Study of Vedic Civilization

3. VEDIC PERIOD (socio economic background)
INTRODUCTION:
Vedic period is the earliest stage of Hindu architecture period.
It begins from Aryan invasion in 1000 B.C. Immigrants from central Europe through
Iran came eastwards in search of richer territories. They were nomadic warriors
known as Aryans.
The Aryans invaded Indus valley civilization and marched forward through natural
corridor between the Thar Desert and Himalayan foothills (Khyber Pass). Finally they
reached the Gangetic plains in @1600 B.C. which were richly forested, vast river bank
of alluvial land. Aryan with their military superiority emphasized by horses and
chariots easily enslaved the dark skinned native Dasyus. Aryans occupied the land
between the rivers Ganga and Yamuna, foothills of Himalayas and Vindhya mountains.
Nomadic pastoral Aryan community settled as agriculturists.

4. SOME IMPORTANT POINTS @ ARYANS:
The Word Aryan is derived from the sanskrit word “Arya” which means noble, not
ordinary.
Language they used was “Sanskrit”.
Aryans wrote all the vedic texts.
According to different historians they have different origin. It is believed that they
entered India through Khyber Pass.
They led a rural, Semi Nomadic life as compared to Indus Valley people who were
Urbanized.

5. CLASSIFICATION OF VEDIC PERIOD
Vedic society can be divided into 2 parts:
1. Early Vedic Period (1500-1000 BC) also known as Rig Vedic Period.
2. Later Vedic Period (1000-600 BC)

11. THE ARYAN VILLAGE:
• Rural form of village consisted of bamboo, timber and thatch hamlets or huts. Though the
early Aryans had seen the use of bricks in Indus valley civilization they did not prefer to use it
as a building material. The reasons for development of bamboo and timber dwellings were
• Abundant availability of material from forest.
• Carpentry skills had developed from the tradition of chariot building for the fighting Aryan
tribes.
• Timber structures were simpler and easier to maintain or rebuild in case of damage by rains
or floods
• Aryans were nomadic by nature hence permanent structures were not preferred
• Circular plan of huts with domical or conical roof was most commonly used since it was simplest
to construct. The horse shoe shape was thus produced. This type of archway was commonly
referred to as ‘chaitya’ or sun- windows with bamboo and thatched walls were made of upright
bamboos tied together with twisted twigs. Roof was made watertight with overlapping thatch or
grass. Later because of functional limitations of circular plan rectangular hut with barrel vault
roofing was used.

12. Taking advantage of elastic nature of bamboo they were bent
into semicircular shape and tied at base to form barrel shaped
or gable arched roofs which was covered with thatch. The huts
were arranged in a group of three or four around open courtyard,
in a beehive pattern. A cluster of such unit was the typical Aryan
village. Usually the villages of Aryan tribes were arranged around
a huge tree under which the elders held panchayat. This tree
symbolized the axis around which universe was believed to rotate.
Path was made for procession round settlement known as
‘Pradikshna path’. For better class houses unbaked bricks were
used for walls and the door had square head timber openings.

14. VARIATIONS OF TIMBER , BAMBOO AND THATCH HUTS
OF EARLY ARYAN VILLAGE SETTLEMENT OF 1000 BC IN
THE INDO GANGETIC VALLEY.

18. https://youtu.be/xBIbflTfxm8