Vedic Civilization

[Indus Priest King]

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~ Pakistan: A Peoples History ~
Part V: The Vedic Civilization

The Vedic civilization developed in the Indus Valley following the collapse of the Harappan (Indus Valley) Civilization in around ~1500 BCE. During this collapsing period, the Aryan people had already been migrating en masse into the Indus Valley from Eurasia between 1700 BC to 1500 BCE. Along with them came their distinctive religious traditions and practices which appears to have syncretised (fused) with native Indus (Harappan) beliefs. This fusion between Aryan and Harappans essentially gave rise to the Vedic civilization (Vedic tribes, Vedic religion and Vedic Sanskrit).

~ Vedic religion ~
The Vedic religion is still prevalent today among most Pakistani Hindus and the Kalash. The hymns composed for the Vedas by Vedic mystics/poets in Saptha Sindhu (Punjab) tell of a society which starkly differs from what we know as "Hinduism" today. For example, the Vedic people ate beef, buried their dead, had no idols and no caste system. In fact, the Rig Veda forbade idolatry and the region of Sindhu (Sindh) and Sapta Sindhu (Punjab) was considered the sacred Vedic homeland. The Vedic gods are the most important differentiating factor - they were mainly adopted from the Bactria–Margiana Culture and Zoroastrianism (along with its derivatives Mithraism, Saurism, Manichaeism) from the migrating Aryans, along with local Harappan beliefs. These Vedic gods included:

- Mitra (borrowed from Iranian Avestan deity "Mithra")
- Varuna (borrowed from Iranian Avestan deity "Ahura Mazda")
- Indra (borrowed from Iranian Avestan deity "Verethraghna")
- Sorya (borrowed from Iranian Avestan deity “Hvare-Khshaeta”)
- Agni or Matarisvan (borrowed from Iranian Avestan deity “Atar”)
- Soma (borrowed from the Bactria–Margiana culture)

The Vedic people were more culturally and religiously related to the Avestan Iranians in the west than the Gangetic Dravidians in the east (known in the Vedas as Dasyu, Dasa or Dasya). Most strikingly, Vedic society made a strong emphasis to differentiate themselves (Sindhu + Sapta Sindhu) from others, particularly the region east of the Indus which was the Ganges plain and Deccan. That region was referred to by the Vedics as "Dasya Varta".

~ Vedic tribes ~
From information gathered in the Rig Veda, Vedic society during this period was pastoral and centered in the Indus Valley (Sindhu and Saptha Sindhu). They formed a warrior society, engaging in endemic warfare and cattle raids ("gaviṣṭi") among themselves and against their enemies, the Dasyu (also known as Dasa or Dasya). When not on the move, they were subdivided into tribal settlements (vish) composed of several villages, and each village was composed of several families. These settlements were headed by a tribal chief (raja) assisted by warriors (kshatra) and a priestly caste (brahma). Internecine military conflicts between these various Vedic tribes was very common and as such the Indus Valley did not have one powerful Vedic kingdom to wield the warring tribes into one organized kingdom. Most notable of such conflicts was the Battle of Ten Kings, which took place on the banks of the River Ravi in ~1300 BC and was fought between the Bharatas tribe and a confederation of ten tribes which included the Alinas (from Nuristan), Anu (from upper Punjab), Bhrigus (from Punjab), Bhalanas (from Bolan), Druhyus (from Swat), Matsya (from Cholistan), Parsu (from western Balochistan), Purus (from Thar) and Panis (from Sibi). The Bharatas emerged victorious, yet the constant threat of war forced some Vedic tribes to consider migrating out of the Indus. The Bharatas and Purus were among the first to do so.

~ Late Vedic period ~
Up until 1100 BC, the Ganges plain had remained out of bounds to Vedic tribes because of thick forest cover as well as local resistance from its native Gangetic inhabitants (Dasyu, which could possibly be the Dravidians). After 1100 BC, the use of iron axes and ploughs became widespread and thus forests could be cleared with ease. By 800 BC, Vedic society had transitioned from semi-nomadic life to settled agriculture and now tribes had a choice to remain in the Indus or migrate. The majority stayed such as the Sindhu and Kashmira, while some such as the Bharatas and Purus, migrated east towards the Ganges plain.

~ Ganges migration ~
There is significant controversy about what occurred during the migration of these Vedic tribes from the Indus Valley into the Ganges plain.

~~ Theory A ~~
As these migrating tribes left the Indus Valley to settle in the Ganges plain, they attempted to take complete control over the local population. The Vedas were abandoned with new texts - namely the Puranas and Mahabharata - in which Vedic titles were adopted, along with indigenous Dravidian culture. This was done to entrench themselves as the new ruling order. Vedic titles (castes) were now given hierarchical status, whereby the Vedic migrants were considered of "high caste" while the local Dravidians were considered of "lower castes".

~~ Theory B ~~
In another version of history, it is theorized that within a few generations, the Vedic immigrants to the Ganges were made to surrender whatever little political rule they had acquired and and soon pigeon-holed into becoming the loyal obedient servants (Sudra) of their Dravidian masters. Through religious manipulation, the small number Vedic tribes that had migrated into the Ganges plain were forced to abandoned there Vedic faith and culture in favour of the indigenous Gangetic/Dravidian faith and customs.

~ List of Vedic Tribes ~

> Alinas - Suggested that they lived the northeast of Nurestan. The historian S. Talageri identifies them with the Greeks (Hellenes).

>Anu: see Druhyus.

> Ayu

> Bhajeratha

> Bhalanas - Suggested that they lived by the Bolan Pass.

> Bharatas - Mentioned in the Rigveda, Mandala 3. They appear to have engaged in various battles and early power-struggles between the various tribes. Following a large battle on the Ravi River, the Bharatas are said to have migrated out of the Indus Valley and into the Ganges plain. Hence, it's no surprise why they dominated Gangetic texts such as the Mahabharata, where Emperor Bharata is said to be the "conqueror of all of India", and his tribe and kingdom is called Bharata. "Bharat" today is the official name of the Republic of India.

> Bhrigus

> Chedi

> Druhyus - Mentioned together with the Anu. Some early scholars have placed them in the northwestern region I 395) which most likely would mean Gandhara. Some writers have historically asserted that the Druhyu are the ancestors of the Iranian, Greek or European peoples, or of the Celtic Druid class. The word Druid (Gallic Celtic druides), however, is derived from Proto-Indo-European.

> Gandhari
> Gungu
> Iksvaku
> Krivi
> Kikata
> Kuru
> Mahina
> Malankhara
> Matsya
> Nahuṣa

> Paktha - Suspected as merging with the Hephthalite (White Huns) and giving rise to the Pashtun people.

> Panis - possibly related to the Iranian Parni.

> Pārāvata

> Parsu - Have been connected with the Persians. This is based on the evidence of an Assyrian inscription from 844 BCE referring to the Persians as Parshu, and the Behistun Inscription of Darius I of Persia referring to Parsa as the home of the Persians.

> Puru - related to the Bharatas.

> Rusama

> Tritsu - were a sub-group of the Puru and mentioned in Mandala 7 of the Rigveda (in hymns 18, 33 and 83).

> Turvasa

> Yadu - claimed to have been a Vedic tribe, but not mentioned in the Vedas.