- Title Pages
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Plates
- Maps
- 1 The Significance of Ancient Indian History
- 2 Modern Historians of Ancient India
- 3 Nature of Sources and Historical Construction
- 4 Geographical Setting
- 5 Ecology and Environment
- 6 The Linguistic Background
- 7 Human Evolution: The Old Stone Age
- 8 The Neolithic Age: First Food Producers and Animal Keepers
- 9 Chalcolithic Cultures
- 10 Harappan Culture: Bronze Age Urbanization in the Indus Valley
- 11 Identity of Aryan Culture
- 12 The Age of the Rig Veda
- 13 The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to State and Social Orders
- 14 Jainism and Buddhism
- 15 Territorial States and the Rise of Magadha
- 16 Iranian and Macedonian Invasions
- 17 State Structure and the Varna System in the Age of the Buddha
- 18 The Maurya Age
- 19 The Significance of Maurya Rule
- 20 Central Asian Contact and Mutual Impact
- 21 The Satavahana Phase
- 22 The Dawn of History in the Deep South
- 23 Crafts, Commerce, and Urban Growth (200 BC–AD 250)
- 24 Rise and Growth of the Gupta Empire
- 25 Life in the Gupta Age
- 26 Spread of Civilization in Eastern India
- 27 Harsha and His Times
- 28 Brahmanization, Rural Expansion, and Peasant Protest in the Peninsula
- 29 Developments in Philosophy
- 30 Cultural Interaction with Asian Countries
- 31 From Ancient to Medieval
- 32 Sequence of Social Changes
- 33 Legacy in Science and Civilization
- Chronology of Literary Sources
- General and Survey Volumes
- Chapter 1 The Significance of Ancient Indian History Chapter 2 Modern Historians of Ancient India Chapter 3 Nature of Sources and Historical Construction
- Chapter 4 Geographical Setting Chapter 5 Ecology and Environment
- Chapter 6 The Linguistic Background
- Chapter 7 Human Evolution: The Old Stone Age Chapter 8 The Neolithic Age: First Food Producers and Animal Keepers Chapter 9 Chalcolithic Cultures
- Chapter 10 Harappan Culture: Bronze Age Urbanization in the Indus Valley
- Chapter 11 Identity of Aryan Culture Chapter 12 The Age of the Rig Veda Chapter 13 The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to State and Social Orders
- Chapter 14 Jainism and Buddhism Chapter 17 State Structure and the Varna System in the Age of the Buddha
- Chapter 15 Territorial States and the Rise of Magadha Chapter 16 Iranian and Macedonian Invasions
- Chapter 18 The Maurya Age Chapter 19 The Significance of Maurya Rule
- Chapter 20 Central Asian Contact and Mutual Impact Chapter 23 Crafts, Commerce, and Urban Growth
- Chapter 21 The Satavahana Phase Chapter 22 The Dawn of History in the Deep South Chapter 28 Brahmanization, Rural Expansion, and Peasant Protest in the Peninsula
- Chapter 24 Rise and Growth of the Gupta Empire Chapter 25 Life in the Gupta Age
- Chapter 26 Spread of Civilization in Eastern India Chapter 31 From Ancient to Medieval
- Chapter 27 Harsha and His Times
- Chapter 29 Developments in Philosophy Chapter 33 Legacy in Science and Civilization
- Chapter 30 Cultural Interaction with Asian Countries
- Journals and Periodical Publications
- Index
Sequence of Social Changes
Sequence of Social Changes
- Chapter:
- (p.299) 32 Sequence of Social Changes
- Source:
- India’s Ancient Past
- Author(s):
R.S. Sharma
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Archaeology informs that people lived in small groups in the hilly areas in the Palaeolithic age. The Neolithic and Chalcolithic communities lived on the uplands in the proximity of hills and rivers. The Rig Vedic society was primarily pastoral. People were semi-nomadic, and their principal possessions were cattle and horses. Although artisans, peasants, priests, and warriors figure even in the earlier portions of the Rig Veda, society as a whole was tribal, pastoral, seminomadic, and egalitarian. Three processes coincided with one another in post-Vedic times. These were Aryanization, ironization, and urbanization. The varna system authorized the kshatriya to collect taxes from the peasants and tolls from traders and artisans. The social system worked well from the age of the Buddha to Gupta times. Then, it underwent a change due to internal upheavals.
Keywords: Palaeolithic age, Chalcolithic communities, Rig Veda, Aryanization, ironization, urbanization, varna system, kshatriya
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- Title Pages
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Plates
- Maps
- 1 The Significance of Ancient Indian History
- 2 Modern Historians of Ancient India
- 3 Nature of Sources and Historical Construction
- 4 Geographical Setting
- 5 Ecology and Environment
- 6 The Linguistic Background
- 7 Human Evolution: The Old Stone Age
- 8 The Neolithic Age: First Food Producers and Animal Keepers
- 9 Chalcolithic Cultures
- 10 Harappan Culture: Bronze Age Urbanization in the Indus Valley
- 11 Identity of Aryan Culture
- 12 The Age of the Rig Veda
- 13 The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to State and Social Orders
- 14 Jainism and Buddhism
- 15 Territorial States and the Rise of Magadha
- 16 Iranian and Macedonian Invasions
- 17 State Structure and the Varna System in the Age of the Buddha
- 18 The Maurya Age
- 19 The Significance of Maurya Rule
- 20 Central Asian Contact and Mutual Impact
- 21 The Satavahana Phase
- 22 The Dawn of History in the Deep South
- 23 Crafts, Commerce, and Urban Growth (200 BC–AD 250)
- 24 Rise and Growth of the Gupta Empire
- 25 Life in the Gupta Age
- 26 Spread of Civilization in Eastern India
- 27 Harsha and His Times
- 28 Brahmanization, Rural Expansion, and Peasant Protest in the Peninsula
- 29 Developments in Philosophy
- 30 Cultural Interaction with Asian Countries
- 31 From Ancient to Medieval
- 32 Sequence of Social Changes
- 33 Legacy in Science and Civilization
- Chronology of Literary Sources
- General and Survey Volumes
- Chapter 1 The Significance of Ancient Indian History Chapter 2 Modern Historians of Ancient India Chapter 3 Nature of Sources and Historical Construction
- Chapter 4 Geographical Setting Chapter 5 Ecology and Environment
- Chapter 6 The Linguistic Background
- Chapter 7 Human Evolution: The Old Stone Age Chapter 8 The Neolithic Age: First Food Producers and Animal Keepers Chapter 9 Chalcolithic Cultures
- Chapter 10 Harappan Culture: Bronze Age Urbanization in the Indus Valley
- Chapter 11 Identity of Aryan Culture Chapter 12 The Age of the Rig Veda Chapter 13 The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to State and Social Orders
- Chapter 14 Jainism and Buddhism Chapter 17 State Structure and the Varna System in the Age of the Buddha
- Chapter 15 Territorial States and the Rise of Magadha Chapter 16 Iranian and Macedonian Invasions
- Chapter 18 The Maurya Age Chapter 19 The Significance of Maurya Rule
- Chapter 20 Central Asian Contact and Mutual Impact Chapter 23 Crafts, Commerce, and Urban Growth
- Chapter 21 The Satavahana Phase Chapter 22 The Dawn of History in the Deep South Chapter 28 Brahmanization, Rural Expansion, and Peasant Protest in the Peninsula
- Chapter 24 Rise and Growth of the Gupta Empire Chapter 25 Life in the Gupta Age
- Chapter 26 Spread of Civilization in Eastern India Chapter 31 From Ancient to Medieval
- Chapter 27 Harsha and His Times
- Chapter 29 Developments in Philosophy Chapter 33 Legacy in Science and Civilization
- Chapter 30 Cultural Interaction with Asian Countries
- Journals and Periodical Publications
- Index