COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INDUS & VEDIC CIVILIZATIONS

24 Outubro 2017, 16:00 • João Manuel de Almeida Teles e Cunha

 The history of ancient India is a glorious one; unfortunately, we have very little information  
on this rich culture. The history divided between civilizations mark their differences as well as the progress / digress of ancient society. 

          In spite of its seeming diversity there was a large measure of cultural unity and the goal of political union was never lost sight of. This unity in diversity is the keynote of the tangled history of India and forms the background against which the seemingly complex developments in various aspects of Indian civilization must be viewed’. Civilization can be studied based on the salient features of its periodicity, societal arrangement, its cultural representation, political aspirations, religious beliefs and its rise or decline. On these broad classifications, we can study two major civilizations of India – Indus and Vedic. These two civilizations have not only played a major role in the development of ancient India, but have also left a lineage that still continues to shape our present Indian culture.

         Indus & Vedic Civilization kms apart, were a part of one civilization older than Vedic. Since the region spanned India across the coastal western belt and along the Indus River, the civilization was called Indus Civilization. Indus civilization was at its peak around 2500 B.C.E. After the decline of the Indus Civilization, a new civilization grew which was dominated by the Aryans and came to be known as the Vedic Civilization. 

Indus & Vedic Civilization One major reason cited by scholars for the decline of Indus Civilization is the constant flooding of Indus and other rivers. The excavations carried out in various sites confirm that the Indus cities have been renovated many times. To avoid flooding, people would have shifted to higher areas. Apart from the theory of constant flooding, various scholars have postulated theories for the decline of Indus Civilization. 
MAJOR DIFFERENCES OF INDUS & VEDIC CIVILIZATIONS: Some of the major differences that can be pointed out between these two civilizations are: · Indus civilization was more ‘urban’ and was ‘business oriented’, whereas Vedic civilization was ‘rural’ and agriculture based. · Indus valley people used baked bricks for construction whereas that of Vedic people was made of bamboo and grass.· Indus valley people made equipment’s off stone, copper; however, they were unaware of iron. Vedic valley people were aware of iron and made various equipment’s with it.

           Indus valley people worshipped ‘mother goddess’, Shiva, lingam and figurines. The Vedic people yajna worshippers and created various gods. They opposed linga puja and statue worship. · Indus valley knew about tiger and elephants; whereas Vedic people were fond of horses. They did not know about tiger or elephants. · Indus people respected ‘oxen’ whereas Vedic people worshipped the ‘cow’. · Indus valley people had designed their own script, whereas Vedic people did not have any script and practiced oral tradition.