Features Early Vedic Period Later Vedic Period Form of Government
#Early Vedic Period :
- Monarchy but the office of the chief was not hereditary
- Chief (Rajan)was called Gopati or Gopa(Protector of cows)
- Battle was called Gavisthis or Gavenshana or Goshu but no standing army
- No doctrine of divinityassociated with the kingship
- Important functionaries:
- Purohit (priest)
- Senani(leader of the army)
Gramini (leader of a village)
#Later Vedic Period
- Kingshipbecame hereditary
- King’s power increased and they performed various sacrifices to enhance his position
- Rajasuya (royal consecration and king conferred supreme power )
- Vajapeya(chariot race to win against all kinsmen)
- Ashwamedha (control over the area in which royal horse ran uninterrupted)
- Kings still hadno standing army
Administrative units
- It had a Patrilineal system
- Kula (Family) with the head as Kulapa -> Vis or clan -> Jana or tribe (largest social unit)
- Jana changed to Janapadas ( denoting territory) and further enlarged to Kingdoms like Mahajanapadas
‘Rastra’ term appeared as wars were fought for territories now rather than cows
Tribal Assemblies
- Sabhas (exclusive body for elites)
- Samiti ( broad-based folk assembly, presided by the Rajan)
- Vidatha (Tribal assembly with diverse functions)
Gana (Assembly or troop)
- Sabhas and Samitisdiminished in importance
- Vidhatha disappeared