Page 43 - SST Class 06

of weavers, ironsmiths, goldsmiths, washermen, 3. The head of the family continued to enjoy a
oilmen etc. The caste system became rigid, that is,
the son of a weaver could become only a weaver
and nothing else. In some cases, marriages were
restricted within the caste. The castes were
graded, and those considered low were
considered untouchable. Each caste had its
peculiar traditions, customs, eating habits and
social bindings. The family continued to be the
basic unit of society. The joint family system
continued. The head of the family continued to
enjoy a commanding position in all family
matters.
Personal Life
The four divisions or ashrams during the Vedic
Age became relaxed and these four ashrams
(Brahmacharya, Grahastha, Vanaprastha and
Sanyas) were practised by the people of upper
castes only.
Position of Women
Women enjoyed a very high place in the society
during the Vedic Age, but this started to change.
The rights to education and inherit property were
restricted. Only the women of higher economic
and social status could get education. The birth of
a girl-child was not favoured, while the birth of a
boy-child was an occasion of celebration.
Religious Life
The Brahmins continued to dominate the social
life. As the religious rites and rituals became
expensive and complicated, the Kshatriyas too
sought to study the scriptures in search of new
rituals and rites. A change in language was
perceptible, as the Brahmins spoke Sanskrit, while
the common people preferred to speak Pali and
Prakrit. Due to these reasons, the Buddhism and
the Jainism prospered.
Quiz Time
Fill in the blanks :
1. The chief of a republic was called a
____________.
2. A farmer paid ____________ share of his
produce to the king.
____________ position in all family matters.
4. The republics were less developed as compared
to the ____________.
5. The chief sources of income for a king were
____________ and ____________.
Economic Life
Trade and Occupations
Many new trades and occupations emerged, and
the people engaged in them were attributed those
occupations as their castes. Many craftsmen and
traders moved to towns and cities; similarly a
large number of people joined the army.
Weights and Measures
With the introduction of the
coinage, the barter system
gradually phased out. The
weights were in the multiples
of sixteen. Punch-marked coins
Source of Information
The source of information during this period
comprises the Buddhist literature and the Jain
literature, in addition to a number of excavations
(like in Kashi, Patliputra etc.) that have been
undertaken in this region. The geographical extent
mentioned in these documents includes the region
from Afghanistan to Bihar (in India). The early
Buddhist literature (like the Mahagovind Sutta of
Digha Nikaya) says that India was like a rectangle
in the north and like a triangle in the south. The
other literature includes Bhagavatisutra, the
Sutrakntang, the Ashtadhyayi (written by Panini),
the Baudhayandharmasutra and the Mahabharata.
There are some variations in different evidences,
yet the historians have been able to construct the
history of this period correctly.
Case Study : Magadha And Vajji Confederacy
Due to several factors, North India saw the growth
of powerful kingdoms, the important of which were
Magadha and Vajji confederacy.
The Kingdom of Magadha
Of all the mahajanapadas in northern India, the
The Early States
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