VEDIC CIVILIZATION

 Literature:
1. Vedas – knowledge
Rig Veda – oldest – hymns
Samveda – collection of songs (mostly taken from Rigveda)
Yajurveda – sacrificial formulae
Antharvanaveda – spells and charms
Called apaurusheya – not created by man & nitya – existing in all eternity
2. Brahmanas – Prose texts – meaning of Vedic hymns and applications – details about
rituals and philosophies
3. Aranyakas and Upnishads – exemplify philosophical meditations of the hermits
(tapasvi)
 Rigveda – 1000 BC – on the analogy of the language of Avesta
 Vedic gods: mentioned in Boghaz-Koi inscription in Turkey of 1400 BC implies Rigveda in
existence much before the date
1. Indra
2. Varuna
3. Mitra
4. Two Nasatya
 Bonghaz Koi – inscription: treaty between Hittite and Mitanni Kings and the gods
 Rigvedic people called themselves “Aryans” – knowledge of geographical features – rivers
and mountains
 Nadi Sukta hymn (Rig Veda) – 21 Rivers
Pattern of River: East (Ganga) to West (Kubul)
 Mountains – Himalayas and Mujavant
 Ocean – ‘ Samundra’ – mentioned – Sindhu and Saraswati falling in the ocean
Foreign Trade
 Geography – Present day – UP, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujrat, Pakistan and south of
Afghanistan
 Battle – 10 kings war against Sudas (Bharat King of Tritsus family)
Territory known was divide into a no. of states – republic and monarchical
Battle on the bank of Parushani (Ravi) River
Winner – Sudas
 ‘Bharatvarsha’ – name for the country. Bharatas – settled between Saraswati and Yamuna
 Other people:
Purus – Kurukshetra
Tristus – east of Ravi
Alinas – Pakhtas
Bhalanas & Sibi – west of Indus
SOCIETY
1. Brahmanas - teachers
2. Kshatriyas - warriors
3. Vaisya – farmers, merchants
4. Sudra – artisans and laborer
 Complete Freedom
 Monogamous and Patriarchal
 No child marriage
 Widow could marry younger brother of deceased husband
 Wife – partner in all religion
 Father’s property – son. Daughter – if only child
 Righty to property in movable

EDUCATION
 Teachers – respected
 Oral learning
 Intense training
FOOD AND DRINKS
 Milk – curd – ghee. Grains were cooked with milk (kshira-pakamodanam)
 Wheat and Barley – Chappati
 Meat of birds, wild animals
 Sheep, goat and buffalo – sacrificed on ceremonial occasions – meat
 Cow – holy
 Sura and Soma – alcohol consumed but condemned
ECONOMIC LIFE
 Agriculture, cattle rearing
 Domestic animals
 Oxen – plough field
 Manure used – irrigation
 Excess rains and droughts – damage crops
 Grains – Yava and Dhanya
 Pottery making, carpentry etc. also known
 Initially Copper – ayas
Lohit ayas - Copper
Syam ayas – Iron
 Trades and traders –
 Money lending was popular
 Sea – trade and ocean wealth like pearls
POLITICAL STRUCTURE

Family Village Clan People Country

Kula Grama Vis Jana Rashtra
Head - Gramini Head - Vispati Panchjanah
Yadva-janah
Bharat-janah

ADMINISTRATION
 Hereditary Kings
 Provision of democratically elected kings – was known
 Rashtra – small states ruled by Raja (Kings). Purohit
 Bigger kingdoms – ruled by Samrat
 Bali –
 Crimes – theft, robbery, cattle lifting

Purohit Senani Gramini Dutas Spies

Chief priest Army chief Head of Village Envoys Spy

 Sabha and Samiti mentioned in the Rig Veda

 Sabha – selected body of Elders or Nobles and less political in character
 Samiti – dealt with political decisions and business

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

VEDIC GODS
Terrestrial Aerial Celestial
Prithvistana Antarikshasthana Dyusthana
1. Prithvi 1. Indra 1. Dyaus 7. Vishnu
2. Agni 2. Apam-napat 2. Varuna 8. Aditya
3. Soma 3. Rudra 3. Mitra 9. Yashas
4. Brihaspati 4. Vayu-Vata 4. Surya 10. Asvins
5. Rivers 5. Prujanya 5. Savitri
6. Apah 6. Pushan
  Indra, Varuna – Supreme Cosmic and moral rulers
 Gods – born but immortal
 Mostly as humans or animal
 Dyayu – bull
 Sun – swift horse
 Ordinary food of men – food of Gods
 Normally kind. Unkind – Rudra and Maruta
 Gayatri Mantra
 Ultimate unity of universe – creation of one God
 Creation; outcome of Viratpurusha – evolution from non-being manifested in the form
 Hiranyagarbha arose from great waters – pervading the universe thus creating waves out
of eternally pre-existing
 Visvakarman – waters contained the floating world egg from which visvakarman arises
Science confirmed that life first developed in water

 Similarities between Sanskrit and European Languages – Filippo Sassetti, Goa

 Some scholars – ancestors postulated that ancestors of Indians and European –
 Vedic Language and Literature found at:
1. Steppe of Central Asia
2. Southern Russia
3. Southern Europe
 Rig Veda is the oldest surviving record of the Aryans. No evidence of migration
 Aryans were originally inhabitants of India and did not come from outside as there is no
archaeological or biological evidence which could establish arrival of new people from
outside
 Skeleton remains of Harappan sites – example

Harappan Civilization and Rigveda

 Similarities
 Geographical distribution of the Harappan sites <-> extension of Vedic Civilization from
Afghanistan in north to Gujrat in south
 Rig Veda – around Saraswati River and tributaries
Harappan settlement – 80% - around the Saraswati Valley
 Animals – sheep, dog, buffalo (gaur), bull,
 Terracotta figure of horse from Lothal. Horse important in Vedic period as well. Horse
bones and terracotta figures at Harappan sites as well
 Religious practices – worship of pipal, bull, Siva-lingas
 Terracotta figurines of women – at Nausharo – vermillion in their hait-parting
 Mahisa sacrifice – terracotta figure ; ref. to Mahisasurmardini
 Harrappan – ornaments like necklace, bracelets
 Rig veda – use of gold and ayas