All of you have must have heard of the vedas. Written over 3,000 years ago, the vedas are one of the earliest literary sources available to us. The period during which they were written is known as the Age of the vedas.
The vedas
the word veda means knowledge. There are four Vegas - Rig veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva veda. They contain hymns in praise of various gods and goddesses. There hymns were recited and passed from one generation to the next until many centuries later, They were finally written down. Since the Vedas are our main source of information, the period from 1500-600 BCE is called the Vedic Age.
The Rig Veda is the oldest Veda. It was composed about 3500 years ago. It is divided into 10 mandalas or books and contains 1028 hymns. These hymns are in praise of different gods such as Indra, The god of rain, Storm and war; Agni , the fire-god Varun, the sky -god and many others. The hymns were composed in Vedic Sanskrit. Priests recited these hymns and students were expected to memorize them.
 |
| A painted Grey Ware pot |
Archaeological sources
Archaeological remains of this period have also been unearthed. Excavations at Hastinapur and Atranjikhera have yielded a type of pottery known as Painted Grey Ware. Another type of pottery called Black-and-ref ware, has also been found from many places in the Ganga valley. These two types of pottery tell us about the life of the people who composed the Vedas. These people are generally referred to as the Aryans.
Daily life
People were divided into numerous tribes (janas). Each tribe settled in a particular area which consisted of many villages. Each tribe had a king (rajan) or a chief, who was selected for his bravery. These kings were not like the kings of later times. They did not have huge palaces or large armies. Their control was limited to a small area.
There were two assemblies - the sabha and the samiti. The sabha was an assembly of probably the elders and important people. The samiti was a general assembly, probably a gathering of members of every family of the jana. People attended these assemblies and discussed issues.
Imagine : you have gone with your father to attend a samiti meeting. What are the issues that are being discussed?
Cattle and horse were very important to the people. We know this from the Rig veda, which contains many hymns asking gods to bless people with cattle and horses.
Each household had a number of cows. Dairy products such as butter and ghee were popular. Sura was a type of liquor which was drunk on common festive occasions. Another popular drink was soma which was prepared from milk and the juice of a rare plant that grew on the mountains. People drank it during special religious ceremonies.
 |
| A manuscripts from the Rig veda |
Think and answer : Why were cows considered important?
Horses were important became they were yoked to chariots that were used in battle. Most battle were fought for cattle, horses and land. People performed sacrifices and made offerings to different gods. The priests who performed these rituals and sacrifices were given cows, horses, gold and cloth as gifts. The kings performed sacrifices in which the common people also participated. In course of time, rituals became so important, that every important event was preceded by an elaborate ritual.
Occupations : agriculture and cattle-rearing were the main occupations. Other common occupations were chariot-making, pottery-making, weaving, jewellery -making, metal-work, carpentry, tanning and fishing.
Many people were priests. Besides conducting religious ceremonies, priests also acted as teachers and doctors. They passed on the knowledge of the Vedas to the children. They also had considerably knowledge about medicinal herbs and plants. Whenever someone fell ill, the priests acted as doctors.
Ornaments of gold, silver and other metals were also make reference to footwear.
Dasas/Dasyus Besides the Aryans, there was another group of people whom the Aryans called the Dasas or Dasyus. Their culture was different from that of the Aryans. They also spoke a different language. Most of the age Dasas were perhapsEnslaved and so the term dasa later cane to mean slave. Most dasas had to do whatever work was given to them by their masters.
At the time when the Vedas were being composed, there were important developments in other parts of india. Let us look at some of these.
Inamgaon - a chalcolithic settlement
Inamgaon, Maharashtra, is one of the larger chalcolithic settlement in india. It has been estimated that at one time, about 1000 people may have lived here. The settlement lasted for over 900 years (1500-600 BCE )
Archaeological finds
As many as 134 mud house have been excavated at Inamgaon. Most are rectangular in shape with only one or two rooms. One house, however, has five rooms. It may have been the house of the ruling chief. Next to this house is a granary. The chief may have collected grain from the farmers and stored it here.
Oval-shaped pits have been found inside most houses. These pits may have been used to cook food. Similar pits have also been found outside some houses. It suggests that people may have done some of their
Sanskrit belong to the Indo-European family of languages. Some indian languages such as Hindi, Assmese, Gujarati, bangla and odia as well as some world languages such as English, German, Persian and latin also belong to the family of Indo-European languages. These languages share many similarities.
Cooking outdoors. Storage pits and storage bins have also been found.
Archaeologists have found a lot of pottery and stone tools at Inamgaon. Most of the pots are red in colour. Some have black designs on them. Stone tools may have been used to chop trees, pound meat and skin animals.
The people of Inamgaon made artefacts of copper. They may have obtained copper from Rajasthan. However, only a few tools ( drills, tongs, fish hooks, arrowheads ) and ornaments (beads, bangles, anklets ) of copper have been found at the site. Perhaps it means that copper was not easily available.
Beads made of terracotta, semi-precious stones and ivory have been also found. Some beads are the people of Inamgaon traded with people in other parts of the country.
 |
| Ornaments discovered at Inamgaon |
Numerous terracotta figures have been found at Inamgaon. Some had been baked and hardened in clay ovens. Some of the animal figures may have been toys, while others may have had a religious significance. Many figures of the bull have been found. People probably worshipped the bull. Perhaps they also worshipped a female goddess. In one of along with a female figure.
Seeds and thousands of animal bones are amongst the other important finds. These give us an idea of the kind of food that people ate and how they obtained it. Crops such as wheat, barly, lentils, peas, gram and beans were grown. Meat, fish and dairy products were also part of the dairy diet.
Decline
In the last phase of the settlement, the people of Inamgaon seemed to have been facing problems. There was a decline in farming which may have been due to a shortage of rainfall or a decrease in the fertility of the soil. People began replying more on hunting and gathering food. There was also a change in the way houses were constructed. Instead of rectangular houses, we find small, circular huts.
The Megaliths
The word megalith literally means big stone. At many places in the Deccan, South India, the north-east and the north-west (especially Kashmir), huge stone boulders have been found. They are generally arranged in a circular pattern. They were perhaps used to mark graves or burial sites. These stone boulders are called megaliths.
Find out: There is a structure in England which has somewhat similarly placed large pieces of stone. Can you name this structure?
The Megaliths have some special features. First, megalithic burials were underground and megaliths were placed on the surface to mark the burial spot. These probably served as signposts. Second, many objects have been found in the graves including human skeletons, pottery, agricultural tools, weapons and ornaments. A few agricultural tools have also been found. Those meant for hunting, however, are more in number. This suggests that Though the megalithic people practised agriculture, they depended more on hunting. The graves also contain a large number of posts. In some areas, pots filled with Ashes and charred bones have been found. Some graves contain fragments of rice and other grains. So we know that people cultivated grains.
Objects found in the graves indicate the buried person's position in the tribe. The graves that contain a large number of pots and ornaments probably belonged to those who were either rich or important in society.
To Sum Up
1. The vedas are the main source of information for the period between 1500 and 600 BCE. The Rig Veda is the earliest of the vedas. People lived in tribal group, each headed by a chief. There were two assemblies - sabha and samiti.
2. The cow and the horse were important. The cow provided milk, butter and ghee. Horses were used to pull chariots.
3. People practised numerous crafts and occupations. Most people were farmers and herders.
4. Inamgaon was a chalcolithic settlement. Pottery, tools, ornaments, beads, terracotta figures, seeds and animals bones have been found there.
5. Mehrgarhs were common in the north-west and the Deccan.
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All of you have must have heard of the vedas. Written over 3,000 years ago, the vedas are one of the earliest literary sources available to us. The period during which they were written is known as the Age of the vedas.
The vedas
the word veda means knowledge. There are four Vegas - Rig veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva veda. They contain hymns in praise of various gods and goddesses. There hymns were recited and passed from one generation to the next until many centuries later, They were finally written down. Since the Vedas are our main source of information, the period from 1500-600 BCE is called the Vedic Age.
The Rig Veda is the oldest Veda. It was composed about 3500 years ago. It is divided into 10 mandalas or books and contains 1028 hymns. These hymns are in praise of different gods such as Indra, The god of rain, Storm and war; Agni , the fire-god Varun, the sky -god and many others. The hymns were composed in Vedic Sanskrit. Priests recited these hymns and students were expected to memorize them.
|
| A painted Grey Ware pot |
Archaeological sources
Archaeological remains of this period have also been unearthed. Excavations at Hastinapur and Atranjikhera have yielded a type of pottery known as Painted Grey Ware. Another type of pottery called Black-and-ref ware, has also been found from many places in the Ganga valley. These two types of pottery tell us about the life of the people who composed the Vedas. These people are generally referred to as the Aryans.
Daily life
People were divided into numerous tribes (janas). Each tribe settled in a particular area which consisted of many villages. Each tribe had a king (rajan) or a chief, who was selected for his bravery. These kings were not like the kings of later times. They did not have huge palaces or large armies. Their control was limited to a small area.
There were two assemblies - the sabha and the samiti. The sabha was an assembly of probably the elders and important people. The samiti was a general assembly, probably a gathering of members of every family of the jana. People attended these assemblies and discussed issues.
Imagine : you have gone with your father to attend a samiti meeting. What are the issues that are being discussed?
Cattle and horse were very important to the people. We know this from the Rig veda, which contains many hymns asking gods to bless people with cattle and horses.
Each household had a number of cows. Dairy products such as butter and ghee were popular. Sura was a type of liquor which was drunk on common festive occasions. Another popular drink was soma which was prepared from milk and the juice of a rare plant that grew on the mountains. People drank it during special religious ceremonies.
|
| A manuscripts from the Rig veda |
Think and answer : Why were cows considered important?
Horses were important became they were yoked to chariots that were used in battle. Most battle were fought for cattle, horses and land. People performed sacrifices and made offerings to different gods. The priests who performed these rituals and sacrifices were given cows, horses, gold and cloth as gifts. The kings performed sacrifices in which the common people also participated. In course of time, rituals became so important, that every important event was preceded by an elaborate ritual.
Occupations : agriculture and cattle-rearing were the main occupations. Other common occupations were chariot-making, pottery-making, weaving, jewellery -making, metal-work, carpentry, tanning and fishing.
Many people were priests. Besides conducting religious ceremonies, priests also acted as teachers and doctors. They passed on the knowledge of the Vedas to the children. They also had considerably knowledge about medicinal herbs and plants. Whenever someone fell ill, the priests acted as doctors.
Ornaments of gold, silver and other metals were also make reference to footwear.
Dasas/Dasyus Besides the Aryans, there was another group of people whom the Aryans called the Dasas or Dasyus. Their culture was different from that of the Aryans. They also spoke a different language. Most of the age Dasas were perhapsEnslaved and so the term dasa later cane to mean slave. Most dasas had to do whatever work was given to them by their masters.
At the time when the Vedas were being composed, there were important developments in other parts of india. Let us look at some of these.
Inamgaon - a chalcolithic settlement
Inamgaon, Maharashtra, is one of the larger chalcolithic settlement in india. It has been estimated that at one time, about 1000 people may have lived here. The settlement lasted for over 900 years (1500-600 BCE )
Archaeological finds
As many as 134 mud house have been excavated at Inamgaon. Most are rectangular in shape with only one or two rooms. One house, however, has five rooms. It may have been the house of the ruling chief. Next to this house is a granary. The chief may have collected grain from the farmers and stored it here.
Oval-shaped pits have been found inside most houses. These pits may have been used to cook food. Similar pits have also been found outside some houses. It suggests that people may have done some of their
Sanskrit belong to the Indo-European family of languages. Some indian languages such as Hindi, Assmese, Gujarati, bangla and odia as well as some world languages such as English, German, Persian and latin also belong to the family of Indo-European languages. These languages share many similarities.
Cooking outdoors. Storage pits and storage bins have also been found.
Archaeologists have found a lot of pottery and stone tools at Inamgaon. Most of the pots are red in colour. Some have black designs on them. Stone tools may have been used to chop trees, pound meat and skin animals.
The people of Inamgaon made artefacts of copper. They may have obtained copper from Rajasthan. However, only a few tools ( drills, tongs, fish hooks, arrowheads ) and ornaments (beads, bangles, anklets ) of copper have been found at the site. Perhaps it means that copper was not easily available.
Beads made of terracotta, semi-precious stones and ivory have been also found. Some beads are the people of Inamgaon traded with people in other parts of the country.
|
| Ornaments discovered at Inamgaon |
Numerous terracotta figures have been found at Inamgaon. Some had been baked and hardened in clay ovens. Some of the animal figures may have been toys, while others may have had a religious significance. Many figures of the bull have been found. People probably worshipped the bull. Perhaps they also worshipped a female goddess. In one of along with a female figure.
Seeds and thousands of animal bones are amongst the other important finds. These give us an idea of the kind of food that people ate and how they obtained it. Crops such as wheat, barly, lentils, peas, gram and beans were grown. Meat, fish and dairy products were also part of the dairy diet.
Decline
In the last phase of the settlement, the people of Inamgaon seemed to have been facing problems. There was a decline in farming which may have been due to a shortage of rainfall or a decrease in the fertility of the soil. People began replying more on hunting and gathering food. There was also a change in the way houses were constructed. Instead of rectangular houses, we find small, circular huts.
The Megaliths
The word megalith literally means big stone. At many places in the Deccan, South India, the north-east and the north-west (especially Kashmir), huge stone boulders have been found. They are generally arranged in a circular pattern. They were perhaps used to mark graves or burial sites. These stone boulders are called megaliths.
Find out: There is a structure in England which has somewhat similarly placed large pieces of stone. Can you name this structure?
The Megaliths have some special features. First, megalithic burials were underground and megaliths were placed on the surface to mark the burial spot. These probably served as signposts. Second, many objects have been found in the graves including human skeletons, pottery, agricultural tools, weapons and ornaments. A few agricultural tools have also been found. Those meant for hunting, however, are more in number. This suggests that Though the megalithic people practised agriculture, they depended more on hunting. The graves also contain a large number of posts. In some areas, pots filled with Ashes and charred bones have been found. Some graves contain fragments of rice and other grains. So we know that people cultivated grains.
Objects found in the graves indicate the buried person's position in the tribe. The graves that contain a large number of pots and ornaments probably belonged to those who were either rich or important in society.
To Sum Up
1. The vedas are the main source of information for the period between 1500 and 600 BCE. The Rig Veda is the earliest of the vedas. People lived in tribal group, each headed by a chief. There were two assemblies - sabha and samiti.
2. The cow and the horse were important. The cow provided milk, butter and ghee. Horses were used to pull chariots.
3. People practised numerous crafts and occupations. Most people were farmers and herders.
4. Inamgaon was a chalcolithic settlement. Pottery, tools, ornaments, beads, terracotta figures, seeds and animals bones have been found there.
5. Mehrgarhs were common in the north-west and the Deccan.
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Sources of food in the world in india
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