The Vedic age
The age of the Vedas and Upanishads, when tribal societies of the north became settled kingdoms and many ideas of Indian philosophy took shape.
How it was ruled
Early on, tribal chiefs (rajan) ruled with assemblies called the sabha and samiti. Later, kingdoms such as the Kurus and Panchalas grew, and kings held grand rituals.
How people lived
People lived in villages of wattle and mud houses. The household fire, rituals (yajna) and the oral learning of hymns were central; society gradually divided into varnas.
What people did
Cattle-keeping first, then farming with iron ploughs in the Ganga plains; crafts such as chariot-making, weaving and metalwork.
What people ate
Barley and wheat, later rice; milk, ghee and curd; honey; pulses; and meat at some rituals.
Trade
Mostly barter, with cattle as a measure of wealth; trade grew along the rivers as towns appeared.
Region by region
- Punjab and Haryana: The land of the 'seven rivers' (Sapta Sindhu) where the Rigveda was composed.
- Uttar Pradesh: The Kuru and Panchala kingdoms of the later Vedic age; Painted Grey Ware sites such as Hastinapur and Ahichchhatra.
- Bihar: Videha (Mithila) became a centre of learning by the time of the Upanishads.
- Gandhara (today's Pakistan and Afghanistan): Gandhari and other north-western peoples appear in Vedic texts.
Key events
- c. 1500–1200 BCE: Hymns of the Rigveda composed
- c. 1200 BCE: Iron tools spread in the Ganga plains
- c. 800–500 BCE: The principal Upanishads composed
Legacy
The Vedas are still recited exactly as they were passed down; Vedic chanting is on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage list.