Social structure in the Later Vedic Period

The principal sources from where we get to know about the later Vedic Period are the “Sama, the Yajur and the Atharva”-Vedas, the “ Brahmanas”, “Upanishads”, and the “Aranyakas”(collection of philosophical and metaphysical discoveries. The later Vedic period gave rise to miscellaneous arts and crafts. The various explorations give us some opinions about the settlements. The Later Vedic age made society more complex. The caste system, child marriage, dowry and many other disgusting practices blemished the society. Position and independence or freedom of women were lost. Little change took place in food, dress and ornaments of the earlier age. This period also saw the appearance of the institution of gotra, which meant that people from the same lineage or having a common descendant could not be married. 

The caste system

Society of the Later Vedic period underwent a great change. The caste system crawled into it. The society was divided into four Varnas called the Brahmanas, Rajanyas or Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Sudras. Various sub-castes came later in addition to the traditional four castes. The Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas were seen as the two leading castes. The Vaishyas were superior to the Shudras. The Shudras were seen as the lowest of the four castes and were made to do all the inferior works. 

The Varna or the caste system was made to separate the people on the basis of their status to loosen the burden of responsibilities that individuals naturally had and create a proper order. It was also done to maintain the purity of a particular caste, mainly the upper ones. 

The caste system had a great effect on the society of the later Vedic period and the daily lives of the people. It was referred to in almost every aspect, from the people’s positions, food or dressing and economic conditions to their education and occupations.

Education

The father was usually the head of the family. The patrimonial (authority of father) system was followed. After the Upanayana, a sacred ritual only meant for the upper three Varnas in which the male child is officially accepted as a member of his religious community, to get their education done, the children were sent to Gurukuls. The youngster had to live in the place of the Guru and guide a celibate life whose chief duties were to study and be of service to the Guru/ teacher. 

Social Position of the Women

The ladies of the Later Vedic Era forfeited their high positions. Which they normally had enjoyed in the Rig Veda Age. They were robbed of their privileges in the Upanayana ritual. All their customs, barring marriage, were conducted without the recitation of the Vedic Mantras. Polygamy began to exist in this society. Females were not allowed to observe the political masses. The conception of a daughter child became unpleasant as they were assumed as a source of misery. The concepts of juvenile marriage and dowry also crawled in.

Economic conditions

Similar to the political and colonial differences, the economic state of the Later Vedic period also experienced a substantial amount of changes. Due to the arrival of the concept of the caste system, diverse employment opportunities appeared. 

The brahmins were seen as the most knowledgeable and entrusted with imparting the knowledge to all the people. They were considered “Gurus” who had Ashrams (schools) of their own in which they tutored the people of other Varnas. The Kshatriyas were the warrior clan and worked as administrators. They had grasped all forms of mastery in weapons and ruling a territory and were politically knowledgeable too. The Vaishyas were mainly involved in commerce and worked as traders, agriculturalists and money lenders. The Shudras, the last Varna, were assigned to serve the other Varnas and worked under them in carrying out their daily activities as the other Varas were their masters.

Religious Conditions 

During the later Vedic period,  religious beliefs underwent a significant change. This period saw the arrival of New Gods and Goddesses.

The  Rig Veda Gods like Varuna, Indra, Agni, Surya, Usha lost their charm. Gods like Shiva, Rupa, Vishnu, Brahma, etc., made their way into the religious heavens of the later Vedic Period. The concept of rituals and sacrifices also prevailed during this period but later declined a little as some big rituals could only be carried out by highly trained and knowledgeable Brahmins. 

Conclusion

During the later Vedic Period, society became more and more settled in nature. It became centred around agriculture in general. During this period, the Varnas came to light. Based on the birth of an individual in a specific Varna, the responsibility of that individual was decided according to it. Brahmins were scholars and religious teachers though they also had other professions such as doctors and lawyers. Kshatriyas worked as the administrators or Kings of a specific region. They were well versed in warcraft and weaponry. The Vaishyas were traders and farmers. Shudras, who were regarded as the lowest Varna, worked under the instructions of the other upper Varnas and helped them carry out their daily businesses.