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People were
divided into numerous tribes (janas).
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Each
tribe settled in a particular area
which consisted of many villages.
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Each
tribe had a king (rajan) or a chief
, who was selected for his bravery.
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These kings were
not like the kings of later times.
They did not have huge palaces or large armies. Their control was to a small area.
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‘There were
two assemblies- the
sabha and the samiti.
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The
sabha was an assembly of probably the elders and important people.
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The
samiti was a general assembly, probably gathering of members of every family of the jana.
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Cattle and horses were very important to the people. In
Rig Veda
, there are many
hymns asking gods to bless people with cattle and horses.
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Each household had a number of cows. ‘
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Dairy products such as
butter and ghee were popular.
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‘Sura’
was a type of liquor which was drunk on common festive occasions.
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‘
Soma
’ was prepared from milk and the juice of a rare plant that grew on the mountains. People drank it during special religious ceremonies.
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Horses
were important because
they were yoked to chariots that were used in battle.
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Most
battles were fought for cattle, horses and land.
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People performed sacrifices and made offering
to different gods.
- The priest who performed these rituals and sacrifices were given cows, horses, gold, and cloth as gifts.
