Transcript The Aryans and the Vedic Age

◦ Possible causes:
 Monsoons destroyed irrigation and farming prospects
 Invasions
 Long distance trade collapsed
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Root of the word is arya meaning “noble” or
“pure”
Spoke an early form of Sanskrit
◦ This Indo-European language is closely related to
Persian, Latin, Greek and modern Romance
languages.
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Where did they come from?
◦ Most scholars argue that the Aryans descended
upon North India through the Hindu Kush around
1500 BC
◦ Some scholars now think that they arrived much
earlier, and perhaps descended from the Harappan
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Vedas
◦ A collection, in multiple volumes, of hymns, rituals,
and philosophies
◦ The vedas include stories that attempt to explain
how the world was created, who the gods are, etc.
◦ Thought to be the earliest written texts
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Rig Veda
◦ The earliest Veda
◦ Originally was recited orally and passed down
generation to generation
◦ Children began learning the Rig Veda at an early
age, would learn to chant each syllable in perfect
order
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Portrays Aryans as fierce warriors with
military skill
Aryans did not spread through India quickly,
did not carry out well organized military
campaigns
Aryans were a collection of tribes who
gradually, over generations of warring with
each other came to power in North India
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Each tribe was headed by a raja, or chief
Priests were next in importance
◦ They learned complicated rituals
◦ Rituals typically focused on honoring or appeasing
the gods
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Warrior class
Farmers
Non-Aryans made up the lowest class
◦ They were not slaves
◦ They were only allowed to perform the most menial
tasks
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1000-500 BC
Tribal rajas were no longer necessary because
tribal life was in decline
Kings controlled large pieces of territory
The Aryan-influenced areas extended all the
way to the Ganges River
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The system of dividing society into hereditary
groups that limited interaction with each
other, especially marriage between castes
The hierarchical strata into which Indian
society was divided is called varna
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Brahmins (priests)
Kshatriya (warriors and officials)
Vaishya (merchants and artisans)
Shudra (peasants and laborers)
Dalit, or untouchables – outside the caste
system
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Brahman
◦ Aryan priests who supported the growth of royal
power
◦ The only caste that was permitted to perform
important, sacred, daily religious rituals
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Untouchables
- Not permitted to participate in religious rituals
◦ It is believed that people ended up in this caste as a
result of bad karma that accumulated in previous
lifetimes
◦ Performed the worst jobs.