Chapter-3- The Aryans

After 1500 B.C. comes the most controversial part of discussion in between many historians, is the origin of 'The Aryans". around this part of the time the indus valley declined and new age of the Aryans came in India. The matter of dispute is that whether they were the descendents of the indus valley people who left their former tradition or they were the people came from outside india (from some part of Central Asia or Russia). whoever they were but the truth is that the Hindu people of the major part of the india are the descendents of the Aryans. 

The period of the Aryans i.e. from 1500 B.C. to 600 B.C. is divided into two parts:

1.The Early Vedic Period.(1500 B.C.- 1000 B.C.)

2.The Later Vedic Period.(1000 B.C.- 600 B.C.)

The Aryans of Early Vedic Period were the first to introduce the use of Iron in India, they cleared many parts of the forest with their iron axes for cattle rearing purposes and to establish villages consists of mud huts (It was found that the Aryans of early vedic period were rural tribes, they hardly knew about agriculture or building of houses or cities of bricks) & this clearing of the forests led them ahead in the Gangetic Valley. 

The chief source of information about the Aryans are "The Vedas". These were composed in the language of Aryans i.e. Sanskrit. In the chronological order they are-

Rig Veda- Consists of the hymns in praise of the Gods and Goddesses (written in Early Vedic Period).

Sama Veda- Is the book of chants (written in Later Vedic Period). 

Yajur Veda- Is the book of sacrificial prayers (written in Later Vedic Period).

Atharva Veda- Is the book of magic formulas meant to cure ailments (written in Later Vedic Period).

As many of the historians led stress on the point that Aryans came from outside justifies their gratefulness towards the Nature (as because of the favourable conditions they might have found in here; such as, warm climate and fertile land). All the aspects or the components of the nature became their Gods; e.g.- Sun(Surya), Land(Prithvi), Thunder(Indra), Sky(Varuna), Fire(Agni).

The Later Vedic Period saw a drastic change in the life of the Aryans. The dependency of cattle rearing was replaced by Agriculture. Wars between the tribes for the possession of lands was common in this period & it resulted in the formation of the new Kingdoms. The two epics, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata were composed in this period that reveals the power of those kingdoms.

This development in Kingship & Religious matters led to the formation of societies in four varnas(Casts):

The Brahmanas (Priests).

Kshatriyas (Kings).

Vaishyas (farmers, merchants et-cetera).

Sudras (labourers).

The Concept of four Ashramas or four stages of life was known in that time. The four ashramas were as follows:-

Brahmacharya, meant for education.

Grihastha, meant for marriage and having a family.

Vanaprastha, meant for the stage when the person was to detach from his social life.

Sanyasa, meant for the stage when the person was to go to forest and prepare himself to leave the world.

In the Later Vedic Period, Two Great reformers Gautama Buddha and Vardhamana Mahavira came in the period when the complexities and the rigidities of the religion and the ill-treatment of the Shudras led to the complexion in the 'Hinduism'. we will discuss about these reformers in the next post.