Advent of Aryans and Rigvedic Age

• Aryans were distinguished by their common language, i.e, Indo-European.
• Aryans seems to live somewhere in the steppes stretching from southern Russia to Central Asia.
• Their earliest life seems to be mainly PASTORAL AND NOMADIC. 
• We get information about ARYAN AND VEDIC AGE through RIGVEDA where the word  ARYA is mentioned 36 times. 

Rigveda

• is a collection of prayers offered to Indra, varuna, marut and agni. 
• 10 Mandal; of which 2-7 are oldest and 1 & 10 are latest are latest editions
• Avesta =>contemporary text of Rigveda and both of them do have several common names for gods and even for the social classes.
• in Hittite inscritption of ANATHOLIA and MITHANI/ MITTHITE INSCRIPTION traces the common leneage of AVESTA and RIGVEDA
• in 1500 BC Aryans came to India.
• In india they entered through eastern AFGHANISTHAN they move through PUNJAB AND WESTERN UP
• Sapta Sindhu/Hepta Hindu (Mentioned in Rigveda)
• KUBHA=> in Afghan
• Sindhu
• Ravi,
• Jh
• Che
• Bia
• Sutlej
•  Saraswathi
• named Harkawati in Avesta
• considered most sacred river of aryan which is identified as Ghagra - Hakra channel (in Punjab and Haryana) => 

Basically Vedic Age devided into 2 => prime reason of change => iron which discovered.

• Early Vedic(1500- 1000 BC)
• Later Vedic(1000 - 600 BC)

Early Vedic Period EVP

• Economic History
• The most important economic wealth was cattle, hence most battle which were fought by early vedic people was for securing large number of cattles=> this information is obtained from Rigvedal; where word GAVISTHI means search for people => This also suggest that ARYANS WERE NOMADIC PEOPLE
• Political history or Organisation 
• Aryans were central asian tribes; b/w this language and ethnicity were common; but they belong to different clan
• Chief of Clan ka. RAJAN; his main work was to organise battles for securing cattles.
• One of the prominent tribe of EVP is BHARAT who defeated collective forces of 10 kings on banks PARUSHANI RIVER. (modern day RAVI) => after this war entire region ka. BHARATWARTH.
• 4/10 came to side of bharat tribals => region now called PANCHAJAN as 1+4=5.=> later called Panchal/PANDAVU
• Matrimonial relation b/w Tristu and PANCHAJAN later resulted into KURU tribe
• Aryans use to fight among themselves and also with original inhabits of indian subcontinent. The central asian trives who were defeated by other central asian tribes are known as DASA. the winning tribe sympathise with them and gave them better treatment.
• The original Inhabitants of Indian subcontinent who were defeated by ARYAN tribes came to be known as DASEUS. they were discriminated, subjugated and provide with INHUMAN TREATMENT.
• in early vedic period 3 political organisation were there
• Sabha -> all eligible people who can select the members of samithi
• Samiti -> political organisation + Decision Makers
• Vidhata ->  Congregation of people for ritual purpose
• women were given a respected position in society and they were allowed to participate in FUNCTIONING of SABHA & VIDHATA.
• Society and Religious Practice
• women were given respected position and they were allowed to participate in the religious sacrifices along with their male counterparts.
• we have not come across any reference towards child marriage in EVP.
• Rigvedic peoples personified the natural factors which were beyond their comprehension
• Indra was most important god aka. PURANDHAR( breaker of forts ) => forts were there in current afghan not in india
• Agni => intermediary god.
• Varun => god of water.
• Marut => god of wind.
• all these name suggest that society was patriarchal.
• the most important objective of worship was to obtain material gain and not for spiritual purpose.

Later Vedic Period LVP => 1, 10 mandal written.

• by 1000 bc, Iron began to be used by aryans which facilitated them to clear the forest of upper gangetic plain. They started agricultural practice=> their life became sedentary
• Economy during LVP
• the most important economic wealth was LAND indicated by term RASHTRA mention for the first time in later vedic Text.
• Political Organisation.
• In later vedic period RAJAN became more important; as his function was to acquire more land.
• they tried to establish their supremacy through various rituals like
• Aswamedha,
• Rajasuia,
• Vajpeya
• the political assemblies of SABHA & SAMITHI loss their former importance. they where replaced by BRAHMANS. VIDHATHA as assembly completely disappeared.
• Society.
• in the 10th mandal of rigveda it has been mentioned to devide society on basis of birth. which finally came into being in later vedic period and VARNA SYSTEM, 4 th fold division got concrete shape
• Bramhan => 
• Kshatriya
• Vaishya
• Shudra
• 4 fold division give undue advantage to braman and they devised elaborate religious practices in order to gain material wealth from kings. The concept of gothra which is common leneage from an ancestor came into light. Brahmans adviced to follow gothra system in matrimonial system.
• position of women deteriorated. => they were not allowed to participate in sabha.
• Religious Practices
• all the early vedic gods lost their importance and PRAJAPATHI emerged most important god, who considered CREATOR OF UNIVERSE.
• common mode of worship: PRAYERS & SACRIFICE.
• purpose: MATERIAL GAIN + CHILD(son preference)

by the end of 6th BC MAHAJANAPADHAS emerged