Post Vedic Age
Economic, Social Life and System Of Administration in the Post Vedic Age - General Knowledge of Ancient History: The period which followed the Rig Vedic age was known as Later Vedic or Pre Vedic.
ECONOMIC LIFE IN THE POST AGE
- There is mention of ocean and sea voyages in Vedic articles. This shows that the present sea trade was started by Aryans.
- Money lending was a flourishing business. The word Shresthin suggests that there were rich merchants in this era and probably they were organized in the form of assembly.
- Aryan did not use coins but special gold weights were used for gold currencies. Satmana, Nishka, Kaushambhi, Kashi and Videha were famous trading centers.
- Bullock cart was used to carry goods on the ground. Boats and sea ships were used for foreign goods.
- The use of silver had increased and ornaments were made from it.
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SOCIAL LIFE IN THE PRE VEDIC AGE
- The society was divided into 4 varnas: Brahmin, Rajanya or Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra.
- Each varna had its own work set which they used to do with full custom. Everyone was given a character from birth itself.
- Brahmins used to be one of the 16 classes of gurus, but later they became superior to other saints. They were considered to be the purest among all classes and these people used to perform activities like sacrifices for themselves and others.
- Kshatriyas came under the category of rulers and kings and their job was to protect the people as well as maintain law and order in the society.
- Vaishya people were common people who used to do business, farming and animal husbandry etc. Mainly these people used to pay taxes.
- Although all the three varnas had a high status and could wear the sacred thread, the Shudras were not given all these facilities and were discriminated against.
- Ancestral wealth was the rule of patriarchy like movable immovable property used to go from father to son. Women were mostly given a lower position. People started the practice of Gotra Aswaran marriage. People of the same gotra or of the same ancestors could not marry each other.
- According to the Vedic texts, there were four stages of life or ashrams: brahmachari or student, householder, vanaprastha or half retirement and sannyasa or complete retirement.
SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION
- The Post-Vedic Aryans lived organized in castes and not in the form of kingdoms. The head of the caste was called Rajan. Rajan's own autonomy was restricted in the assembly of his caste which was called Sabha or Samiti.
- Rajan could not sit on the throne without his consent. The meeting was held by some prominent people of the caste, while the committee consisted of every man of the caste.
- Some castes did not have hereditary heads and were run by the government of the caste assembly. Rajan used to have a primary court in which MPs of his caste and the main people of the caste (Gramani) were involved.
- Rajan's main task was to protect his caste. He was assisted by his many officers, which included priests, fighters (chiefs of the army), messengers and spies. Priests performed ceremonies and chanted mantras for victory in war and for maintaining peace.
- Rajan was seen as the protector of society and caste. Hereditary rule began to emerge, and as a result, competitions such as chariot races, animal prints, and dice games that previously determined who was eligible to be king were no longer important. The customs of this era kept the status of the king above the people. He was often called the emperor.
- Rajan's increased political power gave him the power to control productive resources. A voluntary gift was made a compulsory gift, although there was no systematic system of taxation.
- Towards the end of the later Vedic age, various types of political forces such as rajyas, gana-rajyas and caste principalities emerged in India.
POST VEDIC GOD
- The most important Vedic gods, Indra and Agni, lost their importance and were replaced by the worship of Prajapati, the Creator.
- Some subtle gods like Rudra, the god of animals and Vishnu, the preserver and protector of man became famous.
CUSTOMS AND PHILOSOPHY
- Sacrifices became more important than prayers and they adopted both the subjects and the indigenous. While people used to perform sacrifices within the family, the king and his subjects were involved in public sacrifices.
- Performing Yagya or Havan was their main religious work. The daily yagyas were simple and were performed only among the families.
- Apart from the daily yagyas, they used to perform special yagyas on festival days. Sometimes animals were also sacrificed on these occasions.
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Ancient History