Early Vedic Society / Rig Vedic Society (1500 BCE and 1000 BCE):
• The political, social and economic aspects of life of this period are reflected in the Rig Vedic hymns.
• No written documents of this period are found as things were transmitted orally.
• Early Vedic culture is corelated with the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture of the Iron Age in North India.
• Nowadays, DNA studies are also used for understanding ancient migrations. M17, a genetic marker (DNA), is
•
Names of some of the rivers mentioned in Rig Veda are as follows:
| Rig Vedic Name | Present Name | Location |
| Vitasta Asikni Parushni Vipasa Shatuadri Sindhu Suvastu Kubha Krurm Gomati Sarasvati Drishdwati | Jhelum Chenab Ravi Beas Satluj Indus Swat Kabul Kurram Gomal Sarsuti Ghagha | Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan Rajasthan Rajasthan |
said to have been found among the speakers of Indo- Europeans.
• Cultural Mix Though Rig Veda was in Vedic Sanskrit, words of Munda and Dravidian languages were also found in this scripture. This shows a cultural mix.
• Animals:
• In Rig Veda the term Asva (Horse) came around 215 times.
• The word Vrishabha (Bull) came 170 times.
• Tigers and Rhinos were not mentioned in the Rig Veda.
• Aryans domesticated horses and used chariots.
• Burial Practices: They buried and also cremated the dead.
• Religious Beliefs:
• Consumption of soma drink and cult of fire was prevalent.
• Agricultural Society:
• There is no trace of the urban way of life in Rig Veda.
• They used bows and arrows.
Extensive foundations for village settlements were also laid during this period
Social Divisions:
• The Vedic people (Aryans) distinguished themselves from the non-Aryan people.
• The Word ‘Aryan’ Means the one who Is noble/superior.
• Varna was the term used by Aryans to refer to colour and category.
• The Rig Veda refers to Arya varna and Dasa varna.
• Dasa were treated as slaves who became Sudras in the later period.
• Social Distincitons:
• Horse drawn chariots and bronze objects were possessed by few, suggesting social distinction.
• These social divisions are considered to have arisen towards the end of the early Vedic period. Various professional groups such as warriors, priests, cattle- keepers, farmers, barbers are also mentioned.
• Panis were caravan traders.
• Caste: According to the Purusha Sukta of the Rig Veda, the different Varnas originated from various parts of the Purusha's body: Brahmins from the mouth, Kshatriyas from the arms, Vaishyas from the thighs, and Sudras from the feet.
• Egalitarianism: Vedic society was largely egalitarian that means women were treated equally with men and varna system was not rigid and not based on birth.
Tribes and Family:
• Kinship was the basis of social structure of Rig Vedic society.
• Kula (Family) was the basic social unit and Kulapa
was the head of the family.
• The family was part of a larger grouping, called Vis or Clan. Vis also refers to common people.
• One or more than one clans made Jana or Tribe. The word Jana was mentioned in Rig Veda, but Janapada was not mentioned.
• Gramas means villages.
• There were joint families in the Rig Vedic age, which followed the patrilineal system.
Women
• Women had a respectable position.
• Society was patriarchal.
• Presence of male children and cattle were preferred.
• Women attended assemblies and offered sacrifices.
• Marriage was common but primitive practices were also considered.
• Polyandry was practiced, means a woman can marry more than one man.
• Widow remarriage was also known.
• Little evidence of child marriage is there.
Vedic Religions and the Rituals:
• Natural forces like sun, moon, rivers, mountains and rains were revered.
• Religion was naturalistic and polytheistic.
• Indra was the most important God who was also called
Purandara, means destroyer of settlements.
• Agni was seen as intermediary between God and people.
• Surya was a God who removed darkness.
• Ushas was the Goddess of dawn.
• Adithi, Prithvi and Sinivali are other Goddesses.
• Sindhu was river Goddess.
• Varuna was God of water. This God was upholder of natural order.
• Soma was God of plants. Soma drink was part of the rituals.
There are few references to Rudra or Shiva.
• Dharma (personal actions) signifies cosmic ordinance, often in connection with the sense of natural law.
• Rita (“truth” or “order”), in Indian religion and philosophy, is the cosmic order mentioned in the Vedas. Rita is the impersonal physical order of the universe, the order of sacrifice, and the moral law of the world. Because of rita, movements of the sun and moon and orderly change in the seasons.
• As Hinduism developed from the ancient Vedic religion, the concept of rita led to the doctrines of dharma (duty) and karma (accumulated effects of good and bad actions).
• Vedic religion features the belief that rita was guarded by Varuna, the god-sovereign, who was assisted by Mitra, the god of honour, and that the proper performance of sacrifices to the gods was necessary to guarantee its continuance.
• Violation (anrita) of the established order by incorrect or improper behaviour, even if unintentional, constituted sin and required careful expiation.