The Rig-Vedic and Post-Rig-Vedic Polity (1500 BCE-500 BCE)

The book critically examines and assesses the literary evidence available through Vedic and allied literature for portraying the nature of Vedic polity, the functionalities of its various institutions, and the various social and religious practices. The book is not a narrative but critically examines the nature of changes in a host of these areas that occurred at each stage of Vedic polity from early Vedic period to post Ṛgvedic period. It outlines in historical perspective the various stages involved in the development of Vedic polity and Vedic canon and how the two processes have gone along together. It contains extensive discussions on political system and institutions, religious and social practices as they obtained during the Rig-Vedic and post Rig-Vedic periods. It provides a fresh approach to the cult of sacrifice and fire rituals practiced by Vedic Aryans along with an in-depth analysis of the Vedic view of Nationalism, Sovereignty and State as discernible from Vedic texts .The book also features an extensive discussion on the institution of kingship, administrative machinery, role of various entities in the polity including the Purohita, the Sabha and the Samiti, position of women, Varna system and features of tribal kingdoms, such as the Kuru-Panchalas and Kosala-Videhas. * Further, the details of each of the tribes (around 50 odd tribes) including the location of their habitat, their time line, the names of their chieftains and their linkage with priestly clans have been provided in tabular form. Such details along with linkages in a consolidated form at one place are generally not available. Another unique feature of the book is the "Vedic Grid," a graphic presentation of the Rig-Vedic and post Rig-Vedic tribes, with the above details, which has not been attempted, perhaps, in any other book so far . This simplifies the often-complex connections between these ancient texts that were compiled by different priestly clans, in different geo-political settings, and over an extended period of time. The treatment of all these areas is not found in a single book at one place. This differentiates the present work from other books.