The Vedic Age
Answer the following questions in brief:-
Q 1. Write five sentences about the political life of the early Vedic age.
Ans. 1. There were several small tribal states.
2. King was the head of the state.
3. King was elected by people at some places but normally, he was succeeded by his son.
4. Sabha and Samiti were two important bodies to help the king.
5. Purohita, Gramini and Senani were the offices to help the king.
Q 2. Which Gods were worshipped by the Vedic people?
Ans. The Vedic people worshipped the Gods of three categories:-
1. Terrestrial Gods: - like Prithvi (Earth), Agni (Fire), Soma (Plant)
2. Atmospheric Gods: - like Indira (God of rain), Vayu (Air), Maruts.
3. Heavenly Gods: - Like Varuna, Surya, Vishnu etc.
Q 3. What do you know about the social life of the Vedic Age?
Ans. 1. The society was divided into four varnas Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras.
2. Family was the lowest unit of the society. Father was the head of the family.
3. Women were educated and they had a lot of respect and freedom in the society.
4. Wheat, rice, pulses, milk, butter, ghee etc. were the main food items.
5. Hunting, chariot races, singing, dancing and playing chess were their favourite pastimes.
Q 4. What were the economic activities of the Vedic people?
Ans. 1.Agriculture, cattle breeding and trade were the main occupations of Vedic people.
2. Domestic animals like cow, horse, sheep, goat etc. were reared.
3. Black-smith, carpenter, weaver, potter etc. were the main artisans.
4. Trade was carried on both by land routes and sea routes.
Q 5. Which rivers flow in the land of Sapta-Sindhu?
Ans. Sapata-Sindhu means ‘the land of seven rivers’. These rivers were:-
1. Indus 2. Jhelum 3. Chenab 4. Ravi 5. Beas 6. Satluj 7. Saraswati.
Fill in the Blanks
1. There were several small tribes in the early Vedic period.
2. The society was divided into four divisions called the varnas.
3. The main food items of the Vedic people were wheat, rice and pulses.
4. The Vedic people were fond of outdoor games.
5. The Vedic people worshipped nature.
Match the columns
1. Vipasha - a river
2. Sabha - political body
3. Ayurveda - branch of science
4. Varuna - a God
Write True (√) or False (X) in the brackets given after each statement:
1. Parushni is the name of a river. (√)
2. Indra was the Vedic age God of rain. (√)
3. Cow was not sacred to Vedic people. (X)
4. Women were not respected in Vedic age. (X)
More questions-
The Vedic Age
Q1: Why is the Vedic Age so called?
Answer : The Vedic Age is so called because most of the information about this period is derived from Vedic literature.
Q2: With which modern Indian states does the region Saptasindhu coincide?
Answer : The region Saptasindhu coincides with modern Haryana and undivided Punjab.
Q3: What were the two main occupations of the Rigvedic Aryans?
Answer : The two main occupations of the Rigvedic Aryans were growing crops and rearing cattle.
Q4: Name some popular pastimes of the Vedic people.
Answer : The usual pastime of the Aryans were:-
a) Music and dancing
b) Chariot racing
c) Hunting
d) Gambling
Q5. ------------------------
Answer : The use of iron helped them to clear the dense forest of the region.
Q6. -------------------------
Answer : In the later Vedic period children received education in Gurukuls.
Q7. -------------------
Answer : Grave goods tell us about the dead person that whether he was rich or a poor person.
Exercise - B
Q1. ---------------
Answer : Composition and functions of the sabha and the samiti in the Rigvedic period.
Composition of the sabha- It consisted of a small committee of selected village elders.
Composition of the samiti- It was the general assembly.
Functions of the sabha and the samiti-
There were two assemblies that gave advice to the Rajan on important matters of the village.
Q2: How did the methods of religious worship change from Early Vedic period to the Later Vedic period ?
Answer : The important Early Vedic gods lost their importance. They were replaced by Prajapati (Brahma) the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. Hinduism took shape in this period. Sacrifice assumed great importance, and religious worship became very complex.
Q3: How did the people of Inamgaon dispose of their dead?
Answer : The people of Inamgaon disposed off their dead bodies by burying them in pits in the floor of the house itself.
Dead adults were buried directly in the pits but a dead child was buried in a container made up of two urns placed horizontally.
Exercise - C
Q1: How many castes were there in Early Vedic society? Name them and explain their social functions.
Answer : There were four types of castes in Early Vedic society. They were:
a. Brahmans :
They were priests. They looked after the religious matters and special prayers.
b. Kshatriyas:
They were kings and warriors, who protected the tribe from harm.
c. Vaishyas:
They were farmers and craftsmen.
d. Shudras:
They did small chores of the higher castes people.
Q2: Compare the position of the king in the Early Vedic Age and Later Vedic Age.
Answer : Position of the king:
