describe political and material life in the Vedic period
Answers
Like political and social conditions, the economic condition of the Aryans of the later Vedic period also underwent significant changes. Due to the emergence of caste system various occupations also appeared. Agriculture: The Aryans of the later Vedic period lived in the villages.
Answer:
Political Organisation in Vedic Age:
In Early Vedic Age:
‘Kula‘ was the basic unit of political organization.
Multiple families together of kinship formed a ‘grama‘.
Leader of ‘grama’ was ‘Gramani‘.
Group of villages were called ‘visu’, headed by ‘vishayapati‘.
The highest political and administrative unit was ‘jana‘ or tribe.
There were several such tribal kingdoms – Bharatas, Matsyas, Yadus and Purus.
The head of kingdom was ‘Rajan‘ or king.
The Rig Vedic polity was hereditary monarchy normally.
There were two bodies- Sabha(council of elders) and Samiti(general assembly of people).Vedic civilization
In Later Vedic Age:
Larger kingdoms by amalgamation formed ‘Mahajanapadas or rashtras‘.
Therefore, the power of king increased and he performed various rituals and sacrifices to make his position strong like Rajasuya (consecration ceremony), Asvamedha (horse sacrifice) and Vajpeya (chariot race).
The kings assumed titles of Rajavisvajanan, Ahilabhuvanapathi(lord of all earth), Ekrat and Samrat (sole ruler).
But, importance of the Samiti and the Sabha diminished.
Society in Vedic Civilization:
In Early Vedic Age:
The Rig Vedic society was basically patriarchal.
The basic unit of society was ‘graham’ or family, its head was called as ‘grahapathi’.
Monogamy was practiced while polygamy among royal and noble families was observed.
Women had equal opportunities as men for their spiritual and intellectual development. Apala, Viswavara, Ghosa and Lopamudra were women poets.
Women could attend the popular assemblies.
No child marriage, sati practice.
Social divisions were not rigid.varna system in vedic civilization
In Later Vedic Age:
The Varna system became prevalent- four divisions of society :Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras.
A Brahmin and Kshatriyas occupied a higher position than others.
Various sub-castes on the basis of occupation emerged.
Women were considered inferior and subordinate to men now and also lost their political rights of attending assemblies.
Child marriages became common.
Economic Conditions in Vedic Civilization:
In Early Vedic Age:
The Rig Vedic Aryans were pastoral, cattle rearing people.
After they permanently settled in North India they began agriculture.
Carpenters produced chariots and ploughs.
A variety of articles with copper, bronze and iron were made by workers.
Spinning was an important occupation – cotton and woolen fabrics.
Goldsmiths made ornaments.
The potters made different kinds of vessels for domestic use.
Trade was conducted by barter system in begining but later shifted to use of gold coins called ‘nishka‘ for large transactions.
Rivers acted as means of transport.
In Later Vedic Age:
More land was put under cultivation by clearing forests. Knowledge of manure saw development.
Hence, Agriculture became the chief occupation of people growing barley, rice and wheat.
Industrial activity became specialized with metal work, leather work, carpentry and pottery advancement.
Internal trade as well as foreign trade also became extensive (they traded with Babylon through sea).
Hereditary merchants (vaniya) came into existence as a different class.
Vaisyas indulged in trade and commerce organized themselves into guilds known as ‘ganas‘.
Coins: Beesides ‘nishka’, ‘satamana’– gold coins and ‘krishnala‘ – silver coins were also used as a media of exchange.
Explanation:
The period that followed Rig Vedic Age is known as Later Vedic Age.
This age witnessed the composition of three later Veda Samhitas namely, the Samveda Samhita, the Yajurveda Samhita, the Atharvaveda Samhita as well as Brahmanas and the Upanishads of all the four Vedas and later on the two great epics—the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
All these later Vedic texts were compiled in the Upper Gangetic basin in 1000—600 B.C. During the period represented by Later Samhitas the Aryans covered the whole of Northern India, from the Himalayas to the Vindhyas.