Vedic Civilization

VEDIC CIVILIZATION
Group 2:-
Venkatesh
Durga
Manish
Nilesh
Kanishka
Apoorv
Raj kishor
INTRODUCTION
 Vedic civilization is the earliest civilization in Indian
history later to indus valley civilization.
the Vedic Civilization was established in India by the
Aryans.
 The Aryan civilization roughly extended from about
1500 B.C to 500 B.C.
This civilization includes two periods
VEDIC period(1500-1000.BC)
EPIC period(1000-500.BC)
VEDIC PERIOD
ARYANS
INVASION
GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITION
RELIGION AND CULTURE
ART AND LITERATURE
OCCUPATION AND TRADE
SOCIAL CONDITION
POLITICAL SYSTEM
TECHNOLOGY
ARCHITECTURE
TOWN PLANNING
ARYANS
Aryans were strictly nomadic people
These were the group of people some where from north
west European countries
They migrate from place to place
They migrated in search of favorable places and finally
settled in India
It is believed that they have a powerful military and Great
warriors, so that is how they conquered the civilization of
sindhu valley easily
This Aryan settlement is also known as Vedic age or Vedic
civilization
ARYAN INVASION
The Aryans entered India through the narrow Khyber
pass around 1750.BC
 Only land route between middle
east Europe and India
Finally settled in the great

gangetic plains in northern
part of India
GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS
The topography was plain
Wildlife was abundant due to forests
Marshy lands
Green cover all due to rich alluvial soil
Temperature used to be moderate
Adequate rainfall region
These plains were on the foot of Himalayas
and Vindhya mountains
Supply of water in plenty throughout
the year due to Ganga and Yamuna
RELIGION AND CULTURE
Aryans believed in one supreme god,
lesser gods & goddesses
Mostly worshipped the nature gods
No temples existed
These Aryans led to found the Hinduism
 This religion is polytheistic
They believed in reincarnation (karma
siddathan) and re-birth
Religious life was influenced by
priests,saints and sages
Philosophic thinking started
Astronomy and counting system started
Religious beliefs were preserved in Vedas
ART AND LITERATURE
the Vedas are the collection of religious rituals &
hymns
Sanskrit – written language developed by the
Aryans
Initially they didn’t had any sort of written
language
Later they were written in Sanskrit, their religious
language
The word “Veda” means “knowledge” or “wisdom”
in Sanskrit
There were 4 Vedas proposed by
Aryans.1)Rigveda.2)Yajur veda
3)Sama veda.4)Atharava Veda
In epic age there were two epics namely
1)ramayana.2)mahabharata
They mix history, mythology, adventure, and
religion
Later many literature forms came such as
vedangas,upanishads,purans…etc
OCCUPATION AND TRADE
 They adopted the settled agricultural lifestyle
 Land could not be sold to outsiders and could be
passed on only to male heirs
 They raised barley as their main crop
 Cattle were a prized possession. They were used
as money. A sign of wealth was lots of cattle
 They were solid hunters
 Small self-sufficient agricultural communities
were established
 they declared that the cattle should not be used
as food and then later they domesticated them
 They began growing spices such as pepper, ginger
 Barter system started as there was no money
system during Aryans
SOCIAL CONDITION
 Several physical and social differences
existed between the Aryans
 This social custom developed in India from
Aryans
 This system put every person in society
into a certain class from which they could
never advance
 Effective but too strict and rigid
 The social classes were grouped into four
classes called varnas.
 Brahmans – priests(mouth)
 Kshatriyas – warriors, rulers(arms)
 Vaisyas – common people(legs)
 Sudras – unskilled laborers, servants(feet)
SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Later came an other varna known as
panchama(untouchables)
They were outcaste from the rest of society
Brahmins leading up the society
Marriages should be held with in the caste
Only males could inherit property, go to
school, and become priests
Satisahagamana started from this
civilization(wife cremating along with
husband’s dead body)
Women lost her right to speak and barred
from religious rituals
Female child has been considered as
unlucky to the family
POLITICAL SYSTEM
Kshtriya ruling up the society
The Aryans soon began to dominate the Indo-
Gangetic Plain
A rajah, or prince, ruled each city as an
independent kingdom
Ruling has been done in divide and rule policy
The rajah acted simultaneously as a military
leader, lawmaker & judge
Political power carries through male heir
Brought Horses and advanced weapons to India
duty of the king was the protection of his
subjects, property, defense and maintenance of
peace
Then started the culture of conquering other
kingdoms
This culture later spread through out the
India
TECHNOLOGY
Transport system
Use of iron tools which
led to iron age
Astronomy
Various types of weapons
Increased food production
Domestication of cattle
 Rise of Urban Centers
 Clearing of Forests in Indo-
Gangetic Plain
 Beginning of Sedentary agrarian
Civilization
Horse chariots
Carpentry works
ARCHITECTURE
Built of temporary materials
Vernacular materials such as
Bamboo, timber and thatch
Dwellings were simple and easy
to maintain or rebuild in case of
damage due to natural calamities
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
Village boundary
Gate way
Altars
Vedic houses
ARCHITECTURE STYLE
Vaastushastra provided guidelines for planning village
and building abodes which meant to be free of
destructive elements and radiation.
Structure were in complete harmony with the cosmic
forces based upon the cardinal principal of
vaastushastra
ARYAN VILLAGE
Consists of timber and thatch huts
Arranged in a group of 3 or 4 houses around an open
courtyard
Finally protected by a timber fence consisting
rectangular wooden posts
For the sake of protection from wildlife
Initially fence used to be made of bamboo
Three horizontal bars called suchi were threaded in
the fence
This type of protection became universal after
sometime and used widely
These people had a defined spaces for cattle and
granary
Gateways were provided which rose high
Gateway –for a controlled entry into the village called
as toranas(which later has been used in Buddhist
architecture)
VEDIC HOUSES
Mostly built off temporary materials
There are few types of houses in the village 1)circular hut
2)rectangular hut
3)sky court house
CIRCULAR HUT The most elementary hut was circular in
plan, this was the simplest to construct with bamboo and
thatch
Circular huts, through easy to erect had obviously functional
limitations
RECTANGULAR HUT Elastic nature of bamboos was used in
roofing
A barrel like effect was created for the roof by bending the
bamboo in the form of an arch and bending the bamboo over
bamboo walls (barrel vault)
SKY COURT HOUSE Sometimes rich people made their
houses out of mud brick, and roofed them with wood shingles
or clay tiles
they had upper floors containing a traditional central open to
sky court
The roof is vault an ogee curve at top ending with graceful
gable ends
TOWN PLANNING
 SIZE Communities were small
 SPACE MEASUREMENTS using principles of equilateral
triangle
LAND USE was mainly residential and agricultural
LOCATION near to water body and cultivation lands
PATTERN town was laid square with a grid iron pattern
STREETS three main streets would run north-south
and another three in east-west direction
SEWAGE SYSTEM the town was also served by a
immature sewage system with soak pits with perforated
bases
T OWN PLANNING
Kashi, koshala and magadha were the kingdoms of this
time. The towns of this kingdom were shravasti,champa,
rajagriha, ayodhya, kaushambi, and kashi.
Excavations at kaushambi near allahabad have revealed
that this town was built with baked bricks of immense
size.
City was protected with ramparts over 9 metres high built
in mud.
Rectangular towers were erected on the bastions.
Town was also served by a rudimentary sewage system
equipped with soak pits with perforated bases.
THANK YOU

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VEDIC CIVILIZATION

Finally settled in the great

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