Vedic Period

• The cities of Harappan culture had declined by 1500 BCE
• Consequently, around this period, Indo-Aryans who spoke Sanskrit, entered the north west India from the Indo-Iranian region
• Initial settlements in the valleys of northwest and the plains of Punjab
• Later, they moved to the Gangetic plains 

Original home of the Aryans:

• A debatable question and there are several views. Different scholars have identified different regions as the original home of the Aryans
• They include the Arctic region, Germany, Central Asia and southern Russia
• However, the theory of southern Russia appears to be more probable and widely accepted by historians. From there, the Aryans moved to different parts of Asia and Europe. They entered India around 1500 BCE.

Vedic literature:

The word ‘Veda’ is derived from the root ‘vid’, which means to know. In other words, the term ‘Veda’ signifies ‘superior knowledge’.

• Rig veda- earliest of the four vedas and it consists of 1028 hymns. They were sung in praise of various gods.
• Yajur veda- consists of various details of rules to be observed at the time of sacrifice.
• Sama veda- is set to tune for the purpose of chanting during sacrifice. It is called the book of chants and the origins of Indian music are traced in it.
• Atharva veda contains details of rituals.

Other sacred words:

• Brahmanas- the treatises relating to prayer and sacrificial ceremony
• Upanishads- philosophical texts dealing with topics like the soul, the absolute and the mysteries of nature
• Aranyakas- are called forest books and they deal with mysticism, rites, rituals and sacrifices
• Epics ramayana and mahabharata- the author of Ramayana was Valmiki and that of Mahabharata was Vedvyasa