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.

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.

which the scared verses were recited. Almost everything scholars know about early Aryan

life in India comes from Vedas.

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

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?

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

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.

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.