Later Vedic Period

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  •  Time line – 1000 and 700-600 BCE

Later Vedic Text

  • Sama, Yajur and Atharva Vedas, and the brahmanas, aranyakas and upanishads attached to the Vedas are the Late Vedic texts.
  • Speak about the region of Kuru Panchala
  • Movement of Aryans into the Ganga valley in the Later Vedic period (Eaastward expansion of the Aryans)
  • In Atharva Vedas, people of Anga and Magadha seen as enemies.
Tribals
  • Kurus, Panchalas, Vashas and Ushinaras.
Settlements & Territories
  • New settlements came up and the Upper Ganga Valley
  • janapada, referring to territory found in Brahmanas.
  • Nagara, commercial quarters.
  • Larger town appear in end of vedic period, Hastinapura and Kausambi are considered proto urban (urban-like) settlements
Political Organization
  • Assemblies became less important, power of the king increased (Monarchy developed).
  • Influence of assembly called vidhata.
  • samiti and sabha continued in the period.
  • Samrat/Samrajya developed and they suggest the increase in the power and ambition of the king.
  • Perform sacrifice: vajapeya, rajasuya & Srauta (sacrifice to achieve some benefits).
  • rashtra, to denote a territory, rajya, meaning sovereign power appeared.
  • State level political organization emerged only after 500 BCE.
  • Old organizations: rajya & ganasanghas.
  • Kuru-Panchalas became one major ethnic group, Capital: Hastinapur.
Social Organization
  • Varna became more established
  • Panchavimsa Brahmana, the Kshatriya is placed first higher than the Brahmana. But Satapatha Brahmana, the Brahmana is placed higher than Kshatriya.
  • Concept of dvija (twice-born) developed and upanayana (sacred thread) was limited.
  • craft groups managed to attain higher status.
  • cross varna marriages did happen
Social Orders
Rise of Gotra system
  • Gotra meaning ‘cowpen’, group of people from a common ancestor.
Ashramas (Various stages of life)
  • brahmacharya, grihasta, vanaprastha and sanyasi (Not developed). The outcome of this was the birth of Jainism, Buddhism and Ajivakam.
Family
  • The family was patriarchal with patrilineal descent. The relations within the family were hierarchical
  • Polygyny (taking many wives) was prevalent.
  • The married man with his wife was the yajamana.
Women
  • Status of women declined
  • Women had participated in rituals in the Rig Vedic, but excluded in the later Vedic period.
Use of Iron
  • Iron - syama-ayas or krishna-ayas or the dark metal.
  • Important role in the conversion of the forests of the Ganga Valley into agricultural lands
  • Orgin around 1200 BCE or even earlier
Economy
  • In Satapatha Brahmana, rituals related to ploughing undertaken by the kings.
  • God Balarama is depicted with a plough.
Pastoralism
  • dakshina continued
Craft Production
  • Arts and crafts proliferated.
  • Leatherwork, pottery and carpentry were well known.
  • kulala referring to potters & urna sutra referring to wool appear.
Trade and Exchange
  • Developed
  • No evidence of Coin, coins took place after about 600 BCE
Philosophy and Education
  • literature, grammar, mathematics, ethics and astronomy developed.
  • Upanishads (which means to sit nearby) texts with philosophical enquiries, were composed during this period. Refer to Vedanta.
Religion
  • Upper Ganga Doab was the centre of the Aryan culture
  • Asvamedha-yaga. Vajaprya ritual (Involved a chariot race).
  • God Agni and Indra lost their importance. Prajapati became the main deity.
  • Rudra, the god of rituals, identified with Siva.
  • In Satapatha Brahmana, Rudra as Pasunampatih, Sarva, Bhava and Bahikas. Vishnu was conceived as the protector of people. No reference to Vishnu’s incarnations.
  • Each varna had its own deities.
Rituals
  • Sacrifice and rituals gained importance in the Later Vedic society.
  • The resort to rituals and sacrifice as a solution for problems led to the view that material wealth could achieve anything. The ideas in the Upanishads argue against such a view, and stress the importance of realizing the atman or inner self.
Other aspects of Life
  • Evidence of music and fine arts.
  • Use of silk and ornaments of metal, gold, copper & Metal mirror. 
Miscellaneous
  • Lineages of clans & Small kingdom developed. It leading to the development of the state after 600 BCE.

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