The Post Vedic period refers to the time period from 600 BCE to 300 BCE. The Post Vedic period is the period after the Vedic period. The Vedic era refers to the period from 1500 BCE to 600 BCE. After this, the Post Vedic period continued from 600 BCE onwards. This era is marked by the second urbanization after the Harappan civilization. The era saw the first true kingdom and kingship. Buddhism and Jainism also originated during this period. The first metal coins in Indian history were produced during post vedic period. The Post Vedic period is also characterized by the production system.
In this article, we will go through the in-depth study of post vedic period by discussing all aspects of life separetly of the post vedic era, e.g. economic life, social life and political life. We will talk about each and every aspect related to syllabus of the post vedic period for the UPSC CSE examination.
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Economic Life of Post Vedic Period
In economic terms, the Post Vedic period was an important period in ancient Indian history. Many new sectors of urban economy emerged, such as crafts and trade, agricultural surplus.
- Wet Rice/Paddy Cultivation: The new technique is known as wet rice cultivation. This farming was different from dry rice or dry paddy farming in which seeds are grown. Under wet paddy cultivation, the per unit yield was better.
- Extensive Use of Iron Tools: Iron technology in India originated around 1000 BC, but large-scale use of iron tools is found in post vedic period. They were exclusively agricultural tools and played an important role in forest clearing, digging, ploughing, and harvesting.
- Crafts and Trade: Agricultural surplus led to the rise of crafts and trade. In this period we can see a massive growth in craft and trade activities. Agricultural surplus was largely the product of the use of iron tools and a new agricultural technology.
- Urbanization: The combination of these led to the emergence of urban centres. After a long gap we got the second phase of urban centers during this period. Evidence of urban centers starts appearing from this era onwards. Urbanization is characterized by urban economy.
- Guilds: Guilds emerged for the first time in ancient Indian history. It was an organization of artisans and traders. They were responsible for a wide variety of activities. They played a role in organization of production, distribution of production, quality control and determination of prices of products. Guilds were important units in the life of ancient India.
- Punch Marked Coins: This is the era in which we see an increase in the production of metal coins. It was during this phase that the first metal coins came into circulation. The coins of post vedic period were called punch marked coins. Because it was manufactured through punching technology. There were mainly silver coins and to some extent copper coins too. The rise of coins played an important role in economic life.
- New Routes: According to literary sources, there we have the evidence of two routes. Uttarpath: Connected to north-west india to eastern india. Dakshinpath: Connected the north india to south india. These routes created new connections and gave rise to trade activities. There began the movements of goods from east to North-west, north-west to east-north to south and south to north.
- Foreign Invasions: There were two foreign invasions during this period. Iranian Invasion and the Invasion of Alexander. These invasions established new connections of india to meditarrean world. Due to these invasions we can see large number of cultural and economic exchanges between indian subcontinent and meditarrean world.
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Wet Rice/Paddy Cultivation | Introduction of wet rice cultivation led to higher per unit yield compared to dry paddy farming. |
| Extensive Use of Iron Tools | Widespread use of iron tools for agriculture and forestry, enhancing productivity and enabling forest clearing. |
| Crafts and Trade | Agricultural surplus spurred growth in crafts and trade activities, leading to increased economic activity. |
| Urbanization | Emergence of urban centers due to economic growth, marking the second phase of urbanization after the Harappan era. |
| Guilds | Formation of guilds as organizations of artisans and traders responsible for production, quality control, and pricing. |
| Punch Marked Coins | Introduction of the first metal coins, primarily silver and copper, manufactured using punching technology. |
| New Routes | Development of trade routes such as Uttarpath and Dakshinpath, enhancing trade and connectivity across regions. |
| Foreign Invasions | Iranian and Greek invasions introduced new cultural and economic exchanges, impacting trade and material culture. |
All this resulted in development of material life during this stage. All these are important aspects of the economic life of this post vedic period. In the light of these elements we can understand the importance of economic development during this period.
Social Life of Post Vedic Period
The social life of the Post Vedic period is also noteworthy due to many changes. It includes many new elements like, urban society, rise of jatis, rituals, prostitution and beggary, rigid varna system and much more. These elements make it different from other phases of ancient Indian history. We will take an in-depth look at each of them one by one.
- Rise of Jatis:Â Jatis is referred to as caste. Though the term Caste is not used in ancient times. The term is derived from portuguese language. The word casta started being used in the Portuguese. Hence from this the word caste started being used globally. The casteism system got emerged during this time. In literary sources of the post vedic period we have found a term ‘Varnashankara’.Â
- Varnashankaras are refered when a male and female from different varna got married and gave birth to the child. Though ideally it was not allowed. The system of inter-varna marriages gave birth to varnashankara. Varnashankaras is linked to forming of new castes. Several other factors also played a role in the rise of Jatis like occupation, profession, assimilation of tribal groups, assimilation of foreign groups and etc.
- New Classes: Due to economic changes and development of urban society, new classes also emerged. There were new professional classes like artisans, traders, businessmen, washermen and many others. The emergence of new classes brought changes in the social structure.
- Urban Society:Â The Post Vedic period is known for the second urbanization in ancient India. Various urban centers like Rajgir, Kashi, Pataliputra emerged during this phase. Due to the rise of urban centres, urban society also emerged. The society was different from the rural society in various aspects.
- Rigid Varna System:Â We have already discussed that the first presence of varna system was in the last phase of Rigvedic period in our article on Vedic Period. We also discussed that this was not a rigid division and it was only a functional division of the society. In later vedic period it grew at some extent but in post vedic period it got somewhat more rigid system in the society. During this period, varna of a person was determined on the basis of birth. There were four varnas in descending order: Bramhin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra.
- Sanskaras:Â In the Brahmin texts of post vedic period, we can see the description of sixteen sanskaras. These Sanskaras are important events that occur from the beginning to the end of a person’s life. One of these important Sanskaras is marriage or Vivah Sanskar. The idea behind this is believed to be based on the fact that when a human being is born, he is uncivilized. Through these sanskaras he is made civilized.
- We have also studied about the Upanayana Sanskar in the Vedic period. In this, the student’s education starts by wearing the sacred thread and moving to the Gurukul. At last, Antyeshti Sanskar is organized at the time of death of a person. Some of these Sanskaras were prevalent in earlier periods also, but in post vedic period they became complete with sixteen Sanskaras.
- Art of Writing: In the article on Indus Valley Civilization, we had discussed that the people of Indus Valley were the first in the art of writing. They had a script although it was not deciphered. But after the end of the Indus Valley Civilization we do not find any evidence of the art of writing. The art of writing developed again in this phase. In this phase, there is mention of another script named Brahmi. It was written from left to right. It became the main script of ancient times. The creation of different forms of literature was the result of the emergence of new script.
- Prostitution and Beggary: The practice of prostitution and begging emerged at this time. Prostitution and beggary were the result of the breakdown of the kin-based system. In a kin-based society, there is a system of support from one member to another. This support system also collapsed due to the decline of the kinship-based system and the extended family system. To make their living easier, some people took to prostitution and begging.
- Literature:Â An important element of social change in this period was the rise of new forms of literature. These new forms are: Bramhnical Literature, Buddhist Literature, Jainism Literature in three different language. These languages were respectively: Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit or Ardhmagdhi (a form of prakrit).
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Rise of Jatis (Castes) | Emergence of new castes (jatis) due to inter-varna marriages, occupations, and assimilation of tribal and foreign groups. |
| New Classes | Formation of new professional classes like artisans, traders, businessmen, and washermen, altering the social structure. |
| Urban Society | Development of urban centers such as Rajgir, Kashi, and Pataliputra, leading to a distinct urban society. |
| Rigid Varna System | Varna system became more rigid, with social status determined by birth into one of the four varnas: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. |
| Sanskaras | Codification of sixteen important life-cycle rituals (sanskaras), including marriage (Vivah Sanskar) and initiation (Upanayana Sanskar). |
| Art of Writing | Revival of writing with the Brahmi script, enabling the creation of new literature in Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit. |
| Prostitution and Beggary | Emergence of prostitution and begging due to the breakdown of kin-based support systems and extended family structures. |
| Literature | Rise of new literary forms, including Brahminical, Buddhist, and Jain literature, reflecting diverse cultural and religious influences. |
These are the major elements of social life during the post-vedic period. The social life witnessed major changes during this phase. All these changes in this phase was somewhat based on social life of earlier phases. The social life of post-vedic phase also created a base for social elements which evolved further. We can see multiple elements from this period to be present in our modern day society also.
Political Life of Post Vedic Period
The political life of the later Vedic period shows two broad trends. The first is the early states and the second is foreign invasion.
Early States
Early states represent the first true state systems. If we consider the political life of the Rig Vedic period, which was marked by the chieftain system, the later Vedic period saw the rise of proto-empires. In the later Vedic period we can finally see the first evidence of true states and kingdoms. The two forms of early states that emerged during this time were monarchy and republic. For republic, we see mention of the word “Ganasangha” in the literature of ancient history.
The political system that was monarchy was characterized by a king or kings. In a republican political system the system is governed by the public assembly. In the monarchy system, the work done by the king was done by the public assembly in republican system. There are references to kingdoms during the later Vedic period but they were not true kingdoms.
We also find mention of Mahajanapadas, we have studied about the word Janapada in the Vedic period. The Janapadas eventually transformed into Mahajanapadas. There were 16 Mahajanapadas and these Mahajanapadas are also called sixteen major early kingdoms.
These Mahajanapadas represented both the system. Magadha was the most important monarchical system of this time and Vajji was the most important republic under the sixteen Mahajanapadas. The Vajjis included many clans and the most important clan among the Vajjis were the Lichchavi of Vaishali. They were the most powerful and influential clan among the Vajjis. This is the period when we find the emergence of the first true military system, true judicial system, true bureaucracy, true taxation system, true ministers.
Foreign Invasion
There were two foreign invasions, one from Greece and the other from Iran.
Iranian Invasion: There was an empire in Iran known as the Achaemenian Empire. This empire had a famous ruler named Darius. Darius invaded India in 516 BC and captured the north-western part of India, such as Punjab, Sindh and the North Western Frontier. The entire territory was occupied by a part of the Achaemenian Empire. The empire consisted of different parts and the parts in this empire were known as Kshatrapas. The Indian part they occupied was a satrapy of the Achaemenian Empire.
This invasion became a point of contact between India and Iran. The result of this new contact was cultural exchange, trading activities and new routes and much more. Kharosthi, an Iranian script, entered India and was used in India by 300 AD. The inscriptions of Ashoka reveal the use of Kharosthi script. It is written opposite to Bamhi. In this script each line was always written from right to left. The Kharosthi script is derived from the Iranian script called Arabic. According to some art historians, Maurya art also shows some Iranian influences.
Greek invasion: This was Alexander’s invasion in 326-327 BC. He was also known as Sikandar (Persian translation of the name Alexander). Alexander was an ambitious and powerful king. His ambition led him to launch large-scale military operations. He targeted and destroyed the Achaemenian Empire. After doing so he entered India and conquered many small kingdoms and tribal republics in the north-western part.
He reached the Vyas river and wanted to cross it and enter the north-eastern part of India. But his soldiers refused, the soldiers were tired and sick and he also heard about some great powers present in North India. Historians say that this power was the power of Nandas who had a huge army.
Therefore, Alexander (the Great) had to retreat, and create a great landmass from the captured part of India. But ultimately all these areas were captured by the Maurya rulers.
If we consider the impact of Alexander’s invasion, one important impact is that Alexander’s invasion opened new contacts between India and the western world. It also established new routes. According to some historians, at least four routes were established. These routes became channels of economic and cultural exchange between India and the Western world.
Many Greek historians wrote about Alexander’s invasion and while writing on it, they also wrote on some aspects of socio-economic changes in India. These writings also became a source of ancient Indian history.
Terminologies
- Gahapati:- A new class emerged during this post vedic period. This was the wealthy land owning class of this time.
- Sethi/Shresthin:- This class was a class of high level businessmen involved in business and money lending activities. The activity of money lending as an aspect of economic activity also began in this phase.
- NBPW: It stands for Northern Black Polished Ware. It refers to a new type of pottery belonging to this phase. It was highly sophisticated.
- Sherni/Nigama/Puja/Sangha/Vrata: All these terms refer to guilds. Guilds were the organisations of artisans and merchants. These guilds continued to play an important role in ancient times till the end of Gupta period. The head of the guild was known as Jyestha.
- Karspana/Kahapana:Â This was copper punch marked coins. Punch marked coins emerged during this time and continued till post-mauryan period. There were mainly silver and copper coins. Silver punch marked coins were known as Karspana. There were some other terms also Pama, Satmana. The Kar Pana/Satmana/ Kahapanas were silver punch marked coins. Besides there were copper punch marked coins also. They were known as Kakani. During mauryan time, Pana was the main currency used and given salary to officials as mentioned in famous text Arthashastra by Kautilya.
- Anuloma/Pratiloma: These two were terms for inter-varna marriage. Anuloma refers when man is of higher varna in both. Pratiloma refers when women is higher varna in both individuals.
- Dharma:Â It doesnt refers to religion. It refers to duty like Varnadharma (duty of each varna), Jatidharma,Rajdharma (duty of the King),Apaddharma (Dharma in crisis) and Varnashramdharma (Dharma according to four varnas and four ashramas). In this context, it also includes the code of conduct, rights, ethical codes and moral codes. The text on dharma was known as Dharmashastra. It consists of Dharmasutra and smriti.
- Antyajas: This word is used for the low people.
- Chandal: A group of extremely cruel people. It was believed that these people were the result of pratiloma marriage, in which the father was a Shudra and the mother was a Brahmin. These people were not allowed to move freely in the mainstream society and were given the lowest status in the society.
- Parivrajaka/Sharmana/Bhikshu: These three words refer to renunciation, one who renounces the world. Parivrajaka literally means wanderer and Sharmana refers to those who strive for truth. Bhikshus were Hindu or Buddhist monks who earned a living by searching for food.
Overall, Post vedic period is remarkable due to multiple social, economic and political changes. This was the time when we saw the second urbanisation after Indus Valley Civilization. In this period we can also see the wide impacts of vedic text and their rituals.
