Easy Notes on Early Vedic and later Vedic Lifestyle

Early Vedic and Later Vedic Period – a comprehensive lifestyle and differences in their geographical location, political life, society, religion, and Economic life.

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Early Vedic and later Vedic People’s Lifestyle

Geographical Location of Early Vedic People

• Rig Vedic or Early Vedic People who called themselves Aryans were mostly habitat of the Sapta Sindhu region. 
• Sapta Sindhu comprises Sindhu and their five tributaries – Vitasta (Jhelum), Asikni (Chenab), Parushni (Ravi), Vipash (Beas), Shutudri (Sutlej), and Sarasvati. 
• Sarasvati is the most pious river. 

Political Life of Early Vedic People

• The Kula (family) was the basis of both social and political organizations. 
• A group of Kula formed a Grama (village), a group of Grama called the Vis (clan), the group of Vis formed a Jana (people), and a group of Jana is called a Rashtra (country). 
• The Rashtra was ruled by a King or Rajan and the royal descent was by hereditary based on the law of primogeniture (first born legitimate child to inherit the parent’s entire estate). 
• The Head of Kula is called Kulapa, the Head of Grama called Gramani, the head of Vis called Vispati, Jana head called Gopa/Gopati and the head of Rashtra called Rajan. 
• Purohita, a new civil functionary (Post) came in the Rig Vedic life to help Rajan. 
• The army consisted of foot-soldiers and charioteers. 
• Weapons are made of wood, stone, bone and metals. 
• Assemblies’ forms were: Sabha, Samiti, Vidatha, Gana. 
• Sabha was a committee of few privileged and important individuals. 
• The two major assemblies to check on the arbitrary rules of king were – Sabha and Samiti. 

Society of Early Vedic Period

• The Rigvedic society comprised four varnas namely Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra. This classification of society was based on the professions or occupations of the individuals. 
• Teachers and priests were called Brahmanas, Rulers and administrators were called Kshatriyas, farmers, merchants and bankers were called Vaishyas and artisans and labourers were reckoned as Shudras. 
• Members of the same family took to different professions and belonged to different varnas. 
• The unit of society was family, primarily monogamous and patriarchal. 
• A widow could marry the younger brother of her deceased husband (Niyoga). 
• The cow was already deemed Aghanya (not to be killed) 
• Alcoholic drinks – Sura & Soma 

Religion during Early Vedic Period

• Gods were the personification of Nature. 
• they were nearly 33 Gods in which Indra, Agni and Varuna were the most popular deities of Rigvedic Aryans. 
• Terrestrial (Prithvisthaniya) – Prithivi, Agni, Soma, Brihaspati and rivers 
• Aerial (Antarikshasthaniya) – Indra, Rudra, Vayu-Vata, Parjanya 
• Celestial (Dyusthaniya) – Daus, Surya, Varuna, Aditi, Usha and asvin 
• Surya or Sun was worshipped in 5 forms – Surya, Savitri, Mitra, Pushan and Vishnu. 
• Pushan was the god of marriage. 
• their religion primarily consisted of the worship of gods with a simple ceremonial known as Yajna or sacrifice. Sacrifices consisted of offerings of milk, ghee, grain, flesh and soma. 

Economic life of Early Vedic Period

• Nomadic and pastoralists 
• Cattle rearing was their main occupation. 
• Most important economic activity was cattle breeding 
• A wealthy person known as gomat and the daughter called duhitri (which means one who milks the cow). 
• Apart from cattle rearing and small-scale cultivation, people were engaged in many other economic activities like hunting, carpentry, tanning, weaving, chariot making, metal smeltery etc. 
• Cows and Gold ornaments of fixed value were the media of exchange. Coins were not known. 
• People were not familiar with cat and camel. Tiger was not known. 
• Wild animals like lion, elephant and boar were known to them. 

Later Vedic Period

Geographical Location of Later Vedic People

• Later Vedic people were confined to the whole of northern India. 
• Gradually they occupy Koshala (eastern UP) and Vedeha (north Bihar). 
• The Ganges was the most pious river. 
• Territories were divided into three broad regions – Aryavarta (Northern India), Madhya Desa (Central India) and Dakhinapath (Southern India) 

Political Life of Later Vedic People

• The divine origin of kingship became a popular theory in this period (Source: Taittariya Brahmana) 
• New Civil functionaries except Purohita also came into existence. These were – Bhagadudha (collector of taxes), Suta/Sarathi (Royal herald or Charioteer), The Khasttri (Chamberlain) and Aksavapa (Courier). 
• Satapati was the head of a group of hundred villages, Adhikrita was the village officials. Ugras mentioned in the Upanishads was probably a police official. 
• The assembly “Vidatha” had completely disappeared by now. 

Society of Later Vedic Period

• Yajnas (sacrifices) became elaborate and complicated. 
• The institution of Gotra i.e. the clan appeared in later Vedic period. 
• The higher castes could marry with the lower ones, but marriage with shudras was not permitted. 
• The conqueror now become Kshatriyas, the remaining Aryans become Vaishyas and the non-aryan known as Shudras. 
• As written in Jabala Upanishad, the 4 stages of life (Ashramas) – Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanprastha and Sanyasa was formed to attain 4 Purusharthas (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha). 
• The status of women declined. As per Aitareya Brahamana, a daughter is the sources of misery but a son is the protector of family. 
• There were three evils – Liquor, woman and dice (written in Maitrayani Samhita) 
• Monogamy was the ideal but polygamy was frequent. 
• Woman were prohibited to attend the political assemblies. 

Religion of Later Vedic Period

• Prajapati (creator of the universe) became the supreme god. 
• Pushana, who protected cattle in the early Vedic period now became the god of Shudras. 
• The doctrine of transmigration (Punarjanma/Samsara Chakra) and deeds (Karma) was first time mentioned. (written in Brihadaranyaka Upanshada) 

The economy of Later Vedic People

• The land has now more value than cows. 
• Agriculture was the main occupation. 
• Rice, Barley, Beans, Sesame and wheat were cultivated. 
• Fishermen, washermen, dyers, door-keepers and footmen were new professions. 

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