Question

Discuss the political and economical life of the rig vedic age?

Answer 1

The main source of information for the reconstruction of the Early Vedic age is the Rig-Veda.The Rig-Veda also forms the very source for information on the geographical expanse of the early vedic period.Aryanswere confined to the area which came to be known as the Sapta Sindhu (land of the seven rivers), comprising the modern day Eastern Afghanistan,Punjab (both Indian and Pakistan) and parts of western Utter Pradesh. The Rigvedic people, thus, were well acquainted with these geographical areas.The Rigvedic Polity (Tribal Polity)No defined sort of a political hierarchy existed in the Early Vedic Age. The Rigvedic attested to the division between the rajanyas (those involving themselves in war) perceived as the senior lineage and the rest of the clansmen forming thejunior lineage. Thus, it was only due to the participation in wars that led to a sharpening division between the senior and the junior lineages. Sabha, Samiti, Vidhatha and Gana formed the tribal assemblies of the period, with the Vidhatha being the oldest assembly and the Sabha and the Samiti being the most important of them. These were responsible for certain political military and religious functions.The Sabha was the council of certain select clan members. The Samiti was a general tribal assembly and was less exclusive. Women too attended the Sabha and the Samiti. The king wasassisted by the Purohita and the Senani. With theyajnas or sacrifices acquiring importance due to the increasing number of wars and conflicts, the importance Purohita grew manifold.Vrajapati was the head of pasture ground, who led the heads of the families (Kulapas) or those of the fighting groups to battle. Tribal groups, namely-The Vrata, gana, grama, and sardha performed the military functions.Tribal conflicts:The Aryans were engaged in dual types of conflicts-firstly they fought with the non-Aryans and secondly they also fought among themselves. Divided into five tribes, the Purus, Anus, Drushyam, Yadus and Turvasus they were called Panchajan. The Aryans fought amongst themselves. The Bharata was a ruling clan supported by the priest Vashistha and it was opposed by a host of ten chiefs, five of whom were the heads of Aryans tribes and the remaining were from the non-Aryan people.The confederacy being led by priest Visvamitra resulted in the battle of ten kings fought on the river Parushni, the modern Ravi. It gave victory tothe Bharata chief Sudas and established the supremacy of the Bharatsas. This war is also known as Dasarajana War.