WERE MINOR DEITIES. ARYANS IN THIS PERIOD TRIED TO FIND THEIR ANSWERS IN NATURE LATER VEDIC MINOR DEITIES BECAME MAJOR & VICE VERSA. CONCEPT OF TRINITY EMERGED BRAHMA VISHNU MAHESH EMPHASIS ON YAGYA EMPHASIS ON RECITING MANTRAS INTRODUCTION OF SANSKARS TO REGULATE THE SOCIETY. BIRTH OF LOGIC WHICH LED TO THE WRITINGS OF UPANISHADS. UPANISHAD MEANS TO SIT CLOSE. IN UPNISHADS
POLITICAL LIFE TRIBAL POLITY SOCIETY WAS DIVIDED INTO TRIBES. FOUGHT FOR GRASSLANDS. EACH TRIBE HAD A CHIEF CHOSEN FOR HIS STRENGTH. IN LATER PERIOD, KINGSHIP BECAME HEREDITARY & HAD PEOPLE TO ASSIST HIM SENANI COMMANDER OF WARRIORS. PUROHITA OR PRIEST PERFORMED RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES. THEY WERE MESSENGERS THROUGH WHICH KING MADE CONTACT WITH TRIBESMEN. GRAMANIS HEADMEN OF VILLAGES. KING ALSO CONSULTED GRAMANIS. SAMITI ANYONE COULD SPEAK FROM THE ENTIRE TRIBES IN SAMITI SABHA SMALLER GROUP OF SELECTED PEOPLE VILLAGE TRIBE WAS SPLIT INTO SMALL UNITS C/D GRAMAS. WHEN VILLAGES BECAME LARGER & MORE MEMBERS OF TRIBE LIVED IN ONE VILLAGE THEN GROUP OF FAMILIES WERE KNOWN AS CLAN OR VISH & PEOPLE OF TRIBE WERE KNOWN AS JANA.
THAT S A WRAP