The Vedic Period
ICSE Class 9 · History & Civics · Chapter 7
What this chapter covers
- The Vedic Period and its two phases
- Sources: the four Vedas
- Sources: the importance of the epics
- Early Vedic social organisation: the family
- Early Vedic social organisation: the position of the king
- Rig Vedic Assemblies: Sabha, Samiti and Vidhatha
- Position of women in Early and Later Vedic society
- Economy of the Early and Later Vedic Period
- The four class divisions
- The four Ashramas
- The education system
- Common errors and how to avoid them
Key points
- The Vedic Period (about 1500–600 BCE) has two phases: Early or Rig Vedic (1500–1000 BCE) and Later Vedic (1000–600 BCE).
- Its chief sources are literary: the Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva Vedas, with the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads.
- The Ramayana (Valmiki) and the Mahabharata (Vyasa) are important for political, social, religious and cultural history.
- Early Vedic society ran from kula to grama to vis to jana; the family was patriarchal and joint.
- The Early Vedic rajan was a tribal chief, protector of the people, checked by the assemblies; in the Later Vedic Period he became a powerful hereditary territorial king.
- The Sabha was a council of elders, the Samiti a general assembly of the people, and the Vidhatha the oldest tribal gathering; the Vidhatha disappeared later.
- Women were educated and took part in public life in the Early Vedic Period; their position declined in the Later Vedic Period.
- The economy changed from pastoral (cattle) to agricultural (land), helped by iron, with more crafts, trade and the first towns.
- The four varnas were flexible and based on occupation at first, and became rigid and hereditary later.
- The four ashramas were Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa.
- Education was given orally in the gurukula, from upanayana to samavartana, covering the Vedas, the Vedangas and practical skills.
Questions answered
Name the four Vedas.
The Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and the Atharva Veda.
Why are the Vedas called shruti?
Shruti means "that which is heard"; the Vedas are believed to have been revealed to the rishis and were passed down orally, by hearing and recitation.
Which Veda is the main source for the Early Vedic Period, and how is it arranged?
The Rig Veda; it has 1,028 hymns arranged in ten books called mandalas.
State the subject matter of the Atharva Veda.
Charms, spells and prayers for everyday needs, such as curing diseases, warding off evil, protecting cattle and winning success.
Give two reasons why the epics are important to historians.
They show the rise of hereditary kingdoms and royal sacrifices, and they describe the social life, values and ideals of dharma of the Later Vedic age. (Their role in the cultural unity of India is another valid point.)
Arrange in order, from smallest to largest: vis, kula, jana, grama.
Kula, grama, vis, jana.
What is meant by a patriarchal family?
A patriarchal family is one in which the father or eldest male member is the head of the household and holds authority over its members and property.
What was bali in the Early Vedic Period, and how did it change later?
Bali was a voluntary gift offered by the people to the rajan; in the Later Vedic Period it became a regular tax collected by royal officials.
Past board exam questions
ICSE 2019 sample paper · 2 marks
Name the Epics written during the Later Vedic period.
Show answer
The Ramayana (by Valmiki) and the Mahabharata (by Ved Vyasa).
ICSE 2019 sample paper · 3 marks
State any three social changes that came about in the Later Vedic Period in relation to the Position of Women.
Show answer
1. The status of women declined; they were no longer allowed to attend the Sabha and Samiti.
2. Girls were denied the right to education and the sacred thread ceremony (upanayana); child marriage began.
3. Polygamy became common and women lost the right to take part in sacrifices/rituals; they were considered inferior to men.
ICSE 2019 sample paper · 3 marks
State any three occupations that existed during the Vedic Age.
Show answer
(Any three) 1. Agriculture. 2. Cattle-rearing (animal husbandry). 3. Trade. 4. Crafts such as carpentry, metal-working (smiths), pottery, weaving and leather-work.