30 General Knowledge Questions on Ancient Indian History on Rig-Vedic Era – Society, Economy, Polity and Religion

1. How was Rig-Vedic society stratified on the basis of occupations?

Rig-Vedic society comprised four varnas namely Brahmanas (teachers & priests), Kshatriyas (rulers & warriors), Vaishyas (traders, farmers, artisans) and Shudras (laborers & servants). This occupation-based hierarchy was not hereditary initially but flexible.

2. How were Rig-Vedic gods classified in the later Vedic period?

Based on their domains, Rig-Vedic gods were classified into 3 broad spheres – terrestrial gods like Prithvi ruling earth, aerial/atmospheric gods like Indra ruling lower heaven & celestial gods like Vishnu presiding over higher cosmic realm.

3. What was Indra’s role and image in Rig-Vedic religion?

Indra was the most prominent god. As a divine warrior, he was the destroyer of enemy strongholds representing victory & kingship. His title was ‘Purandara’. He was also seen as the rain-god overcoming drought (Vritra) to facilitate growth of crops & bounty.

4. What position did the god Agni hold in Rig-Vedic religion and rituals?

Agni was the fire god representing most sacred Vedic altar fire. He acted as a propitious messenger conveying ritual offerings from humans to gods in heaven and channelizing their blessings back on earth. Hence, Agni was central to Yajnas.

5. Who was the solar deity and how was he worshipped in the Rig-Veda?

Surya as the life-sustaining sun god was prominent in the Rig-Veda and worshipped in 5 specialized synonymous forms – Surya proper, Savitri (Vivifier), Mitra (benign stimulator), Pushan (Nourisher) and Vishnu.

6. Name the two governance bodies of political importance in the Rig-Vedic Period:

The key institutions for representation and checks on the rulers were the Sabha, a body of tribal elders and Samiti, assembly of all citizens. They upheld the rights of the people and resolved political disputes.

7. What was the social unit and structure of Rig-Vedic society?

The family or kula consisting of multiple generations living together under direction of patriarch was the basic social unit. Family structure gave stability to society but had limited democratic participation.

8. Name the four major occupations around which the Rig Vedic society was functionally bifurcated:

The four main varnas were Brahmanas (priests & teachers), Kshatriyas (warriors & rulers), Vaishyas (businessmen & agriculturists) and Shudras (workers, artisans).

9. What was Niyoga in Rig-Vedic society and why was it practiced?

Niyoga was a practice where a widow was allowed to marry a brother of her deceased husband in order to bear a child for continuing her husband’s lineage. This practice highlights Rig-Vedic society’s emphasis on lineage.

10. How were cows treated and what were the penalties for harming them in Rig-Vedic society?

Cows were considered inviolable and slaughtering them was considered a grave sin. The Rig-Veda prescribed severe punishment of death or banishment from the kingdom for killing cows. This shows their sacred status.

11. What were the popular intoxicating drinks in Rig-Vedic society?

Two kinds of alcoholic drinks were popular among Rig-Vedic people – Sura, distilled from grains and Soma, extracted from a sacred plant whose identity remains uncertain. Excessive drinking attracted social disapproval.

12. Who was Vishnu in his three strides motif and what did it symbolize?

Vishnu was portrayed as a solar deity spanning the celestial, atmospheric and terrestrial realms in three mighty strides, signifying the cyclical rising, culmination and setting of the sun while also underscoring Vishnu’s supreme authority.

13. Who was Dyaus Pita and why was he significant in early Vedic religion?

Dyaus was the oldest Rig-Vedic god, regarded as the divine father and progenitor of the world, pairing with mother earth Prithvi. His slipping importance marked ascendancy of newer gods like Indra.

14. What was Yama’s responsibility as a Rig-Vedic God?

As pioneer man, Yama was considered as watchdog of morality and first entrant to the land of ancestral dead where the virtuous were rewarded and sinful punished, making him an early prototype of the God of Death regulating transition.

15. What is Henotheism in Rig-Vedic religion? How does it differ from Monotheism?

Henotheism refers to a system where one god at a time is singled out for highest praise and worship without denying existence of other gods. This contrasts with monotheism entailing belief in one Supreme God alone.

16. What were the two main offerings made during Yajnas/sacrifices in Rig-Vedic religion?

The two chief offerings in fire sacrifices were havis (oblations) of milk, ghee, grains etc symbolizing sustenance and soma, the intoxicating libation representing divine ecstasy, suggesting material and spiritual aspects were intertwined.

17. What metals were used for warfare in the Rig-Vedic period?

Metals like wood, stone and bone were used for making weapons in the Rig-Veda. But bronze and copper were the predominant metals used for tips of arrows and edges of swords, indicating a copper-bronze age, the same metals features at contemporary Harappan sites.

18. Name two siege engines that find mention in Rig-Vedic hymns:

Two machines alluding to siege warfare are the ‘pur-charishnu’ described as a moving assault tower to attack rival strongholds and assault-machines to breach fortress walls, reflecting military competition for resources.

19. What were the popular milk products in Rig-Vedic diet?

Milk, curd/yoghurt, ghee and butter obtained from cattle were staple components of Rig-Vedic diet. Kshira-pakmodanam referring to milk cooked with grains indicates dairy complemented agriculture.

20. Which animals were likely domesticated in the Rig-Vedic period?

The Rig-Veda shows domestication of cattle including cows, sheep, goat, horses and dogs while wild animals like lions, elephants, and boars were known indicating mixed pastoral-agrarian habitat bordering forests.

21. Which wild animals were familiar in the Rig-Vedic area?

Lion, tiger, elephant, boar were wild animals featuring in Rig-Veda indicating proximity to forests. But absence of camel and cat shows regions farther west or trading networks were still unfamiliar.

22. What items functioned as currency in Rig-Vedic economy?

Coins were absent but cows of standard worth and gold jewellery/ornaments served as movable wealth operating as currency, facilitating exchange through a process of barter, revealing a semi-commercial economy.

23. Which material culture is identified with early Rig-Vedic Aryans?

The Ochre Coloured Pottery culture dating 1500 BC-1000 BC and centered around Punjab (Harappa’s successor) is linked to early Rig-Vedic people because of geographic overlap.

24. How many rivers are enumerated in the Rig-Veda?

The Rig-Veda contains references to around 40 rivers in the region. The Nadistuti hymn explicitly lists 21 rivers spanning from central Afghanistan to Gangetic plains, underlying its compositional range.

25. Which river finds rare mention and which gets highest praise in Rig-Veda?

The Ganges finds just one mention while the Saraswati is the most eulogized river in the Vedas, being described as the greatest and purest, indicating it was more proximate to Vedic people.

26. What term is used to describe the core habitat of Rig-Vedic people?

Sapta-Sindhu meaning land of seven rivers alluding to Punjab region is the term employed to define the original settlement area of Rig-Vedic Aryans before expanding eastwards.

27. What famed conflict finds earliest mention in Rig-Vedic hymns?

The early Dasarajna war involving ten kings who fought against Sudas of Bharata clan by the Ravi River is promienently recorded, highlighting political rivalry between tribes.

28. On which river’s banks was this war among Rig-Vedic tribes fought?

The Dasharajna war was fought on banks of the Ravi (contextually called Parushni), which along with other Punjab rivers defined habitat of early Rig-Vedic people.

29. What were the two kinds of weapons used in Rig-Vedic warfare?

Rig-Vedic warfare employed infantry of soldiers fighting on foot as well as mounted archers and lancers on horse-drawn chariots as the elite strike force.

30. Who were the two chief officials in the court of a Rig-Vedic ruler?

The king was aided by Purohita as his chief priest and adviser while Senani was the army commander, suggesting religious and military powers assisted monarchy in administration.