5 Vedic Period and later Vedic Period

Introduction
By the end of Indus Valley civilization around 1500 BCE, a new period known as Vedic age
was begun. It is called so because Vedas were written during this period. They are the
earliest literary sources of information about the social, economic, political and religious life
of the Vedic people available to us. It is divided into two categories by historians because
of the great differences and transformation of society from the early Vedic to later Vedic.
Early Vedic Period: It is also known as Rig Vedic Age because Rig Veda was written around
the early part of the Vedic Period, between 1500 BCE and around 1200 BCE.
Later Vedic Period: The period that followed Rig Vedic Age is known as the Later Vedic Age.
This is the period from 1000 BCE to 600 BCE.

The Arrival of Aryans the eastern part of present Afghanistan, Punjab

The early Vedic period is noticeable by the
penetration of Aryan people into the Indian
subcontinent and their interaction with
the Dravidian people. According to some
historians, Aryans were nomadic people from
Central Asia while others believe that their
original home was in southern Russia (near
the Caspian Sea) or in south-east Europe (in
Austria and Hungary).
The Aryans who had migrated to India are
known as the ‘Indo-Aryans’. They spoke
Sanskrit. Some historians also believe that they
are not the foreigners but the descendant of
Harrapan people because of some similarities
in the religious practice of both these groups.
They initially settled in the Sapta Sindhu
region (bank of seven rivers) which includes
and some parts of Uttar Pradesh. The Aryans
are particularly important to Indian history
because they have written the earliest forms of
the sacred Vedas.
Facts and Information
• The word “Aryan” is derived from the
Sanskrit word “Arya” which means
noble.
• Seven rivers of Sapt Sindhu were
Saraswati, Sindhu, Vitasa, Askini,
Purushni, Vipasa and Sutudri.
The Vedas
Vedas are the most sacred scriptures of India.
They were expected to be prayers in praise
of various Aryan Gods. The Sanskrit word

Social Studies-6 41
Veda means wisdom, knowledge or vision.
There are four Vedas – Rig Veda, Sama Veda,
Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. They were first
composed verbally and transmitted orally
from generation to generation. Later, they were
written in Sanskrit. A manuscript from the Rig Veda

The Yajur Veda

The Yajur Veda serves as a guidebook for priests
who execute sacrificial act and contains rituals
and ceremonial instructions. Priests would use
All four Vedas this guidebook in sacrifices. Few hymns are
The Rig Veda also devoted to God however the core of this
Veda is devoted to the theory of rituals making
The Rig Veda is a collection of brilliant songs
it very much ritual based. Therefore, it is called
or hymns. It is the main source of important
the book of rituals. This Veda is made up of
information on the social, religious, political
two parts: the “black” and the “white”.
and economic background of the Rig Vedic
civilization. It is the oldest Veda which contains
the earliest form of Sanskrit mantras. It consists
of 10 books or mandalas, that contain more
than 1,000 hymns. The hymns are a collection
of work of many authors called rishis. These
hymns are devoted to the 33 different Gods
A manuscript from the Yajur Veda
most of them are nature Gods such as Agni
(fire God), Rudra (storm God), Indra (rain The Sama Veda
God) and Soma (a plant from which a special
The “Sama Veda” is a collection of samans
drink was prepared). Most of the hymns
(chants) or songs derived from the eighth or
were composed, taught and learnt by men.
ninth book of Rig Veda. They were sung during
A few were composed by women. There is a
ceremonial sacrifices and various rituals of
famous prayer in this Veda called the Purusha
worship. There are also strict instructions in
Shuktaand Gayatri mantra. It is a holy book of
mantras.

Facts and Information

The Rig Veda is written in old or Vedic
Sanskrit, which is different from the
Sanskrit you learn in school these days.
A manuscript from the Sama Veda

42 Social Studies-6
Sama Veda as to how particular hymn must be
sung. Great emphasis was put upon the word of
the mantras so that they could have a proficient
effect on the environment and the person who
pronounced them.
Facts and Information
The Yajur Veda is said to be similar to an
ancient Egyptian text called the “Book of
the Dead.”
The Atharva Veda
This is the last of the four Vedas and is
completely different from other Vedas. The
hymns of it are more diverse in nature than
the Rig Veda and also simpler in language. It is
called so because the families of the Atharvan
sect (a group of people with somewhat different
religious beliefs) of the Brahmins have been
credited with the composition of the hymns of
the Veda. It is considered next only to the Rig
Veda with regards to history and sociology. It
includes all the chants, spells and charms. It
provides clearer pictures of the Vedic society.
A manuscript from the Atharva Veda
Intext Questions
a. Who is considered as the storm God?
b. Which Veda serves as a guidebook
for the priests?
Early Vedic Period
Most of the information of early Vedic period
comes from the Rig Veda, therefore, it is also
called Rig Vedic period. Let us know more
about the early Vedic period.
Political Life
People were divided into different tribes (or
Janas) during this period. The head of the tribe
was a king (Rajan) who was elected on several
occasions by a tribal assembly. These Rajas
were not like the king of a later period. They
did not have capital cities, palaces or armies,
nor did they collect taxes. Their main work was
to protect their tribe from enemies. There were
two tribal assemblies – Sabha and Samiti.
The assembly of probably the elders and
important people was called the Sabha.
A gathering of members of every family of
the Jana was called an assembly. Both men
and women were members of these tribal
assemblies. The priest performed religious
ceremonies and advised the king on religious
matter.
Economic Life
Early Vedic people reared animals such as
cattle and horses. Agriculture and cattle
rearing were the main occupations. Other
common occupations were chariot making,
weaving, pottery making, jewellery making,
metal work, fishing, carpentry, etc. The cow
was considered valuable and was gifted to
priests by the kings. The priest also acted
as teachers and doctors besides conducting
religious ceremonies. They gave knowledge of
Vedas to the children and acted as a doctor by
using their knowledge about medicinal herbs
and plants.
Social Studies-6 43
Social Life
The basic unit of society was the family. Society
was divided into four castes or varnas based on
occupations of people. They are Brahmanas,
Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The division
between the castes was not rigid during the
early Vedic age. In the early Vedic age, a woman
enjoyed a position of respect and esteem in
society. They occupied the same position
as the men in intellectual and spiritual life.
There was no purdah system and sati custom,
the woman moved freely and participated in
public festivals. There were no child marriages
and women were given the freedom to choose
their husband.
Dasas (Dasyus)
Sometimes, the people who composed the
hymns pronounced themselves as Aryans and
called their opponents as Dasas or Dasyus. These
were people who did not perform sacrifice and
form another group. Their culture was different
from Aryans and they probably spoke different
languages Later, the term dasa came to mean
slave. Slaves were women and men who were
captured in war and were treated as the property
of their owners. They had to do whatever work
given to them by their controllers.
Religion
During the Early Vedic time the Gods
worshipped were generally the powers of Nature
such as Indra Agni, Varuna (God of water)
Surya (sun God), and Soma. It was believed
that divine powers were capable of conferring
both blessings and punishments on man.
There were nearly 33 Gods and Goddesses.
The fire was sacred as it was regarded to be the
intermediary between man and the God.
44 Social Studies-6
Intext Questions
a. Who were slaves?
b. Which animal as considered valuable
and was gifted to priests by the
kings?
Later Vedic Period
This period is characterised by the composition
of three later Vedas namely, the Sama Veda,
the Yajur Veda, the Atharva Veda and many
other Vedic texts such as the Upanishads, the
Brahmanas and the Aranyakas. The epics such
as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were
also composed during the later Vedic period.
Therefore, this period is also known as the
Epic Age. The events of the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata are supposed to have taken near
the end of the Later Vedic period. Let us know
more about the later Vedic period.
Political life
Many remarkable changes took place during
the later Vedic period. During this period,
the small tribal states of the Rig Vedic period
replaced by powerful states and gave way
to the rise of a large kingdom. They moved
further to occupy the valley of the river Ganga
and Yamuna. The king became the head of
the kingdom and his function was to protect
the kingdom from enemies. His position was
highest and hereditary. He tried to expand his
land by winning wars with other kings. He was
assisted in administration by the commander
and priest.
The king also strengthened his position by
performing Rajasuya yagna, Ashvamedha
yagna and the Vajapeya yagna. The Rajasuya
yagna was done to declare the supreme power
of the king. The Ashvamedha yagna was done
to establish his control over all the lands in
which the horse moved unchallenged. The
Vajapeya yagna was a chariot race in which
chariot of the king always won. Taxes collected
from people were used for constructing roads
and for the payment of commanders.
The Rajasuya yagna The Ashvamedha yagna
Economics Lifes
During the later Vedic period, agriculture
became the main occupation as the rich fertile
plains of the Valley were used for farming. An
improved method of tilling the land by deep
ploughing, manuring and sowing with better
seeds were used to get better yield. Iron was
used to make agricultural tools such as the
Brahmacharya Grihastha
iron plough and weapons such as arrowheads
and spears. Domestication of cattle in the
form of cows was considered as wealth. They
used painted grey mud vessels. Other crafts
such as carpentry, leather making, metal
work, jewellery making and chariot making
also increased. The volume of trade and
commerce was increased with the growth of
civilization. Both inland and overseas trades
were developed. Trade was controlled by a class
of merchants called ‘Pani’. Money lending was
also practised in this period.
Social Life
The classification of society into four Varna
now became rigid and hereditary. During the
later Vedic, period caste system was determined
by birth instead of profession or occupation
as in earlier caste system. A person born in
a particular caste could not change his caste.
Different sub castes evolved in addition to the
traditional four castes. The Brahmanas and
the Kshatriyas emerged as high class whereas
Shudras were treated as the lowest of the castes.
The main work of Shudras was to serve the
other three castes. They were untouchables.
Vanaprastha Sanyasa
Social Studies-6 45
The women lost their honoured position which
they had in the Early Vedic Age. They were not
allowed to attend the political assemblies. Birth
of a daughter became unwanted. The custom
of child marriage and dowry became popular.
The life of an individual was classified into four
stages according to the religious texts. These
were brahmacharya (student life), grihastha
(life of a householder), vanaprastha (life of
solitary) and sannyasa (life of total rejection of
the world).
Passage-based Questions
The Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hinduism.
They were created thousands of years ago.
Some of the hymns in Vedas are around 6000
years old. Hindus believe that the Vedas are
eternal and will exist forever. They manifest
at the beginning of every cycle of creation
for the welfare of the world. The Vedas help
humans to know their nature and return
from bound souls to liberated or free souls.
They also help humans to invoke the power
of Gods to deal with the problems of the
world, death and diseases.
Answer the following questions.
a. How old are the hymns of Vedas?
b. How are Vedas helpful for humans?
Religion
In the later Vedic period, religious spirit
experienced a great change. New Gods and
Goddesses such as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
emerged in place of Gods and Goddesses
related to nature during this period. The rites
and ceremonies of the Vedic religion were
elaborated and became complex. The belief
46 Social Studies-6
that Gods were satisfied by Yajnas led to a rise
in the number, variety of sacrifices which were
performed by Brahmanas. They were given
dakshinas (gifts) in the form of cows, gold and
clothes for this.
Religious philosophy of doctrine of karma,
soul and moksha also emerged during this
period. It was believed that good or bad karma
influenced the next life. Souls have to be born
again and again to bear the fruits of the actions
(karma) of their earlier lives. It was essential for
a man to attain moksha. All these are included
in the Upanishad which was composed in the
later Vedic Period.
Education
During this period, the Gurukul system
of education was predominant. Shishyas
(students) lived in the house of guru (teacher).
Education was limited to the three upper castes.
Women were not sent to the gurukul. Different
subjects such as religion, philosophy, ethics,
medicines, astronomy, logic and arithmetic.
were taught in the gurukul. Dhanur Veda or
War tactics were taught to the members of
the royal family. Shishyas were obedient and
respectful towards their guru. They offered
dakshina or an offering to his guru. Besides
Education in gurukul
teaching subjects, the shisyas also carried out found in some megaliths. Sometimes, megaliths
different household works such as a collection contain more than one skeleton which indicates
of wood, cooking food and cleaning. that people belonging to the same family were
buried in the same place though not at the same
Megaliths
time. The bodies of those who died later were
People adopted a different type of burying the brought into the grave through the portholes.
dead where the dead were buried in large stones To find the burial site, stone circles or boulders
graves called megaliths. The word ‘megaliths’ were placed on the surface.
literally means ‘big stones’. Megaliths burial
sites have been found at many places such as
Nagpur (Maharastra), Adichanaullar (Tamil
Nadu), Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh),
and throughout the Deccan. They are generally
arranged in a circular pattern. Some megaliths
can be seen on the surface, other megalithic
burials are often underground. Archaeologists
found a circle of stone boulders or a single large
stone standing on the ground indicating that
there are burials underneath.

Burial urn of megaliths period

According to the Archaeologists, objects found

Iron equipment’s found from megalithic burials
Generally, the dead were buried with typical
pots called Black and Red Ware. Weapons of
iron and skeletons of horses, horse equipment
and ornaments of stone and gold were also
with a skeleton probably belonged to the dead
person. Sometimes, more objects are found in
one grave than in another which suggests that
there was some difference in status amongst
the people who were buried. For example,
graves with expensive ornaments and objects
belonged to rich people. These megalithic
graves help us to know the life and society of
that period.

Intext Questions
a. What was the main occupation during the later Vedic period?
b. What does the word literally mean ‘big stones’?

Social Studies-6 47
Decline
About 700 BCE, this culture seemed to have
been facing a different problem. Decline in
agriculture due to a shortage of rainfall or
decrease in the fertility of soil may have resulted
in hunting and collecting plants and fruits. The
rectangular houses were replaced by small and
circular huts. Water scarcity and poor climatic
conditions became the possible reason for the
decline.

Important terms
Penetration : entrance into
Hymns : religious songs or poems of God
Chants : a word or group of words repeated over and over again
Chariot : fast-moving vehicle with two wheels usually pulled by horses
Hereditary : inherited
Portholes : round, window-like openings

Recall
• Around 1500 BCE, a new period known as Vedic age was begun.
• It is divided into two categories, namely, the early Vedic period and later Vedic period.
• The early Vedic period is noticeable by the penetration of Aryan peoples into the Indian sub-continent.
• Vedas are the most sacred scriptures of India.
• There are four Vedas – Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.
• People were divided into different tribes (or Janas) during the early Vedic period.
• The division between the castes was not rigid during the early Vedic age.
• During the early Vedic period, the fire was sacred as it was regarded to be the intermediary between
man and God.
• Later Vedic period is also known as the Epic Age.
• During the later Vedic period, the small tribal states of the Rig Vedic period replaced by the powerful
and large kingdom.
• Trade was controlled by a class of merchants called ‘Pani’ during the later Vedic Period.
• The classification of society into four Varna became rigid and hereditary during the Later Vedic Period.
• During the later Vedic Period, the Gurukul system of education was predominant.
• The religious philosophy of doctrine of karma, soul and moksha also emerged during this period.

Revision

1. Fill in the blanks.

Rig, Megaliths, Chariot race, Later, Yajur
a. Early Vedic Period is also known as ______________ Vedic Age.

48 Social Studies-6
 b. ______________ is also called the book of rituals.
c. The epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were also composed during ______________
Vedic Period.
d. The word ______________ literally means big stones.
e. The Vajapeyayagna was a ______________ in which chariot of the king always won.

2. Write T if the statement is true and F if the statement is false.

a. The period that followed Rig Vedic Age is known as Early Vedic Age. ____________
b. Atharva Veda includes all the chants, spells and charms. ____________
c. The division between the castes was not rigid during later Vedic age. ____________
d. Women were allowed to go to the gurukul during the late Vedic Period. ____________
e. The main work of Shudras was to serve the other three castes. ____________

3. Tick (ü) the correct answer from the given options.

a. Which is the oldest Veda?
i.
Rig Veda ii. Sama Veda
iii.
Yajur Veda iv. Atharva Veda
b. Which of the following is not the meaning of Veda?
i.
wisdom ii. knowledge
iii.
vision iv. chant
c. Which Veda is completely different from the other three Vedas?
i.
Rig Veda ii. Sama Veda
iii.
Yajur Veda iv. Atharva Veda
d. The life of an individual according to the religious texts was classified into ____________ stages
according to the religious texts
i.
Four ii. Two
iii.
Three iv. Five
e. Which was regarded to be the intermediary between man and God?
i.
Water ii. Fire
iii.
Air iv. Rain

4. Define the following terms.

a. Vedas b. Sabha c. Epic Age

5. Give short answers to the following questions.

a. Who were atharvan sects?
b. What were the main occupations during the early Vedic Period?
c. What are Vedas? How many Vedas are there? Name them.
d. Why is Yajur Veda called the book of rituals?
e. What were the other texts that form a part of Vedic literature, apart from the Vedas?

Social Studies-6 49
 f. Who were Aryans?
g. What are megaliths?
h. Why is Atharva Veda called so?

6. Give long answers to the following questions.

a. Explain the education system in the later Vedic period.
b. Write a short note on the site of Inamgaon.
c. Compare the status of women in the early and later Vedic period.
d. Which Veda is the oldest one? Explain briefly about it.
e. Who were dasas? What was their place in society?
f. Briefly explain the political life in early Vedic period.
g. Discuss the caste system of early Vedic period.
h. Write a short note on the economic life of people of late Vedic period.
i. How was the education system of the late Vedic period?

HO T S
a. What were the main highlights of the Vedic and the later Vedic period?
b. The classification of society into four varnas became rigid and hereditary during the later Vedic period
Write your views about the caste system.

Enrich your Knowledge

1. Project work Make a chart to show the classification of society into four varnas.

2. Group Discussion Have a debate on the topic “Gurukul system”.

3. Additional Web Link To know more about The Vedic People and Rig-Veda, visit
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCEQmLEwI0jc

TimeLine
Beginning of the Beginning of Settlement at
composition of the the building of Inamgaon between
Vedas about 3500 megaliths about 3600 and 2700 years
years ago 3000 years ago ago

50 Social Studies-6