What Books And Burials Tell Us
There are four Vedas—Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda
- Rigveda is the oldest (3500 years ago).
- Vedas were written much later.
- The hymns were passed from generation to generation by reciting and memorizing.
- Rigveda contains prayers for cattle, children, and horses.
- Yajnas were performed by the Aryans and most men took part in wars.
- Wars were fought for cattle, land, water, and slaves.
- Captured wealth was divided among leaders, priests, and other people.
- On the basis of work people were divided into: the Brahmins and the Rajas. The community as a whole was referred to as “jana” or “Vish”.
- Composers of hymns were called Aryas and their opponents as Dasas.
- Stone boulders called megaliths were used to mark burial sites. This was followed in Deccan and Kashmir.
- Dead were buried with distinctive red and black ware. People were buried with other objects and animals depending upon their status in society.
- Families were usually buried together through portholes.
What Books And Burials Tell Us Keywords
What Books And Burials Tell Us Date Line
About 3500 Years Ago: Beginning of composition of the Vedas
About 3000 Years Ago: Beginning of building megaliths
Between 3600 To 2700 Years Ago: Settlement at Inamgaon
About 2000 Years Ago: Charaka Samhita, a book on medicine by Charaka
About 200-150 Years Ago: Birch bark of Rigveda found in Kashmir