compare early vedic age with later vedic age
Answers
Explanation:
Early Vedic Period
Later Vedic Period
The caste system was flexible and based on profession rather than birth The caste system became more rigid in this period with birth being the main criteria
There was no concept of Shudra or untouchables Shudras became a mainstay in the Later Vedic period. Their sole function was to serve those of the upper-castes
Women were allowed a greater degree of freedom in this period. They were allowed to participate in the political process of the time to a certain extent Women were restricted from their participation in society by being relegated to subordinate and docile roles
Kingship was fluid as the kings were elected for a fixed period by the local assembly known as Samiti As society became more urbanized in this period, the need for stable leadership was realized. Thus the absolute rule of the Kings became more and more prominent
Early Vedic society was pastoralist and semi-nomadic in nature Society became more settled in nature. It became centred around agriculture in general
In the Early Vedic Period, the barter system was more prevalent with little to no monetary value transaction being part of the exchange Although the barter system was still in practice, it was largely replaced by the exchange of gold and silver coins known as Krishnala
Rigveda. This text is cited as the earliest text from this period Yajurveda. Samaveda
Atharvaveda
The Vedic Age was a significant era in Ancient Indian History. As such, the questions from this topic have always been featured in the history segment of the UPSC Prelims.
The Vedic age itself is divided into the Early Vedic Period (c.1500 – 1200 BCE) and Later Vedic Period (c.1100 – 500 BCE). The reason being that society underwent drastic changes from the time the first Vedas were written to the appearance of later Vedic scriptures.