Occupation - Concepts - Chapter 5 Class 6 History - The Age of Vedas - History

• Agriculture and cattle rearing were the main occupation.
  
  
• Other common occupations were chariot-making , pottery-making, weaving, jewellery-making, metal-work, carpentry, tanning and fishing.
  
• Many people were priests . Besides conducting religious ceremonies, priests also acted as teachers and doctors.
  
  
• They passed on the knowledge of the Vedas t o the children.
  
  
• They also had considerable knowledge about medicinal herbs and plants.

Dasas / Dasyus

• Besides the Aryans, there was another group of people whom the Aryans called the ‘dasas’ or ‘dasyus’.
  
  
• Their culture was different from that of Aryans. They also spoke a different language.
  
  
• Most of the dasas were perhaps e nslaved and so the term ‘dasa ’ , l ater came to mean slave . Most dasas had to do whatever work was given to them by their masters.