Vedas & the Vedic Age

The Aryans built no cities and the only archaeological evidence left behind were the Vedas, a collection of hymns, chants, ritual instructions and other religious teachings. Aryan priests would memorize these and recite them for a thousand years before they wrote them down. From 1500 BC to 500 BC is known as the Vedic Age. The Vedas described the Aryans as warriors who fought in chariots with bows and arrows and loved food and drink. They also enjoyed music, chariot races and dice games. They valued the cattle that brought them food and clothing.

Aryan Civilization during the Vedic Age

Aryan tribes were led by chiefs called rajahs, who were usually the most skilled war leaders, were chosen by an assembly of warriors.

Chapter 3 Section 1

Between 2000 BC and 1500 BC many nomadic groups from Central Asia arrived with herds and cattle to northwestern India. The nomads married many of the local people and began to form a group know as the Aryans. Later on, they gave up their nomadic ways for farming. They settled into villages, grew crops and bred cattle. Sometime afterward, the spread eastward to colonize the heavily forested Ganges Basin. Around 800 BC, they learned how to make tools out of iron which they used to carve farms and villages out of the rainforest.