VEDIC POLITY TRIBAL POLITY IN RIG VEDA THE

VEDIC POLITY

TRIBAL POLITY IN RIG VEDA THE EARLY ARYANS COULD NOT DEVELOP STABLE KINGDOMS AS THEY WERE SEMI NOMADIC PEOPLE. THE RESULT WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRIBAL PRINCIPALITIES. TO GET AN IDEA OF THE POLITICAL ORGANISATION OF RIG VEDA , IT IS NECESSARY TO STUDY THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE VEDIC ARYANS

THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE RIG-VEDA WAS BASED ON THE KINGSHIP. THE TERM GOTRA A ND VRATA OCCURRED IN THE RIG -VEDA AT MANY PLACES. THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THE SAME COWSHED BELONG TO THE SAME GOTRA. VRATA(HOARD OR TROOPOR ASSEMBLAGE) ALSO A KIN BASED GROUP FUNCTIONED UNDER A HEAD CALLED VRATPATI.

GRAMA MAENT SIMPLY A COLLECTION OF RELATED FAMILIES (KIN-BASED) THAT WAS THE BASIC ELEMENT OF THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE. IT CAME TO DENOTE A VILLAGE WHEN ITS MEMBERS TOOK TO AGRICULTURE AND SEDENTARY LIFE. IT ALSO FORMED THE SMALLEST POLITICAL UNIT. JANA WAS THE HIGHEST SOCIAL UNIT BASED ON THE PATRIARCHIAL KINSHIP. SOME THINK IT CORRESPOND WITH THE TRIBE WHOSE CHIEF IS KNOWN AS THE JANAPATI JANASYA GOPTA PR KING(RAJA) VIS WAS THE SUB-DIVISION OF THE JANA OR TRIBE WHOSE HEAD WAS CALLED THE VISPATI. THE VIS WERE CLOSELY KNIT TOGETHER AND ON THE BATTLEFIELDS, BATTALIONS WERE OFTEN ARRANGED AS PER VIS FROM WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN RECRUITED.

CONCLUSION THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE STATE LIKE THE FIXED TERRITORY, A REGULAR SOURCE OF INCOME AND THE STANDING ARMY WAS ABSENT IN THE VEDIC PERIOD. THE PEOPLE WERE MORE ATTACHED TO THE KIN RATHER THAN TO ANY TERRITORY. THE TRIBUTES WHICH THE VICTORIOUS KING RECEIVED FROM THE VANQUISHED, WERE OBLIGATORY BUT NOT REGULAR. THIS IS ALSO TRUE OF THE ARMY WHICH SEEMS TO BE AN IMPOVERISHED ONE MOBILISED OUT OF THE TRIBESMEN, WHENEVER THE NEED AROSE. BUT THE PROCESS WHICH GAVE RISE TO THE STATE ORGANS HAVE ALREADY BEGIN IN THIS PERIOD.

TRIBAL ASSEMBLIES VIDATHA………. . IT WAS THE EARLIEST VILLAGE FOLK ASSEMBLY ATTENDED BY MEN AND WOMEN , PERFORMING ALL KINDS OF FUNCTIONS, ECONOMIC, MILITARY, RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL. IT ANSWERED THE NEED OF THE PRIMITIVE WHICH HARDLY KNEW THE DIVISION OF LABOUR OR DOMINATION OF MALE OVER THE FEMALE. THE KEYSTONE OF THE VIDATH SYSTEM WAS THE CO-OPERATION. IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE TAKEN ACTIVE PART IN THE ADMINISTRATION.

SABHA A ND SAMITI ARE REGARDED AS THE TWIN DAUGHTERS OF THE LORD PRAJAPATI. THE SABHA AT FIRST WAS THE ASSOCIATION OF THE KINSFOLK, BUT LATER BACAME ALSO AN ASSOCIATION OF MEN BOUND TOGETHER EITHER BY TIES OF BLOOD OR LOCAL CONTIGUITY. IT WAS A CENTRAL ARISTOCRATIC GATHERING ASSOCIATED WITH THE KING AND CAN BE LABELLED AS THE POLITICAL COUNCIL. IT WAS A TRIBAL ASSEMBLY WHERETHE MEMBERS DEBATED OVER THE DOMESTICATION OF CATTLE, PLAYED DICE AND OFFERED PRAYERS AND SACRIFICES. IN THE LATER VEDIC TIMES WOMEN ALSO ATTENTED THE SABHA BUT IT WAS DISCONTINUED LATER IN THE VEDIC TIMES. THIS ASSEMBLY CAME TO ASSUME A PATRIARCHIAL AND ARISTOCRATIC CHARACTER IN THE LATER VEDIC PERIOD. ALTHOUGH IT WAS COMPOSED OF THE MEMBERS OF HIGH CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY , LEARNING AND BEARING------IN OTHER WORDS MEN OF DISTINCTION AND HIGH SOCIAL STATUS. THE SABHA TRANSACTED BOTH POLITICAL AND NON-POLITICAL BUSINESS. IT DELIBERATED OVER THE PASTORAL AFFAIRS AND MATTERS CONCERNING RELIGION. IT ALSO FUNCTION AS THE NATIONAL JUDICATURE. THE SABHA CONDUCTED ITS BUSINESS BY DEBATE AND DISCUSSIONS. FREE AND FRANK DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD BEFORE ARRIVING AT UNANIMOUS DECISIONS. THE DECISION OF THE SABHA WERE BINDING ON ALL. THE KING ATTENDED THE MEETING OF THE SABHA AND CONIDERED ITS ADVISE TO BE OF SUPREME IMPORTANCE. THE PRESIDENT OF THE SABHA WAS CALLED SABHAPATI.

SAMITI IT IS SOMETHING LIKE A LOWER HOUSE , A MORE COMPREHENSIVE BODY CONSISTING OF ALL THE COMMON PEOPLE ---THE BRAHAMANS AND THE LOWER AND RICH PATRONS IN OTHER WORDS , IT WAS AN AUGUST ASSEMBLY OF A LARGER GROUP OF PEOPLE FOR THE DISCHARGE OF TRIBAL BUSINESS AND WAS PRESIDED OVER BY THE KING. AMONGST ITS FUNCTIONS MENTIONS MUST BE MADE OF THE ELECTIONS OF THE KING. IT COULD EVEN RE-ELECT THE KING WHO HAD BEEN BANISHED. ALL THE MATTERS OF THE STATE , MILITARY AND EXECUTIVE AFFAIRS WERE DISCUSSED AND DECIDED BY THE SAMITI. QUESTIONS WHICH WERE NON-POLITICAL IN CHARACTER WERE ALSO DISCUSSED BY THE SAMITI. AS A NATIONAL ACADEMY , IT TESTED THE KNOWLEDGE OF EDUCATED PERSONS. AS A DELIBERATIVE BODY, THE PROCEEDING OF THE SAMITI WERE CONDUCTED BY DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS WITH A VIEW TO ACHIEVING CONCORD. EMPHASIS WAS LAID ON THE CONCORD BETWEEN THE KING AND THE ASSEMBLY AND ON THE SPIRIT OF THE HARMONY AMONG ITS MEMBERS.

LATER VEDIC PERIOD THE TRIBAL STATE OF THE VEDIC PERIOD TENDS TO ASSUME THE TERRITORIAL CHARACTER IN THE LATER VEDIC PERIOD. THIS WAS INDEED THE RESULT OF THE SETTLED LIFE. THE COMMUNITY TOOK TO THE AGRICULTURAL LIFE AND THIS FACILITATED THE REGULAR PAYMENT OF THE TRIBUTE TO THE CHIEF OR TO THE RAJA. THE PRIESTS INVENTED THE RITUALS TO SECURE THE RELUCTANT TRIBAL PEASANTRY’S PERMANENT SUBORDINATION TO THE RAJA. THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE MATERIAL SITUATION , PARTICULARLY IN THE MIDDLE GANGA PLAINS , IN THE POST-VEDIC PERIOD BROUGHT TO THE FORE THE NEED FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PRIVATE PROPERTY AND PATRIARCHIAL FAMILY, WHICH IN TURN OCCASSIONED THE RISE OF THE STATE AROUND THE 500 B. C THERE WAS INCREASED AVAILIBILITY OF THE SURPLUS AND THE MACHINERY FOR ITS MOBILISATION HAD COME INTO BEING. THESE DEVELOPMENTS COMPLETED THE PROCESS OF STATE FORMATION.