The polity of the Early Vedic Period (1500 BCE–1000 BCE) was mainly tribal and pastoral. Religion had an effective influence on Rigvedic polity.
Political Structure: Units & Royal Officials
- In the Rigvedic period, the ‘state’ was a tribal-based territory.
- The lowest unit of social life of the Vedic Aryans was the family. This primary unit was known as ‘Kul‘ or ‘Kula‘. The head of the Kula was called the ‘Kulpati‘ or ‘kulpa‘.
- A community formed by a group of families was the ‘Gram‘ or village. The head of village was called the ‘Gramani‘. The general of the village was called ‘Senani‘.
- Several villages formed ‘Bish‘ or ‘Vishu‘. The Bish was headed by ‘Vishyapati‘.
- Several Bish formed a ‘Jana‘. Jana was the largest political organization and equivalent to a modern state.
- The head of a Jana was called the Rajana. The Rajana’s main function was to lead the Jana’s military operations.
- The head of the Jana of the later Vedic period was called the Janapati or Jyeshtha.
- Sometimes people give tax (voluntary tributes) or Bali to the Rajana.
Info: In addition, the Rigveda also mentions officials such as the police, the mediator in disputes, and the village judge.
Tribal or clan-based system:
- During the Rigvedic period, the Aryans were divided into various tribes or clans such as Yadu, Puru, Bharata, Sriptaya, Turkas, Anu, etc.
- Each clan had its own kingdom.
- One such instance is found in the war of ten kings mentioned in the Rigveda. Sudas, the king of the Bharata clan, defeated this alliance of ten opposing kings.
- Non-Aryans also joined the Aryans in this war.
Power of Chief or King:
- Kingship was not hereditary. The raja was usually selected by the tribal assembly.
- The job of the chief or king was to protect the lives and property of the tribe.
- Another important function of the chief was to lead the war and punish the criminals.
- The king was entitled to a share of the wealth looted in the war.
According to Romila Thapar, “during the Rigvedic period, the kings were mainly war leaders”.
‘Sabha’ and ‘Samiti’
- In the Rigvedic period, two institutions called ‘Sabha‘ and ‘Samiti‘ were mentioned to advise the king or help him in running the kingdom.
- The right to decide on political policy or other matters was vested in these two organizations, Sabha and the Samiti.
- In the Rigveda, ‘Sabha‘ is mentioned in the sixth and eighth mandalas and ‘Samiti‘ in the first, ninth and tenth mandalas.
- ‘Sabha’ was formed by senior Brahmins and wealthy people (Maghavana) to conduct administrative work.
- ‘Samiti’ was a larger public organization. Representatives of ‘Bish‘, including Brahmins and wealthy people, could join this organization.
Info: In the Rigvedic era, two institutions called Sabha and Samiti controlled the unlimited power of the king – although their structure and power are not clearly mentioned in the Rigveda, historians assume that Sabha was the council of chiefs and Samiti was the council of the general public.
Bidhatha: Apart from these two institutions, there is also a mention of a political institution called ‘Bidhatha‘ during this time. This institution mainly discussed various political rules including war.
Priest/Purohit: People from the priestly class sometimes participated in politics and helped the king with his work. He was a spiritual teacher in the social. He was also a chief advisor of Rajan.
State Policy: The state policy of the Rigvedic period was mainly based on agriculture or animal husbandry. Conflicts between groups over land ownership were a common feature of the period.
Government: The government of the state was mainly monarchical, determined by hereditary succession. The head of the village was ‘Gramani‘ and the ‘Brajapati‘ was responsible for supervising the grazing land.
Military Division
- No standing and large army was found in the early Vedic period.
- However, the presence of three types of armies, infantry, cavalry, and chariots, can be seen in the military forces.
- In the wars of the kings of that time, an object called ‘Puracharishu‘ (which means a moving fort) is also mentioned.