Vedic Age and Aryan Civilization

-The Vedic Age: the period in time from 1500 BC to 500 BC
- During 2000-1500 BC many people migrated to northwestern India. These Indo-European people married locals.
- Acculturation: the mixing of two or more groups
- They formed a group and called themselves the Aryans.
- The Aryans built no cities and left very little evidence. Most of what we know comes from the Vedas.
- The Vedas: a collection of hymns, chants, ritual instructions, and other religious teachings.

- The Aryans were depicted as warriors who fought in chariots with bows and arrows.
They loved food, drink, music, dice games, and chariot races.
- Aryan tribes were led by chiefs called rajahs.
- they wrote n Sanskrit
- polytheistic beliefs: worshipped gods and goddesses who embodied natural spirits and the chief Aryan deity was Indra, god of war.
* some thinkers want to move toward the belief of a single spiritual power, Brahmin.