Political condition of the Aryans in the epic period
By the time of the epic period, the spread of the Aryans extended eastwards to Anga. Large states were established in the country. Kuru, Panchala, Kaushambi, Kaushal, Kashi, Videha, Magadha and Anga were the vast kingdoms of this era. The concept of Mahajanapada came in the later Buddha period of the epic period. King of Epic Era 'Maharajadhiraja, Samrat andChakraborty' They used to bear titles like which were symbols of their power of expansion and dominion.
Chakravarti king Chaturangini kept an army consisting of horses, yards, chariots and foot soldiers. The mighty kings used to organize Digvijay and after that performed the rituals of yagyas like Rajasuya and Ashwamedha. Shri Ram and Yudhishthira performed Digvijay Yagya.
In the epic period, the kingship was hereditary and was given to the eldest son, but if the eldest son was defective in body, he was not given the throne. In the Mahabharata, Dhritarashtra was not made a king because he was blind. The kings ruled according to religion and they were not autocratic even though they had all the rights.
On the occasion of the coronation, the king had to take the oath of upholding the subjects. It was considered necessary for the king to suppress the wicked. In both Ramayana and Mahabharata, Prajapalan and suppression of the wicked are the essential qualities of a king. The Mahabharata clearly instructs the killing of unjust and wicked rulers. The tyrannical kings like Vena, Nahusha, Nimi and Sudas were killed by the subjects.
The king used to rule-work on the advice of the council of ministers. In addition to the ministers in the court in the Ramayana, there are mentions of gurus, sages, priests, scholars and military officials who used to advise the king on various subjects. At the time of the coronation of Rama, there was a meeting of the prominent men of the state.
In the Ayodhyakand of Ramayana, 18 departments of governance have been mentioned which were under the following officers-
(1) Minister, (2) Purohit, (3) Yuvraj, (4) Chamupati (Chief Commander), (5) Gatekeeper, (6) Antarveshak (Inspector of Antarpur), (7) Prison Officer, (8) Money Stored (Chief attendant of the Raj Bhavan), (9) the appointee (Chief Executive Officer), (10) Pradedha (Chief Justice), (11) City President, (12) Work-constructed (Chief Engineer), (13) Bishop, (14) Chairperson , (15) Dandpal, (16) Durgpal, (17) Rashtrapalak (Semarakshak) and (18) Atvipal (Vanary Guardian).
The Mahabharata also mentions many ministers of the king. It is said at one place that just as animals depend on the cloud, women on their husbands and Brahmins on the Vedas, in the same way the king depends on his ministers. In this book the number of Mantris is mentioned as 36, which were taken from the four Varnas. The position of the priests in the government was important.
The portfolios of the ministers were called tirthas. In the Mahabharata period, mainly the monarchical system was prevalent, but five republican states are also mentioned in the Mahabharata – Andhak, Vrishni, Yadava, Kukur and Bhoj. There was a union of these five whose president was Shri Krishna. Every Gana had autonomy under this union.
Religious Status of Aryans in Epic Period
By the time of the epic period, the nature of Vedic religion had completely changed. Pre-Vedic Period 'ritual-dominated religions' And the post-Vedic period 'knowledge-oriented religions' At this time a practical form of religion emerged which was accessible to the common man. The importance of the ancient Vedic gods was diminished and new gods and goddesses were being established.
Among them the names of Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Parvati, Durga etc. are notable. Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva) are called Trimurti and they are respectively. The creator, creator and creator of the universe were accepted. Soon the importance of Brahma diminished and Shiva and Vishnu became the main gods of the epic period religion. The concepts of incarnation and reincarnation were incorporated.
Rama and Krishna were assumed to be incarnations of Vishnu. The belief became prevalent that God incarnates in human form on earth from time to time to help his devotees. He establishes Dharma, protects the good and destroys the wicked. This notion about God is prominently established in the part of Bhagavad Gita of Mahabharata.
The epics presented a simple way to attain salvation before the general public. It was the means of devotion which was equally accessible to all. According to this, God, being pleased with the devotion performed by his worshipper, frees the worshiper from all sins and takes refuge in him. The description of Pancharatra religion is found in the Mahabharata, which was later established as Vaishnavism.
It is said in the Mahabharata that every person should have the freedom to practice religion according to his belief. It also emphasizes tolerance and generosity towards Shaivism and Shakta religions. The Bhagavad Gita is a part of the 'Bhishma-Parva' of the Mahabharata. In this, a beautiful combination of these three is found in Karma, Bhakti and Gyan. The importance of karma has been propounded in the Gita.
Describing the importance of devotion, Krishna himself says this- 'Leave all religions and come under my refuge only. I will free you from all sins, do not grieve.' Many Vedic sacrifices are mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata, but the violence in the Yagyas has been opposed and the purification of the mind is accepted as the only means.
In both the epics, the teachings of the observance of truth, non-violence, virtue, austerity, renunciation etc. have been given. The main purpose of the epics was to establish truth and justice in the society. Through various stories and characters, the victory of truth over falsehood and justice over injustice has been displayed. In the Ramayana, special emphasis has been laid on virtuous character and it has been said that it is the character that elevates a man to the rank of a deity. The ideal propounded by the epics is exemplary for every era.
In conclusion, it can be said that there were revolutionary changes in the religious beliefs and activities going on from the Vedic age in the epic period. The trend of independent religious thought which had started in the Upanishad period reached its zenith in this era.
Social condition of the Aryans in the epic period
The epic era society was also based on the Varnashrama system. Like the Rigveda, Ramayana also states that Brahmins originated from the mouth of the Virat Purush, Kshatriyas from the arms, Vaishyas from the upper part and Shudras from the feet. Brahmins were still considered the best among the four varnas. There are several categories of Brahmins mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata. Some brahmins used to do Kshatriya work and some brahmins also made their living by agriculture and animal husbandry.
The Shudras were at the lowest position in the social system. They neither had the right to austerity nor could they go to Gurukulas for study. In the Ramayana, there is a mention of a Shudra named Shambuk who was killed by Rama due to undue penance, but Rama accepted the hospitality of Nishadraj and Shabari and honored him by accepting the request of Kevat. Therefore, it can be said that the need for respect for Shudras was being felt in this period.
According to an incident in Mahabharata, Dronacharya refused to give education to a Nishad boy named Eklavya, when he himself acquired proficiency in archery with his devotion and dedication, Dronacharya got the thumb of his right hand cut off but in this period There are also signs of improvement in the condition of Shudras. In the Shantiparva of Mahabharata, it is said that it is the duty of a Dwij to maintain the Shudra-servants.
Shudra representatives were also kept in the king's council of ministers. Yudhishthira had also invited Shudra representatives on the occasion of Rajasuya Yantra. It is written in the Shantiparva of Mahabharata that the four varnas should read the Vedas and also get knowledge from the Shudras. In the Mahabharata, people like Vidura, Matang, Kayavya etc., were given prestigious places even though they were Shudras by birth. They also had the right to retirement, agriculture, animal husbandry, commerce etc.
Along with the varnas, the names of the castes are also found in the epic period. Yavana and Shaka in Ramayana and Yavana, Shaka, Kirat, Pahlava, etc. foreign castes are also mentioned in Mahabharata. The law of four ashrams in the society is also seen in this age. In Shantiparva, the four ashrams have been told four steps to reach Brahmaloka. Among the four ashrams, the grihastha ashram was the most important.
The condition of women in the epic period was inferior to that of the Vedic period. Yet their importance in the society was not completely denied. There were no child marriages. Upper-class women were educated. Kaushalya and Tara to be 'Mantravid' in Ramayana Having said. Atrei is shown studying 'Vedanta' and Sita doing 'Sandhya'.
'Pandita' to Draupadi in Mahabharata Having said. She talks to Yudhishthira and Bhishma on religion and morality. The Mahabharata tells the woman the origin of Dharma, Artha and Kama. In the discipline festival, it is said that women are the goddess of prosperity. Therefore a person who wants prosperity should respect him.
Polygamy and inter-caste marriage were prevalent in the society. High caste people had many wives. Marriages in Kshatriya clans were done by swayamvara system. The practice of Niyoga was also prevalent in which the wife could have contact with the male for procreation when the husband was impotent or ill.
Examples of sati-practice are also found in the Mahabharata, such as Madri had committed sati with her husband Pandu, but there are also instances where women did not practice chastity after the death of their husbands. Maharani Kunti Maharaj did not commit sati with Pandu. Even the wives of Abhimanyu, Ghatotkacha and Drona were not sati.
The Mahabharata mentions thousands of Yadav-widows who accompanied Arjuna from Dwarka to Hastinapur. It seems that due to the invasions of Saka-Scythians, the practice of Sati started increasing in the society. At some places, there are also references to the practice of purdah. This practice was also affected by foreign invasions. There are also mentions of prostitutes in Mahabharata.
Economic condition of the Aryans in the epic period
Agriculture and animal husbandry were the mainstays of economic life in the epic period like the Rigvedic period, the Uttarvedic period and the Upanishad period. Agriculture was done by ploughs which were pulled with the help of oxen. In the Ramayana, King Janak is shown and in the Mahabharata Yudhishthira is shown driving a plow. This shows the importance of agriculture.
Irrigation mostly depended on rain, but 'Kulya' (small canals) are also mentioned. The state paid special attention to the progress of agriculture. Wheat, barley, urad, gram, sesame and rice were the main crops during that period. The land was fertile. Cows, bulls, elephants, horses and sheep were the main domesticated animals. 'Gopadhyaksha' on behalf of the state for the care of animals An officer named was appointed.
Along with agriculture and animal husbandry, business and trade were also on the rise. The Mahabharata mentions many businessmen who lived in different places in the form of categories. The prominent traders included goldsmiths, ironsmiths, carpenters, miners, kumbhakars, tanners, rajakas, shoundikas, tantuvayas, blankets, vaidyas, malakars, napits, etc. Shilpi had achieved proficiency in his work.
They made beautiful ornaments out of ivory, gold, gems and various gems. Both internal and external trade were on the rise. The business was mainly done by the people of Vaishya caste. The Ramayana mentions 'Yavadweep (present-day Java)' and 'Suvarnadweep (present-day Sumatra)' where Indian merchants used to go.
In Mahabharata also there is mention of sea voyages, islands, ships etc. It is known that at that time sea trade was on the rise. Kamboja, Gandhara, Sindh, Pragjyotish (Assam), Vindhyapradesh, China and Bahlik etc. were traded with countries and many items were imported. Kambojas and Bahliks were noted for their excellent horses.