The Vedic Civilisation
ICSE Class 6 · History & Civics · Chapter 5
What this chapter covers
- The Aryans in Sapta Sindhu and the Gangetic valley
- The meaning of 'Veda' and 'Vedic'
- Vedic literature
- The Early Vedic age (Brahmavarta)
- The Later Vedic age (Aryavarta)
- Position of women: Early and Later Vedic ages
Key definitions
Arya is a Sanskrit word that means noble or respected.
Sapta Sindhu means the land of seven rivers.
Veda is a Sanskrit word that means knowledge, and it comes from the root 'vid', which means 'to know'.
Vedic is a word that means belonging to the Vedas or to the time of the Vedas.
The Vedic Civilisation is the way of life of the people who composed the Vedas.
A yajna is a sacred fire ceremony in which ghee, grain and milk are offered to the gods through the fire.
The Upanishads are books that discuss deep questions about life, the soul and God.
The Puranas are books of old stories about gods, goddesses, heroes, kings and the creation of the world.
An epic is a long poem that tells the story of great heroes and their deeds.
The Ramayana is the epic, written by the sage Valmiki, that tells the story of Prince Rama of Ayodhya.
The Mahabharata is the epic, said to be composed by the sage Ved Vyasa, about the war between two sets of cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
Brahmavarta is the name given to the land where the Early Vedic Aryans lived, in the region of Sapta Sindhu.
Key points
- The Aryans first settled in Sapta Sindhu, the land of seven rivers, and later moved into the Gangetic valley.
- 'Veda' means knowledge; 'Vedic' means belonging to the Vedas or their time.
- The four Vedas are the Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva Vedas; the Rig Veda is the oldest.
- The Upanishads discuss deep questions about life and the soul; the Puranas tell stories of gods and kings.
- The Ramayana (by Valmiki) and the Mahabharata (by Ved Vyasa) are India's two great epics.
- In the Early Vedic age (Brahmavarta), the rajan ruled a jana with the help of the sabha and samiti; cattle were wealth.
- In the Later Vedic age (Aryavarta), kingdoms called janapadas grew, kings became powerful, and varna became fixed by birth.
- Life was divided into four ashramas, and boys studied in gurukuls.
- Iron tools helped people clear forests and farm the Ganga plains.
- Women were respected and free in the Early Vedic age, but lost many rights in the Later Vedic age.