History – Chapter – India’s Cultural Roots
Vedas or Vedic culture
The term veda is derived from an old word known as ‘vid’ which means wisdom or knowledge.
The vedas consist of different poems and hymns. There were 4 main kinds of vedas.
- Rig Veda
- Sama Veda
- Yajur Veda
- Atharv Veda
Rig Veda
The Rig Veda was the earliest of the Vedas being made in around 1500 to 1000 BCE. This period was
known as the Early Vedic Period. The Rig veda consisted of 1028 different hymns known as suktas. It
is now recognized by the UN as a major piece in ancient literature.
Sama Veda
Contains different hymns and poems to be sang by priest in ceremonies.
Yajur Veda
Contains different methods on how to perform different yajnas or yagyas.
Atharv Veda
It mainly consisted of different spellings, and charms. It focused more on the creative side.
The early Vedic society
There were more than 250 different references to different clans and tribes in the Vedas, some
being the Bharatas and Kurus.
The smallest unit of society was the kula or family, with its head being the father.
Vedic Rituals
Worship of the gods was not only being done by praying, but with different sacrifices. These were
known as yajnas or yagyas. These were mainly performed by leaders of clans and kingdoms. A
famous example is the Aswamedha yajna.
The Ashwamedha Yajna is a ritual performed by the head of the kingdom, show their military
strength. A horse was left to roam, if a kingdom stopped the horse, it meant that they had declared
war with the kingdom. If it left the horse to pass that meant it accepted the authority of the
kingdom.
Vedas or Vedic culture
The term veda is derived from an old word known as ‘vid’ which means wisdom or knowledge.
The vedas consist of different poems and hymns. There were 4 main kinds of vedas.
- Rig Veda
- Sama Veda
- Yajur Veda
- Atharv Veda
Rig Veda
The Rig Veda was the earliest of the Vedas being made in around 1500 to 1000 BCE. This period was
known as the Early Vedic Period. The Rig veda consisted of 1028 different hymns known as suktas. It
is now recognized by the UN as a major piece in ancient literature.
Sama Veda
Contains different hymns and poems to be sang by priest in ceremonies.
Yajur Veda
Contains different methods on how to perform different yajnas or yagyas.
Atharv Veda
It mainly consisted of different spellings, and charms. It focused more on the creative side.
The early Vedic society
There were more than 250 different references to different clans and tribes in the Vedas, some
being the Bharatas and Kurus.
The smallest unit of society was the kula or family, with its head being the father.
Vedic Rituals
Worship of the gods was not only being done by praying, but with different sacrifices. These were
known as yajnas or yagyas. These were mainly performed by leaders of clans and kingdoms. A
famous example is the Aswamedha yajna.
The Ashwamedha Yajna is a ritual performed by the head of the kingdom, show their military
strength. A horse was left to roam, if a kingdom stopped the horse, it meant that they had declared
war with the kingdom. If it left the horse to pass that meant it accepted the authority of the
kingdom.
