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Ancient Indian History

Vedic period

Ancient South Asian historical period

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Overview

The Vedic period, or the Vedic age, is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas, was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, between the end of the urban Indus Valley Civilisation and a second urbanisation, which began in the central Indo-Gangetic Plain c. 600 BCE. The Vedas are liturgical texts which formed the basis of the influential Brahmanical ideology, which developed in the Kuru kingdom, a tribal union of several Indo-Aryan tribes. The Vedas contain details of life during this period that have been interpreted to be historical and constitute the primary sources for understanding the period. These documents, alongside the corresponding archaeological record, allow for the evolution of the Indo-Aryan and Vedic culture to be traced and inferred.

Source: Wikipedia — Vedic period (CC BY-SA)

Key concepts

How Vedic period connects to the ideas, people and events around it.

  1. Rigveda

    produced

    The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas, composed in archaic Sanskrit. It contains 1,028 hymns that were orally transmitted before being written down.

  2. Sanskrit

    used language

    Sanskrit is an ancient Indo-Aryan language used for Vedic and later classical texts. It was standardized by the grammarian Pāṇini in the 4th century BCE.

  3. Indo-Aryan migrations

    linked to

    The Indo-Aryan migration refers to the movement of Indo-European speaking peoples into the Indian subcontinent around 1500 BCE. This migration is associated with the introduction of Vedic culture.

  4. Caste

    developed

    The caste system emerged during the Vedic period as a hierarchical social order based on occupation and birth. Its earliest textual reference appears in the Purusha Sukta of the Rigveda.

  5. Upanishads

    produced

    The Upanishads are philosophical texts that reinterpret Vedic concepts and explore metaphysics. They were composed between the 8th and 5th centuries BCE, marking the end of the Vedic age.

  6. Brahmana

    included

    The Brahmanas are prose commentaries on the Vedic rituals, explaining their significance and performance. They were composed between the 9th and 6th centuries BCE.

  7. Vedic religion

    embodied

    Vedic religion is the early Indo-Aryan religious tradition centered on fire sacrifices and hymns to deities. It evolved into later Hinduism after the composition of the Upanishads.

  8. Indus Valley Civilisation

    followed

    The Indus Valley Civilization flourished from 3300 to 1300 BCE in northwestern South Asia. Its decline preceded the emergence of the Vedic period.

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Questions about Vedic period

What is Vedic period?

The Vedic period, or the Vedic age, is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas, was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, between the end of the urban Indus Valley Civilisation and a second urbanisation, which began in the central Indo-Gangetic Plain c. 600 BCE.

What are the key concepts related to Vedic period?

The main concepts connected to Vedic period include Rigveda, Sanskrit, Indo-Aryan migrations, Caste, Upanishads, Brahmana, Vedic religion, Indus Valley Civilisation. Each is linked on the map above with its own summary.

Which exams cover Vedic period?

Vedic period is part of Ancient Indian History, which appears in the syllabus of UPSC CSE, UPSC CAPF, NDA, CDS, AFCAT, SSC CGL and 48 more exams.