It is believed that the Aryans were not the original inhabitants of India. According to some historians, the real home of the Aryans was in Central Asia. Other historians opine that their original habitat was in southeast Europe (Austria and Hungary) or in southern Russia (near the Caspian Sea). The Aryans which settled in India were called 'Indo-Aryans'. The place where they settled in India is referred as Sapta Sindhu. Bal Gangadhar Tilak stated that the Aryans originally settled in Siberia but due to the falling temperature left Siberia for greener pastures.
Material Life
• The Rig Vedic Aryans attributed their success to their knowledge of horses, chariots and brass weapons.
• They usually traded copper from Khetri province of Rajasthan.
• The Aryans used wooden plows for sowing, harvesting and threshing.
• The most important asset for the Aryans was the cow.
• Since the Aryans were pastoralists, they mostly fought for the control of cow herds. These battles were called Gavisthi or the discovery of cows in the Rig Veda.
• Land was not seen as private property.
• Metals like copper, iron and bronze were used.
• Some people worked as goldsmiths, potters, spinners and carpenters.
Tribal Politics
• The tribal chief was known as Rajan and his position was hereditary.
• The tribal assemblies like Sabha, Samiti, Gana and Vidhata also had the power to make decisions along with the king.
• In the pre-Vedic period, women could also participate in the Sabha and Vidhata.
• Two chief officials who assisted the king were:
I. Purohit or Chief Priest
II. Senant or Army chief
• The taxes levied in the Vedic Age were Bali and Bhaga.
• Detectives were appointed to track down the wrong-doers.
• The officials who were settled in villages and occupied the land were called Vrajpatis.
• The Vrajapatis were under the control of the regional army and used to led the head of families (Kulapas) as well as the head of army battalions (called Gramanis) for battle.
• The Aryans lacked a standing army but they were skilled fighters.
• They were tribal in nature and therefore did not have a definite administrative system as they were constantly migrating.
Tribals and Family
• People were identified by their caste.
• The tribals (Jana or Vis) played an important role in the life of Aryans.
• The Vis was further divided into small tribal units made up of villages or warriors.
• When two villages fought with each other, it was called Sangram or War.
• In the Rigveda, the term Kula or Griha is used for the family.
• The Aryans used to live in a joint family.
• Like the Romans, they believed in patriarchy as the head of the family was the father.
• People preferred to have sons rather than daughters and also prayed for the same at the time of sacrifice.
• Women could participate in political assemblies and perform the sacrifices along with their husbands.
• In Rigveda, there was a matrimonial rule of Polyandry (having more than one husband) and there are several incidents of levirate (marrying the wife of the deceased brother) and the widow remarriages.
• There is no evidence of child marriage and 16 or 17 years is considered appropriate for marriage.
Social Division
• Aryans were conscious of Varna and started caste discrimination on the basis of Varna (literally meaning colour).
• The Aryans were fairer in appearance than the original inhabitants. This gave origin to the concept of social system.
• Dasas and Dasyus were treated like slaves and Shudras were given the lowest status in the caste system.
• The tribal chief used to get the largest share of the war spoils and thus became powerful.
• Like Iran, the tribal society was divided into three groups:
I. Warriors
II. Priests
III. Common people
0 Comments