Later Vedic Period

-

  •  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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rocks and Minerals

-
Image
Any natural mass of mineral matter that makes up the earth’s crust is called a Rock. There are three major types of rocks Igneous rocks Sedimentary rocks and Metamorphic rocks. When the molten magma cools, it becomes solid. Rocks thus formed are called igneous or primary rocks . Igneous rock is two types, Extrusive igneous rocks (Basalt). Intrusive igneous rocks (Granite). Rocks roll down and break into small fragments and these smaller particles are called sediments. These sediments are transported, compressed and hardened to form layers of rocks. These types of rocks are called sedimentary rock (Contain Fossil). Igneous and sedimentary rocks can change into metamorphic rocks under great heat and pressure. – Example: Clay changes into slate and limestone into marble. The process of transformation of the rock from one to another is called the rock cycle.
Read more

The Peninsular Rivers

-
Image
Main water divide formed by Western Ghats. Run north to south close to the western coast. Most of the major Peninsular rivers except Narmada and Tapi flow from west to east, also they flow through Rift valley. Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa, the Ken, the Son, originating in the northern part of the Peninsula belong to the Ganga river system. Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal, absence of meanders and non-perennial flow of water. Narmada and the Tapi are the only long rivers, which flow west and make esturies. Evolution Subsidence of the western flank of the Peninsula leading to its submergence below the sea during the early tertiary period. Generally, it has disturbed the symmetrical plan of the river on either side of the original watershed. Upheaval of the Himalayas when the northern flank of the Peninsular block was subjected to subsidence and the consequent trough faulting. The Narmada and The Tapi flow in trough faults...
Read more

Distribution of Minerals in India

-
Image
Peninsular rocks contain most of the reserves of coal, metallic minerals, mica and many other non-metallic minerals. Sedimentary rocks on the western and eastern flanks of the peninsula, in Gujarat and Assam have most of the petroleum deposits. Rajasthan - non-ferrous minerals. Alluvial plains of north India - Economic minerals. The North-Eastern Plateau Region Chhotanagpur (Jharkhand), Odisha Plateau, West Bengal and parts of Chhattisgarh. Minerals: iron ore coal, manganese, bauxite, mica. Major iron and steel industry. The South-Western Plateau Region Karnataka, Goa and contiguous Tamil Nadu uplands and Kerala. Rich in ferrous metals and bauxite. High grade iron ore, manganese and limestone. lacks in coal deposits except Neyveli lignite. Kerala deposits of monazite and thorium, bauxite clay, Goa has iron ore deposits. The North-Western Region Aravali in Rajasthan and part of Gujarat. Rajasthan is rich in building stones. Gujarat - Petroleum deposits. Copper, Zinc, Dolomite and limest...
Read more