1. About 1500 B.C. , a new group of people appeared in the Indus Valley. They called
themselves Aryans, which meant “THE NOBLE ONES” in their language. They brought
with them beliefs about gods and goddesses. They used these beliefs to compose a collection
of sacred verses called Vedas. Because the
Vedas were central to Aryan Cultural, this
period of Indian history is called the Vedic
age. The origin of Aryan language speakers are
a mystry. In the past, historians believed
that the Indo-Aryan people invaded India
from North. This Indo-Aryan Theory was
originally based mainly on studies of
languages. Sanskrit, the language spoken
by Indo-Aryans, is similar in many ways to
some European languages, such as Lantin
and Greek. More recent studies of traits
passed among people of the reigion, as well
as of languages, suggest that the Indo-
Aryan invasion theory may not be accurate.
2. Like most nomads, the Indo-Aryans did not create a written language. However,
after settling along the Indus River, they did compose a rich oral, or spoken, literature
called the Vedas.
These Vedas are scared verses that provide a record of the Indo-Aryan people and their
deities. Religious leaders often recited these scared verses during ceremonies or rituals.
For centuries, Indo-Aryan passed down the Vedas by words of mouth. People later
collected and wrote down the poems. The best known of these collections is the Rig Veda.
This work includes more than 1,000 scared verses and was the primary collection from
The New Theory suggests that the Indo Aryans were related to the people who first settled
Europe. Today, however, many historians believe that the Indo-Aryans were people who raised
livestock and entered India over a long period of time. Some Scholars even suggest that the
Indo Aryans did no migrate to India, but were its original inhabitants.
3. which the scared verses were recited. Almost everything scholars know about early Aryan
life in India comes from Vedas.
4. SKILLS ACTIVITY
The Indo-Aryans wrote down the Vedas after arriving in the Indus Valley about 1500
B.C.
(a) Read The Map on above page, and describe in which part of South Asia did the
Indo Aryans Settle?
(b) Evaluate Information: How might their way of life have influenced their decisions
to settle in these areas?
The Indo-Aryans who migrated to the Indus River Valley lived as nomadic herders.
They herded both horses and cattle, though cattle held special importance for them. The
Indo-Aryans measured their wealth by the size of their cattle herds. These herds formed
the basis of Indo-Aryan way of life shifted from herding to farming.
The Vedas show that the Indo-Aryans liked to enjoy themselves. They loved music
and dancing. They held Chariot races and enjoyed gambling. the following verse form
Vedas describes one family’s reaction to a man who gambled too much!
“Her Mother hates me; my wife
repels { resists } me—a man in
trouble finds no one to pity him,
they say, “ I ve no more use for a
gambler, than for a worn-out horse
5. The Indo-Aryans were also great warriors. They engaged in battle among
themselves, and also took part in conflicts with other nearby peoples. The Indo-Aryans
charged into battle in horse-down chariots. Around 1000 B.C., Aryan armies began to
move from the Indus River Valley across the Ganges Plain. By 700 B.C., 16 Aryan
Kingdoms had developed and spread across northern India.
Activity Point:
How did the Aryans change the culture of the Indus Valley?
6. Over many centuries, India has developed a social structure based on caste. A caste
is a fixed social class into which a person is born. Often, the members of different castes
remained separate for many important activities. A Social Structure in which social class is
inhereited from one’s parents at birth and does not change over one’s lifetime is known as
a caste system.
The caste system evolved out of the Indo-Aryan system of four social classes, known as
Varnas. Unlike the later caste system, the Varnas were not originally fixed by brith.
Barhamins Priests, Taught Vedic
Religion
Kshatriyas Rulers and Warriors;
held responsibility for
control and defense of
kingdom
Vaishyas Artisans, bankers, and
merchants; some also
owned land used for
agriculture
Sudras People who performed
services for all four
Classes.
According to many scholars , when Indo-Aryans arrived in the Indus River Valley, their
society already had three social classes: Priests, Rulers, and the Common.
The Verna System
7. They soon added a fourth class in the area in the native peoples who already lived in the
area. A late hymn of the Rig Veda described the four classes. The highest class consisted of
priests known as Barmins. Next came to Kashatriyas, a class made up of the rulers and the
warriors. Below them were the Vaishays , a class of artisans, bankers, and merchants.
The members of these three highest classes were considered “Twice-Born” This meant that
males from these classes could belong to the Vedic Religion. They could study, Sanskrit and
the Vedas. “ Twice Born” males also had the right to take part in particular religious
ceremonies.
At the bottom of these class system stood the Sudras. The higher classes looked down the
Sudras and made them work as farmers and menial workers.
Later Ino-Aryans identified A class of workers below the Sudras , and they called its
members untouchables. The members of this group often did the dirty jobs that no one else
would do. Members of the higher classes would not have contact with untouchables for fear
of being made unclean. In modern India, these people are now called “Dalits” and treating
someone as untouchable is a crime against the law.
As Indian society developed more occupations and skills, a complex caste system evolved.
Larger castes divided into hundreds of smaller castes. Most of these castes were based on
occupation. People who did the same job belonged to the same caste. Today the total
number of castes in India may exceed , 2,000.
Caste rules also became more rigid. People were born into a caste and could not leave it .
they could marry only members of their own caste. They had to work and eat among their
caste members. All social events took place within one’s caste.
In time , the caste system became the most powerful force in Indian-Society. The system
brought both costs and benefits. For instance, the system limited people’s individual
freedom. They could not develop talents, interests, or friendships outside their caste. The
patterns of their lives were fixed at birth.
8. However, the caste system also brought stability to Indian society. It gave people a sense of
belonging because every person had a palace within a caste. Indian goods became famous
because of the skills passed down through members of the castes. The system also allowed
different groups to follow their own beliefs and customs within their caste while
maintaining the place in the larger society.
