Early Indus Civilizations

The Aryans & the Vedic Age

Aryan Migration

• Group that moved into the Indus Valley and eventually ruled over all of India

• Approx. 2000 B.C.

Aryan Migration

• Aryans were warlike people

• Believed to come from Central Asia

• n

Aryan Migration

• Aryans were pastoralists– Nomadic people kept herds of

livestock as food source

• learned farming after moving into India

• Were taller and lighter skinned than the people in the Indus Valley

Sanskrit

• Written language used by the Aryans

The Vedic Period• Most of what we know

about the early Aryan period comes from the Vedas

• Vedas – Scared writings,

Epic poems, hymns, magic spells

– Passed on by oral tradition

– Provide details about Aryan history and society

Vedic Society

• Vedas tell us that:– Aryans lived in smaller villages than

Harappans– Villages came together under the

rule of Rajas•War chiefs•Protected the people in return for food

and money

Vedic Religion

• Polythesitic– Worshipped many gods

connected to a single eternal spirit

• Priests performed rituals that they claimed kept order in the universe – Fire sacrifices – Chanting hymns

Vedic Social Structure

• Rig Veda – Oldest of the Vedas– Describes the creation of the four varnas– Each varna had played a specific role in society

• Brahmins– Priests and teachers

• Kshatriyas– warriors and rulers

• Vaisyas– Traders, farmers, herders

• Sudras– Servants

The mouth?

The arms?

The legs?

The feet?

WHO IS…

BrahminsBrahmins

KshatriyasKshatriyas

VaishyasVaishyas

ShudrasShudras

Varna (Social Hierarchy)

ShudrasShudras(servants, laborers) (servants, laborers)

VaishyasVaishyas(herders, farmers, (herders, farmers,

merchants, craftspeople)merchants, craftspeople)

KshatriyasKshatriyas

(warriors)(warriors)

UntouchablesUntouchables

BrahminsBrahmins(priests)(priests)

Non-Aryans

Untouchables• Did not belong to a caste• No protections of caste laws• Could not associate with other

castes• Could only perform jobs that

other castes did not • Handling dead animals • Digging graves• Handling trash

The Caste System

• The varnas were the basis for the caste system

• Castes– Determined what:

• jobs you could have•Who you could marry•Who you could eat with

– Some castes had more privileges than others