Study Notes on Early Vedic Period (1500 BC - 1000 BC) & Dynasties of Ancient India

In continuation of RRB JE Express study plan, today we will discuss Early Vedic Period (1500BC-1000BC) & some very useful notes on Dynasties of Ancient India.

Ancient History

Early Vedic Period (1500BC-1000BC)

Rig Veda is the only source of knowledge of this period. Rig Veda is the oldest text in the world. The Veda consists of 1028 hymns divided into 10 mandalas. The Vedic literature was composed in Sanskrit. To begin with, the Vedas were recited and not written. They were taught by oral method. Hence they were called as Sruti (heard) and Smriti (memorized). But later on, they were reduced to writing after the invention of scripts.

• Original home and identity and Geographical area
  1. Aryans are distinguished by their common Indo-European Language family which is widely disseminated in the Eurasian Region
  2. Max Muller opines that they’ve lived in the Central Asia/Steppes region who then invaded into Indian Subcontinent. Names of certain animals and plants common to Indo-European languages are cited as proofs.
  3. Their main occupation being Pastoral while Agriculture remained as a Secondary Horse played a significant role in the Pastoralist life, which was domesticated near the Black Sea.
  4. The term Arya appears in Rig Veda for 36 times indicating Aryans as a Cultural community
  5. Aryans appeared in India around 1500 BC and settled near Eastern Afghanistan, NWFP, Punjab and fringes of western Uttar Pradesh. The whole region is called as the Land of Seven Rivers.
  6. They Aryans came into conflict with the indigenous inhabitants Dasyus and the Aryan chief who overpowered them is called as Tarsadasu.
  7. Sapta Sindu mentioned in the Rig Veda. Sindu is the river of Par Excellence while The Saraswati or Naditarana is the best of rivers in the Rig Veda

•  Tribal Conflicts

1. The Aryans introduced Chariots driven by horses for the first time in West Asia and India. They were better equipped with arms and varman. These led to their successes of conquests everywhere.
2. The Aryans were divided into 5 tribes called Panchajana who fought among themselves.
3. The battle of Ten Kings or the Dasrajan War was fought between 5 Aryan and 5 non-Aryan tribes against Bharata King Sudas in which the Bharata won. They later joined with the Purus and established a new tribe called Kurus who ruled the upper Gangetic Plains

• Material life and Economy
  1. Their success is attributed to the use of Chariots, horses and better arms made of bronze. They also introduced the Spoked Wheel.
  2. They had better knowledge of Agriculture which was used mainly to produce fodder. Ploughshare made of wood was mentioned in Rig Veda.
  3. Wars were fought for the sake of cow. Gavishthi is called the search for cows. The land was not important in their life.
  4. Aryans never lived or settled in cities.
• Tribal polity
  1. Assemblies of the period – Sabha, Samiti, Vidatha and Gana
  2. The two most important assemblies were sabha and the samiti. Women attended the Sabha and Vidatha.
  3. Bali – voluntary contributions made by people
  4. The king did not maintain a regular standing army. There was tribal system of government in which military element was string. Military functions were performed by different tribal groups called Vrata, Gana, Grama, Sardha
  5. Important Positions
        (a)Tribal Chief – Rajan – king’s post had become hereditary. Election of the king through Samitis
        (b)Purohita – High Priest – Vishvamitra and Vasishtha. Vishwamitra composed Gayatri Mantra.
        (c)The Senani – army chief - who used spears, axes and swords
        (d)Information on officer collecting taxes and officers administering justice are not found
        (e)Vrajapati – officer who enjoyed authority over a large land. He led the heads of families called Kulapas and heads of fighting hordes called Gramanis to battle.

• Tribe and Family
  1. Kinship was the basis of social structure
  2. Primary loyalty was given to Jana or the Tribe. Jana occurs for about 275 times in Rig Veda. Vis is another term for tribe which is mentioned 170 times in Rig veda. Grama is smaller tribal units. Samgrama is the clash between gramas
  3. Kula, the term for family is rarely mentioned. Family is represented by Griha.
  4. Patriarchal societies and birth of a son was desired to fight wars
  5. Women could attend assemblies, offer sacrifices and compose hymns
  6. Practices of polyandry, women remarriage and levirate were found but child marriage was not in vogue.
• Social divisions
  1. Varna was the term used for color
  2. The dasas and the dasyus were treated as slaves and shudras. Arya varna and Dasa varna was mentioned in the Rig veda
  3. Four-fold differentiation on the basis of occupation viz. Warriors, priests, people and shudras were found but this division was not very sharp.
  4. Social inequalities had started to appear but the society was still tribal and largely egalitarian
• Rig Vedic Gods
  1. Nature worship was found
  2. Attributes of various gods
     1. Indira – Purandara – 250 hymns
     2. Agni – fire god – 200 hymns
     3. Varuna – upholding natural order
     4. Soma – God of plants
     5. Maruts – personification of storms
     6. Aditi and Usha – female divinities – represented the appearance of dawn

             3. Dominant mode of worship – prayer and sacrifice. But the worship was not accompanied by rituals or sacrificial formula. Their worship was towards fulfilling their material life and wellbeing.

Dynasties of Ancient India

Two major dynasties of India, the Maurya Empire (321 BC- 185 BC) and Gupta Empire (240 BC-550 AD), were originated from Magadha.

Apart from Maurya and Gupta dynasties, there were other dynasties which were started from Magadha,

• Haryanka dynasty (544-413 BC)
• Shishunaga dynasty (413-345 BC)
• Nanda dynasty (424-321 BC)

Haryanka dynasty:-

• Haryanka is the name of a new dynasty founded in Magadha by Bimbisara.
• Bimbisara founded the dynasty by defeating the  Brihadrathas.
• Bimbisara was a contemporary of Buddha.
• Pataliputra and Rajagriha were the capitals of Magadhan kingdom. Magadha falls in the Patna region of Bihar.

Shishunaga Dynasty:-

• Haryankas were overthrown by Sisunaga and he founded the Sisunaga dynasty there.
• Kalasoka the son and successor of Sisunaga was succeeded by Mahapadma Nanda and he founded the Nanda dynasty.
• Ajatasatru’s successor Udayin was the founder of the city of Pataliputra.

Nanda Dynasty:-

• The Nanda Empire was an ancient Indian dynasty originated from Magadha and was established in 424 BC.
• Mahapadma Nanda was the founder and the first king of the Nanda dynasty.
• He overthrew the Magadha dynasty and established the new Empire.
• Initially Nanda Dynast inherited a large kingdom of Magadha and subsequently, the boundaries of Nanda Dynasty were expanded in all directions by its rulers.
• Nandas formed a vast army, including 200000 infantry, 20000 cavalry, 2000 war chariots and 3000 war elephants.
• At its peak, the Nanda Empire expanded from Bengal in the east to Punjab in the west.
• In the southern side it extended to the Vindhya Range.
• Dhana Nanda was the last ruler of Nanda Dynasty.
• In 321 BC, Chandragupta Maurya defeated him and founded the Maurya Empire.

MAURYAN DYNASTY (321 – 185 BC):-

List of Mauryan Emperors:

1. Chandragupta Maurya (321 BC-298 BC)
2. Bindusara (298 BC-272 BC)
3. Ashoka Maurya (269-232 BC)

1. Dasaratha Maurya
2. Samprati
3. Salisuka
4. Devvarman
5. Satadhanvan
6. Brihadratha Maurya

Origin of Mauryan Empire:-

• The Mauryan Empire started from Magadha was founded in 321 BC by Chandragupta Maurya.
• Pataliputra, the modern day Patna was the capital city of Mauryan Empire.

Expansion of Mauryan Empire:-

• Mauryan Empire was one of the world's largest empires of that time and expanded to an area of 5,000,000 km2.

Ashoka:-

• Ashoka ascended the throne in 273BC and ruled up to 232 BC. He was known as ‘Devanampriya Priyadarshini the
• beautiful one who was the beloved of Gods.
• He was known as ‘Devanampriya priyadarsi the beautiful one who was the beloved of Gods.
• Ashoka fought the Kalinga war in 261 BC Kalinga is in modern Orissa. Ashokan inscriptions were deciphered by James Princep.
• After the battle of Kalinga Ashoka became a Buddhist, being shocked by the horrors of the war.
• Ashoka was initiated to Buddhism by Upagupta or Nigrodha a disciple of Buddha
• For the propagation of Buddhism Ashoka started the institution of Dharmamahamatras.
• The IV Major Rock Edict of Ashoka tells about the practice of Dharma
• The Major Rock Edict XII of Ashoka deals with the conquest of Kalinga.
• Ashoka held the third Buddhist council at his capital Pataliputra in 250BC under the presidentship of Moggaliputa Tissa.
• He sent his son and daughter to Sri Lanka for the spread of Buddhism (Mahendra and Sanghamitra)
• Ashoka spread Buddhism to SriLanka and Nepal. He is known as the Constantine of Buddhism.
• In his Kalinga Edict, he mentions ‘‘All man are as my children’’.
• Ceylon ruler Devanmpriya Tissa was Ashoka’s first convert to Buddhism. Ashoka ruled for 40 years and died in 232 BC.
• The emblem of the Indian Republic has been adopted from the four lion capital of one of Ashoka's pillars which are located in Sarnath.
• Rock-cut architecture in India made a beginning during Ashoka’s reign.

Chanakya the architect of Mauryan Empire:-

• Chanakya, also known as Kautilya was the teacher of Chandragupta Maurya.
• He was originally a teacher of Takshashila University.
• He is considered to be the main architect in the establishment of the Maurya Empire by defeating the powerful Nanda Empire.
• His original name was Vishnugupta.

Important points about Mauryan Empire:-

• Major sources for the study of Mauryan Empire are the Arthasastra of Kautilya and Indika of Megasthenes.
• Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of Mauryan Empire. It is also said that his mother was Mura women of lower birth hence got the name Maurya.
• Chandragupta Maurya was converted to Jainism, abdicated the throne in favour of his son Bindusara, passed his last days at Sravanabelagola (Near Mysore) where he died in 298 BC.
• Bindusara was a follower of Ajivika sect.
• Bindusara was known as Amitragatha.
• Megasthenese the first foreign traveller to India mentions the existence of seven castes in India during the Mauryan period. Stanika in Mauryan administration refers to the tax collector.

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