Economic condition of the later Vedic-era Aryans
In the post-Vedic period, the economic condition of the Aryans had changed gradually and now it started getting complicated. Now they started living in cities besides villages and their life became more prosperous.
(1.) Increase in Metallurgy: The Aryans had knowledge of metals like copper, gold and ore in the Rigvedic period, but in the later Vedic period they also had knowledge of iron-ore, copper-ore, ranga, lead and silver. The mention of Lal-Ayas and Krishna-Ayas is also found in this period. Probably Lal-Ayas meant copper and Krishna-Ayas meant iron.
(2.) Increase in use of iron: Iron was used more and more in the post-Vedic period. 1000 BC in the Gandhara region of Pakistan. A lot of iron tools and tools have been found along with the buried bodies around. Such iron-made objects have also been found from Bilochistan. Around the same time, iron was also being used in eastern Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
It is known from archaeological exploration that 800 BC. Iron tools like arrowheads and spear blades were made in western Uttar Pradesh around AD. With these iron weapons, the post-Vedic Aryans must have defeated their remaining enemies settled in the northern two Abs. The iron ax may have been used to clear the forests of the northern Ganges valleys. These forests would not have been very dense due to the rainfall being 35 to 65 cm during that period.
The knowledge of iron had spread to eastern Uttar Pradesh and Videha in the last phase of the Vedic period. BC From the seventh century onwards, iron tools are found in these regions. Iron was used the most in eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar. With the increasing use of iron weapons, the warrior class began to play an important role. With the help of new agricultural implements and implements, farmers started producing more grains than they needed. The king could collect this additional produce for military and administrative needs.
This surplus yield could also be credited to the cities established in the 6th century BCE. Due to these material advantages, it was natural for the farmer to be continuously engaged in agricultural work. People came out of their old settlements and started spreading to new areas nearby. In this way, due to the increasing use of iron, the rural life of the Aryans started moving towards urbanization and in place of small people, the way was opened for the establishment of big district states.
(3.) Emergence of Bhumipatis: In the Rigvedic period, there was no name of Bhumipatis anywhere, but now big Bhumipatis were emerging. Many Bhumipatis were the owners of the entire village. He had a great influence on the people of the village.
(4.) Determination of the work of Vaishyas: In the post-Vedic period, the common subjects were included under the Vaishya class. They were assigned productive work like agriculture and animal husbandry. Some Vaishyas were also craftsmen. At the end of the Vedic period they got involved in trade. In the post-Vedic period, probably only Vaishyas used to give gifts or gifts. The Kshatriyas used to earn their living on the gifts received from the Vaishyas. It took a long time for the common tribal subjects to reach the status of givers. There were many such rituals through which Vishyas or Vaishyas were made under the state.
(5.) radical change in agriculture: The Aryans of the Vedic period were mainly cattle rearers, but during the post-Vedic period there was great progress in agriculture. Now the Aryans had reached the most fertile land of Ganga-Yamuna. Now they started using big plows. Very few agricultural iron implements have been found, but there is no doubt that agriculture was the main means of livelihood of the post-Vedic people.
In some Vedic texts there are mentions of plows being plowed by six eight, twelve and twenty four bullocks. It may be an exaggeration. The fruits of the plows were of wood. They probably worked in the soft soil of the northern Ganges. Due to the animal sacrifices that took place in the yagyas, there could not be enough bulls available. So agriculture was of primitive level but no doubt it was widespread.
The Shatapatha Brahmana gives detailed information about the rituals related to ploughing. According to ancient legends, Sita's father Videhraj Janak also used to plow himself. At that time, even the princes and princes did not hesitate to do manual labor. Krishna's brother Balarama is called Haldhar. Later, there was a ban on ploughing by the people of higher castes.
The farmers of this period also started using different types of fertilizers. The Vedic people continued to produce yava (barley) but in the post-Vedic period their main crops became paddy (rice) and wheat. Over time, the place of wheat became prominent. Even today wheat is the main food grain of the people of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. On reaching the Doab, the Vedic people also got information about rice. Rice is called Vrihi in Vedic texts.
The remains of rice found from Hastinapur date back to the 8th century BC. There are laws about the use of rice in rituals, but wheat was rarely used in rituals. Many types of pulses were also grown in the post-Vedic period.
(6.) Advancement in commerce and trade: In the post-Vedic period, trade and commerce had increased more than in the Rigvedic period. This was also natural because now they had become residents of a vast plain which was very fertile and rich. During this period a separate class of merchants was formed called Vanikas. The rich merchant was called Shresthin.
The internal trade of the Aryans was with the Kiratas living in the hills, to whom they used to give clothes and get herbs for medicine. Now these people had also become familiar with the sea and also used to do sea trade by big boats. Now the Aryans started using the currencies named Nishka, Shataman and Krishnal, which made trade easier.
(7.) Advancement of other professions: In comparison to the Rigvedic period, there had now been more growth in the industries and the principle of division of work had become firm. Yajurveda mentions all the occupations which the Aryan subjects of this period used to do. These include hunters, fishermen, pastoralists, pudding, jewelers, mat makers, washermen, dyers, weavers, butchers, goldsmiths, carpenters etc.
Development of arts in the later Vedic period
Many changes are also visible in the field of art in the post-Vedic period. The form of poetry-art had become very wide.
(1.) City and Home Building Arts: The large villages of the Rigvedic period were transformed into big cities in the later Vedic period. In the Taittiriya Brahmana, the people who live in the city are called nagarins. Huge buildings and palaces were being built in the capitals of the states. Hastinapur from 900 BC to BC The excavation of the levels of the period of 500 gives evidence of the existence of settlement and the beginning of urban life, but this information of archeology does not match with the information received from Mahabharata regarding Hastinapur.
Because the present form of this epic was written much later, in the second century BCE, when material life had progressed significantly. The people of the post-Vedic period were made with the help of raw and cooked bricks, clay, bamboo and other types of wood. The roof of the house was made with the help of large logs of wood. The roof was covered with the help of thatch and rubber etc.
There were many rooms in the house in which furniture was also used. The earthen monuments found in the excavation of Hastinapur may not have been grand and durable. Later on, Hastinapur got washed away in the flood. Therefore Kuru-Jana settled in Kaushambi near Prayag.
(2.) Metal Craft: Many arts and crafts emerged during the post-Vedic period. We get information about blacksmiths and metallurgists. around 1000 BC Surely they were related to the production of iron around. 1000 BC from western Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Many copper tools have been found before this period, indicating the existence of coppersmiths in both Vedic and non-Vedic societies.
The Vedic people probably used copper from Khetri in Rajasthan. The Vedic people first used copper metal. Copper tools have also been found from sites with painted gray pots. These copper objects were mainly used for war, hunting and also for ornaments.
(3.) Pottery Making Art: The people of the post-Vedic period were familiar with four types of pottery – black and red bhand, black colored bhand, painted gray bhand and red bhand. He was more fond of the last type of Bhand. These Bhands are often found from all over Western Uttar Pradesh, but the distinctive Bhand of this era are painted gray Bhand. Among them have been found bowls and plates, which were used by people of higher castes for worship or food or both. Glass objects and pebbles have been found along with painted gray pots. They must also be used only by the members of the upper class.
(4.) Textile Art: Cotton, wool and silk fabrics were used during this period. The clothes were colorful and stitched. Like in the Rigvedic period, clothes like vas, adhivas, nivi, tarpya, turban, northern, antri, blanket, shawl etc. were used. Gold and silver zari work was done on the clothes of the wealthy and members of the royal families. Sadhus-Sanyasis and tribal people used deer skin.
(5.) Jewelry Making Art: The archaeological excavations and Vedic texts give information about the existence of specific crafts. Mentions of jewelers are also found in the texts of the post-Vedic period. They probably met the needs of the wealthy people of the society. Both men and women wore ornaments. Their ornaments were similar to those of the Rigvedic period. Jewelry was studded with precious stones. The use of silver ornaments increased in this era whereas silver ornaments were very less during the Rigvedic period.
(6.) Entertainment: There was no significant change in the means of entertainment and entertainment as compared to the Rigveda period. As before, dance, music, gambling, horse racing, chariot race etc. were the main means of entertainment.
(7.) Knitting Art: Weaving was done only by women, yet this work was done on a large scale.
(8.) Poetry Art: The Rigveda contains only a collection of hymns and hymns, but by the creation of Yajurveda, Samveda, Atharvaveda, Brahmana texts and sutras, the field of poetry was greatly expanded. Yajurveda has a detailed description of Yagyas. Samaveda is lyric-poetry. He had a great influence on the art of music. In the Atharvaveda, there is a law of protection from ghosts and tantrums. There is a high degree of philosophical discussion in the Brahmanical texts. The sources were composed during this period. With the advent of sutras, the art of summarizing information flourished.
(9.) Astronomy: Astronomy also progressed during this period and Aryans got knowledge of many new constellations.
(10.) Other arts: In the post-Vedic period, crafts like tanner, potter and carpenter made a lot of progress.
(11.) Pharmaceutical Sciences: Medicine was still in a state of decline.