The Rigveda mentions the terms arya varna and dasa varna. In the Early Vedic context, these terms indicate:
Distinction between Vedic people and non-Vedic groups
In the Early Vedic period, the word varna meant colour and was used to mark the social division between the arya varna and the dasa varna.
The arya varna referred to the Vedic people who composed and followed the Rigveda, while the dasa varna referred to the earlier non-Vedic inhabitants who differed in language and religious practice.
This distinction was based on cultural and tribal identity, not on the rigid, birth-based fourfold caste hierarchy that developed only in the Later Vedic period.
Hence, the terms indicate a distinction between Vedic people and non-Vedic groups.
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Important Questions from Vedic Age
Consider the following statements about the emergence of urban centres in India from circa 6th Century BCE:
1. All of them developed away from the capitals of Mahajanpadas.
2. Major towns were located along routes of communication.
3. Many were bustling centres of commercial, cultural and political activity.
How many of the above statements is/are correct?
In the Manusmriti which form of marriage results from the “Voluntary union of a maiden and her lover”?
The main collections of Vedic hymns are called ______.
Ajatashatru, a ruler of the Haryanka Dynasty, was the son of _____.
King Ajatashatru was a ruler of the ______ dynasty.
