ANCIENT INDIA

 Culture – study of patterns of life

 First known urban culture in India – Harappan culture: 2700BC

in north western part of India

 Stages of writing
dried palm leaves, the bark of the birch tree, plates of copper,
stone pillars and tablets made of clay

 Pali and Prakrit are two extinct languages

 Harappan civilization notable achievements:
 Great bath
 Earliest cities with town planning, sanitation, assemblies
etc
 Excellent potters with great knowledge in metal alloying
 First to cultivate cotton
 Trade activities of Harrapans
 Agriculture was the main occupation in rural areas
 In cities, internal and external trade with other cibilizations
such as Mesopotomians
 Worship
 Worshipped animals and a male god resembling Shiva and
other goddess
 Humped bull, rhino and elephant are believed to be
worshipped

By 1800 BC, this civilization began to decline

The start of Aryan culture
 Started a few centuries after harappan declined
 Settled on the banks of Indus and Saraswati
 They composed 4 vedas: Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharvana (So
the name- Vedic culture)
 Timeline of vedic literature
 Rig- brahmanas- aranyakas- Upanishads----Ramayana-
Mahabharatha- Purana

 Rig veda is composed of praisings of lord Indra and Agni. Agni is

considered as intermediary between humans and gods.

Society in Aryan culture

The family was the smallest social unit; several

families (kula) made a village (grama) and several villages formed a
vis. A number of villages formed a tribe or jana which was ruled by a
chief called rajan. His chief function was to protect the tribe from
external attack and maintain law and order. He was assisted by the
members of two councils called sabha and samiti. The Purohita
performed religious functions while the senani looked after military
activities. There was no concept of the state or kingdom at
this stage. Although the post of Rajan had become hereditary, he
could be removed from power if found weak and inefficient or cruel.

VARNAS OR VYAVASTHA

There were 4 Vyavasthas

  Brahmanas - Teachers
 Kshyatrias – Ruling class
 Vyshyas – Farmers, mechants, bankers
 Shudras – Artisans, craftsmen, labourers

Brahmanas occupied dominant position

Also, outsiders in the society were regarded as untouchables.

4 Stages of life - Chaturashrama

 Bramhacharya – period of celibacy, education

 Grihastha – family life
 Vanaprastha – a stage of gradual detachment
 Sanyasa – Spiritual pursuit

These are not applicable to women and lower varna people

Status of women

 Well respected, enjoyed freedom

 Had access to education
 Swayamvaram
 Sati and Purdah were NOT prevalent

Religious practices

 Moksha was seeked

 Initially forces of nature : Indra, Agni, Maruthi, Varuna were
worshipped
 Later, the trinity: Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma took their place
 Sanskrit mantras, monopoly of brahmins, became essential
part of religious practices
 As a result, brahmins became very powerful and rich
 Participation in these religious practices was restricted to upper
3 varnas