Vedic Period: Ancient History of Rajasthan

Rajasthan during Vedic Period (1500 BC – 500 BC): The cities of the Harappan Culture had declined by 1500 B.C. Around this period, the speakers of Indo- Aryan language, Sanskrit, entered the north-west India from the Indo-Iranian region. Initially they would have come in small numbers through the passes in the northwestern mountains. Their initial Settlements were in the valleys of the north-west and the plains of the Punjab.

प्राचीन काल में राजस्थान के कुछ आंशिक हिस्से वैदिक और सिंधु घाटी की सभ्यता से मिलते हैं. राजस्थान के बूंदी और भीलवाड़ा जिलों में पाषाण युग के सामान मिले. वैदिक सभ्यता का मत्स्य साम्राज्य आज के जयपुर शहर है. मत्स्य साम्राज्य की राजधानी विराटनगर थी जो इसके संस्थापक राजा विराट के नाम पर रखा गया था.

सिंधु घाटी सभ्यता (Indus Valley Civilization) के पश्चात भारत में जिस नवीन सभ्यता का विकास हुआ उसे ही आर्य(Aryan) अथवा वैदिक सभ्यता(Vedic Civilization) के नाम से जाना जाता है। इस काल की जानकारी हमे मुख्यत: वेदों से प्राप्त होती है, जिसमे ऋग्वेद सर्वप्राचीन होने के कारण सर्वाधिक महत्वपूर्ण है। वैदिक काल को ऋग्वैदिक या पूर्व वैदिक काल (1500 -1000 ई.पु.) तथा उत्तर वैदिक काल (1000 – 600 ई.पु.) में बांटा गया है।

वैदिक काल, या वैदिक समय (c. 1500 – c.500 ईसा पूर्व), शहरी सिंधु घाटी सभ्यता के अंत और उत्तरी मध्य-गंगा में शुरू होने वाले एक दूसरे शहरीकरण के बीच उत्तरी भारतीय उपमहाद्वीप के इतिहास में अवधि है। सादा c. 600 ई.पू. इसका नाम वेदों से मिलता है, जो इस अवधि के दौरान जीवन का विवरण देने वाले प्रख्यात ग्रंथ हैं जिन्हें ऐतिहासिक माना गया है और अवधि को समझने के लिए प्राथमिक स्रोतों का गठन किया गया है। संबंधित पुरातात्विक रिकॉर्ड के साथ ये दस्तावेज वैदिक संस्कृति के विकास का पता लगाने और अनुमान लगाने की अनुमति देते हैं।

Vedic Period: Ancient History of Rajasthan

Later, they moved into Indo-Gangetic plains. As they were mainly a cattle-keeping people, they were mainly in search of pastures. By 6th century B.C., they occupied the whole of North India, which was referred to as Aryavrata. The original home of the Aryans is a debatable question and there are several views.

 Period between 1500 B.C and 600 B.C may be divided into:

  • Early Vedic Period or Rig Vedic Period (1500 B.C -1000 B.C)
  • The Later Vedic Period (1000 B.C – 600 B.C).

Why it is called Vedic Period?

The word ‘Veda’ is derived from the root ‘vid’, which means to know. In other words, the term ‘Veda’ signifies ‘superior knowledge’. The Vedic literature consists of the four Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva.

  • The Rig Veda is the earliest of the four Vedas and it consists of 1028 hymns.
  •  The Yajur Veda consists of various details of rules to be observed at the time of sacrifice.
  •  The Sama Veda is set to tune for the purpose of chanting during sacrifice. It is called the book of chants and the origins of Indian music are traced in it.
  •  The Atharva Veda contains details of rituals.

वेदों की रचना और मौखिक रूप से एक पुरानी इंडो-आर्यन भाषा बोलने वालों द्वारा सटीक रूप से प्रेषित की गई थी, जो इस अवधि के शुरू में भारतीय उपमहाद्वीप के उत्तर-पश्चिमी क्षेत्रों में चले गए थे। वैदिक समाज पितृसत्तात्मक और पितृसत्तात्मक था। आरंभिक वैदिक आर्य पंजाब में केंद्रित एक कांस्य युग के समाज थे, जो कि राज्यों के बजाय जनजातियों में संगठित थे, और मुख्य रूप से जीवन का एक देहाती तरीका था। 1200–1000 ई.पू., वैदिक आर्य पूर्व में उपजाऊ पश्चिमी गंगा के मैदान में फैल गए और उन्होंने लोहे के उपकरण अपना लिए, जो जंगल को साफ करने और अधिक व्यवस्थित, कृषि जीवन को अपनाने की अनुमति देते थे।

वैदिक काल के उत्तरार्ध में भारत, और कुरु साम्राज्य के रूढ़िवादी यज्ञ अनुष्ठान के लिए एक जटिल सामाजिक विभेदीकरण, शहरों, राज्यों और एक जटिल सामाजिक भेदभाव के उद्भव की विशेषता थी। इस समय के दौरान, केंद्रीय गंगा मैदान एक संबंधित लेकिन गैर-वैदिक इंडो-आर्यन संस्कृति का प्रभुत्व था। वैदिक काल के अंत में सच्चे शहरों और बड़े राज्यों (महाजनपद कहा जाता है) के उदय के साथ-साथ asramasa आंदोलनों (जैन धर्म और बौद्ध धर्म सहित) में वृद्धि हुई, जिसने वैदिक रूढ़िवाद को चुनौती दी।

Rig Vedic or Early Vedic Period (1500-1000 BC)

During the Rig Vedic period, the Aryans were mostly confined to the Indus region. The Rig Veda refers to Saptasindhu or the land of seven rivers. This includes the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej along with the Indus and Saraswati.

Political System:

  • Family was called as kula.
  • Several families joined together on the basis of their kinship to form a village or grama.
  • The leader of grama was known as gramani.
  • A group of villages constituted a larger unit called visu. It was headed by vishayapati.
  • The highest political unit was called Jana or tribe.
  • There were several tribal kingdoms during the Rig Vedic period such as Bharatas, Matsya,Yadus and Purus.
  •  The head of the kingdom was called as rajan or king.

 The Rig Vedic polity was normally monarchical and the succession was hereditary. The king was assisted by Purohitas or priest and senani or commander of the army in his administration.

  • There were two popular bodies called the Sabha and Samiti. The Sabha seems to have been a council of elders and the latter, a general assembly of the entire people.

Social Life:

  • The Rig Vedic society was patriarchal. The basic unit of society was family or graham. The head of the family was known as grahapathi.
  • Monogamy was generally practiced while polygamy was prevalent among the royal and noble families.
  • Women were given equal opportunities as men for their spiritual and intellectual development.
  • There were women poets like Apala, Viswavara, Ghosa and Lopamudra during the Rig Vedic period.
  • Women could even attend the popular assemblies. There was no child marriage and the practice of sati was absent.
  • Both men and women wore upper and lower garments made of cotton and wool.
  • Chariot racing, horse racing, dicing, music and dance were the favourite pastimes.
  • The social divisions were not rigid during the Rig Vedic period as it was in the later Vedic Period.

Economic Condition:

  • The Rig Vedic Aryans were pastoral people and their main occupation was cattle rearing. Their wealth was estimated in terms of their cattle.
  • When they permanently settled in North India they began to practice agriculture. With the knowledge and use of iron they were able to clean forests and bring more lands under cultivation.
  • Carpentry was another important profession and the availability of wood from the forests cleared made the profession profitable. Carpenters produced chariots and ploughs.
  • Workers in metal made a variety of articles with copper, bronze and iron. Spinning was another important occupation and cotton and woolen fabrics were made. Goldsmiths were active in making ornaments.
  • The potters made various kinds of vessels for domestic use.
  • Trade was another important economic activity and rivers served as important means of transport. Trade was conducted on barter system. In the later times, gold coins called nishka were used as media of exchange in large transactions.

Religion:

  • The Rig Vedic Aryans worshiped the natural forces like earth, fire, wind, rain and thunder.
  • The important Rig Vedic gods were Prithvi (Earth), Agni (Fire), Vayu (Wind), Varuna (Rain) and Indra (Thunder).
  • There were also female gods like Aditi and Ushas.
  • There were no temples and no idol worship during the early Vedic period.
  • Prayers were offered to the gods in the expectation of rewards. Ghee, milk and grain were given as offerings.

वैदिक सभ्यता का नाम ऐसा इस लिए पड़ा कि वेद उस काल की जानकारी का प्रमुख स्रोत हैं। वेद चार है – ऋग्वेद, सामवेद, अथर्ववेद और यजुर्वेद। इनमें से ऋग्वेद की रचना सबसे पहले हुई थी। ऋग्वेद में ही गायत्री मन्त्र है जो सविता(सूर्य) को समर्पित है।

ऋग्वेद के काल निर्धारण में विद्वान एकमत नहीं है। सबसे पहले मैक्स मूलर ने वेदों के काल निर्धारण का प्रयास किया। उसने बौद्ध धर्म (550 ईसा पूर्व) से पीछे की ओर चलते हुए वैदिक साहित्य के तीन ग्रंथों की रचना को मनमाने ढंग से 200-200 वर्षों का समय दिया और इस तरह ऋग्वेद के रचना काल को 1200 ईसा पूर्व के करीब मान लिया पर निश्चित रूप से उसके आंकलन का कोई आधार नहीं था।

वैदिक काल को मुख्यतः दो भागों में बांटा जा सकता है- ऋग्वैदिक काल और उत्तर वैदिक काल। ऋग्वैदिक काल आर्यों के आगमन के तुरंत बाद का काल था जिसमें कर्मकांड गौण थे पर उत्तरवैदिक काल में हिन्दू धर्म में कर्मकांडों की प्रमुखता बढ़ गई।

Later Vedic Period or Iron Age (1000-600 BC)

  • The Aryans further moved towards east in the Later Vedic Period. The Satpatha Brahmana refers to the expansion of Aryans to the eastern Gangetic plains.
  •  Kuru and Panchala kingdoms flourished in the beginning. After the fall of Kurus and Panchalas, other kingdoms like Kosala, Kasi and Videha came into prominence.
  • The later Vedic texts also refer to the three divisions of India – Aryavrata (northern India), Madhyadesa (central India) and Dakshinapatha (southern India).

Political System:

  • Larger kingdoms were formed during the later Vedic period. Many Jana or tribes were amalgamated to form janapadas or Rashtras in the later Vedic period.
  • The king performed various rituals and sacrifices to strengthen his position. They include Rajasuya (consecration ceremony), Ashvamedha (horse sacrifice) and Vajpeya (chariot race).
  • The kings also assumed titles like Rajavisvajanan, Ahilabhuvanapathi, (lord of all earth), Ekrat and Samrat (sole ruler).
  •  In the later Vedic period, a large number of new officials were involved in the administration in addition to the existing Purohitas, senani and gramani. They include the treasury officer, tax collector and royal messenger.
  • At the lower levels, the village assemblies carried on the administration. The importance of the Samiti and the Sabha had diminished during the later Vedic period.

Social System:

  • The four divisions of society (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras) or the Varna system was thoroughly established during the Later Vedic period.
  • Position of women declined, they were still considered inferior and subordinate to men. Women also lost their political rights of attending assemblies.
  • Child marriages had become common.

Economic Condition:

  • Iron was used extensively in this period and this enabled the people to clear forests and to bring more land under cultivation. Agriculture became the chief occupation. Improved types of implements were used for cultivation. Besides barley, rice and wheat were grown.
  • Metal work, leather work, carpentry and pottery made great progress. In addition to internal trade, foreign trade became extensive. The Later Vedic people were familiar with the sea and they traded with countries like Babylon.
  • Vaishyas also carried on trade and commerce. They organized themselves into guilds known as ganas.
  • Besides nishka of the Rig Vedic period, gold and silver coins like satamana and krishnala were used as media of exchange.

Religion:

  • Gods of the Early Vedic period like Indra and Agni lost their importance.
  • Prajapati (the creator), Vishnu (the protector) and Rudra (the destroyer) became prominent during the Later Vedic period.
  • Sacrifices were still important and the rituals connected with them became more elaborate. The importance of prayers declined and that of sacrifices increased.
  • Priesthood became a profession and a hereditary one. The formulae for sacrifices were invented and elaborated by the priestly class. Therefore, towards the end of this period there was a strong reaction against priestly domination and against sacrifices and rituals. The rise of Buddhism and Jainism was the direct result of these elaborate sacrifices.
  • Also, the authors of the Upanishads, which is the essence of Hindu philosophy, turned away from the useless rituals and insisted on true knowledge (jnana) for peace and salvation.

राजनीतिक स्थिति

ऋग्वैदिक काल मुख्यतः एक कबीलाई व्यवस्था वाला शासन था जिसमें सैनिक भावना प्रमुख थी। राजा को गोमत भी कहा जाता था।

  • वैदिक काल में राजतंत्रात्मक प्रणाली प्रचलित थी। इसमें शासन का प्रमुख राजा होता था।
  • राजा वंशानुगत तो होता था परन्तु जनता उसे हटा सकती थी। वह क्षेत्र विशेष का नहीं बल्कि जन विशेष का प्रधान होता था।
  • राजा युद्ध का नेतृत्वकर्ता था। उसे कर वसूलने का अधिकार नही था। जनता द्वारा स्वेच्छा से दिए गए भाग से उसका खर्च चलता था।
  • सभा, समिति तथा विदथ नामक प्रशासनिक संस्थाएं थीं।
  • अथर्ववेद में सभा एवं समिति को प्रजापति की दो पुत्रियाँ कहा गया है। समिति का महत्वपूर्ण कार्य राजा का चुनाव करना था। समिति का प्रधान ईशान या पति कहलाता था। विदथ में स्त्री एवं पुरूष दोनों सम्मलित होते थे। नववधुओं का स्वागत, धार्मिक अनुष्ठान आदि सामाजिक कार्य विदथ में होते थे।
  • सभा श्रेष्ठ लोंगो की संस्था थी, समिति आम जनप्रतिनिधि सभा थी एवं विदथ सबसे प्राचीन संस्था थी। ऋग्वेद में सबसे ज्यादा बार उल्लेख विदथ का 122 बार हुआ है।
  • सैन्य संचालन वरात, गण व सर्ध नामक कबीलाई संगठन करते थे।
  • शतपथ ब्रह्मण के अनुसार अभिषेक होने पर राजा महँ बन जाता था। राजसूय यज्ञ करने वाले की उपाधि राजा तथा वाजपेय यज्ञ करने वाले की उपाधि सम्राट थी।
  • स्पर्श, गुप्तचरों को और पुरूप, दुर्गापति को कहा जाता था।
  • राजा का प्रशासनिक सहयोग पुरोहित एवं सेनानी आदि 12 रत्निन करते थे। चारागाह के प्रधान को वाज्रपति एवं लड़ाकू दलों के प्रधान को ग्रामिणी कहा जाता था।

12 रत्निन:

पुरोहित– राजा का प्रमुख परामर्शदाता,

सेनानी– सेना का प्रमुख,

ग्रामीण– ग्राम का सैनिक पदाधिकारी,

महिषी– राजा की पत्नी,

सूत– राजा का सारथी,

क्षत्रि– प्रतिहार,

संग्रहित– कोषाध्यक्ष,

भागदुध– कर एकत्र करने वाला अधिकारी,

अक्षवाप– लेखाधिकारी,

गोविकृत– वन का अधिकारी,

पालागल– राजा का मित्र।

Vedic Age or Iron Age in Rajasthan

From 1000 BC, Iron was used in Gandhara in Pakistan. Around same time, use of iron appeared in eastern Punjab, Western UP and Rajasthan. The Vedic literature mentions the Matsya and the Salvas as located near the river Saraswati and there is evidence to believe that by the close of the Vedic age Rajasthan had become fully colonized by the Vedic tribes.

The relics of Painted Grey ware culture have been reported from the dried- up beds of Saraswati and Drishadwati rivers. There is also evidence of Painted Grey Ware (PGW) from Noh (Bharatpur), Jodhpura (Jaipur), Viratnagar (Jaipur) and Sunari (Jhunjhunu). These sites represent the growth of Iron Age in Rajasthan.

Which was Vedic age period in history?

The Vedic period, or the Vedic age ( c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas.

How many Vedic period are there?

Vedic culture is divided into two groups and four Vedas – Aryans, Dravidians, and Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra respectively. It was founded in 1200 BCE. In the Vedic period, agriculture and pastoralism were economic factors. Vedas is the reason for religions flourishment.

Why is the Vedic period important?

The Vedic Age of Ancient India is the “heroic age” of ancient Indian civilization. It is also the formative period when the basic foundations of Indian civilization were laid down. These include the emergence of early Hinduism as the foundational religion of India, and the social/religious phenomenon known as caste.

वैदिक काल से आप क्या समझते हैं?

वैदिक काल प्राचीन भारतीय संस्कृति का एक काल खंड है. उस दौरान वेदों की रचना हुई थी. हड़प्पा संस्कृति के पतन के बाद भारत में एक नई सभ्यता का आविर्भाव हुआ. इस सभ्यता की जानकारी के स्रोत वेदों के आधार पर इसे वैदिक सभ्यता का नाम दिया गया.

वैदिक धर्म के अनुयायी किसकी पूजा करते थे?

इन्द्र, मित्र, वरुण, अग्नि, यम आदि ऐसे अनेक देवता थे, जिन्हें तृप्त व सन्तुष्ट करने के लिए वे अनेक विविध-विधानों का अनुसरण करते थे। संसार का स्रष्टा, पालक व संहर्ता, एक ईश्वर की कल्पना सम्भवत:, बाद में विकसित हुई, और प्रारम्भ में आर्य लोग प्रकृति की विविध शक्तियों को देवता के रूप में मान कर उन्हीं की उपासना करते थे

वैदिक काल के प्रमुख देवता कौन थे?

जिन देवताओं का मुख्य रूप से वर्णन हुआ है वे हैं – अग्नि, इंद्र, सोम, मित्रा-वरुण, सूर्य, अशिवनौ, ईश्वर, द्यावा-पृथ्वी आदि। ये वैदिक देवता आज भारतीय हिन्दू धर्म में व्यक्ति आधारित देवता जैसे – राम, कृष्ण, हनुमान, शिव, लक्ष्मी, गणेश, बालाजी, विष्णु, पेरुमल, गणेश, शक्ति आदि से अलग हैं।

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