State and Society up to 1000 CE Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes and mind maps regarding early Indian state, society, administration, ethics, and economic structures up to 1000 CE.

Society

A system of social relationships among individuals who share a common territory, culture, and a shared sense of belonging.

State

An organized political system based on rules and laws, featuring well-defined rights and duties, governance mechanisms, and institutions for enforcing law and order.

Rig Veda

The earliest Veda, containing $1028$ hymns (suktas) that praise deities and reflect on creation, cessation, birth, and death.

Yajur Veda

A Vedic text explaining the performative aspects of yajnas through prose explanations and hymns from the Rigveda.

Sama Veda

A Vedic text consisting of hymns from the Rigveda arranged for musical recitation, serving as the basis of the seven svaras of Indian music.

Atharva Veda

A Vedic text featuring hymns to ward off evil and treatments for physical and mental ailments.

Samhitas

Portions of Vedic texts containing hymns used for invoking deities and offering oblations during yajna.

Brahmana (Text)

A category of Vedic literature composed in prose that explains ritual performances.

Aranyakas

Vedic texts containing the philosophical speculations of forest-dwelling sages.

Upanishad

Vedic texts dealing with the nature of the self (Atma) and the Ultimate Universal Being (Brahman).

Sapta-Sindhu

The region where the earliest Rigveda was composed, encompassing the Indus River, its five tributaries, and the Sarasvati River.

Jana

A clan or group of people connected by kinship ties in Early Vedic society.

Panchajana

The five major peoples or clans mentioned in the Rigveda: Yadu, Turvasa, Puru, Anu, and Druhyu.

Sabha

A smaller Vedic assembly composed of select elites that primarily served a judicial function.

Samiti

A larger Vedic assembly focused on political affairs, policy decisions, and representing the broader population.

Vidhata

A popular Vedic gathering attended by members of the community that functioned as a forum for discussions on warfare and political matters.

Janapada

A political entity meaning 'where a jana first set its feet,' marking the shift from kinship ties to a territorial identity between $1000\,\text{BCE}$ and $600\,\text{BCE}$.

Mahajanapadas

Sixteen large political units that arose between $600\,\text{BCE}$ and $300\,\text{CE}$, among which Magadha became the most powerful.

Rajyas

Monarchical polities that existed in ancient India.

Gana or Sanghas

Republican polities in ancient India.

Jambudvipa

A term for the Indian subcontinent used by Emperor Ashoka in his edicts.

Chakravarti Kshetra

Defined in the Arthashastra as the area lying between the Himavat and the sea, representing the domain of a universal paramount ruler.

Saptanga Theory

Kautilya's theory describing the state as an organic whole consisting of seven constituents: Swami, Amatya, Janapada, Durga, Kosha, Danda, and Mitra.

Swami

The King or supreme ruler in Kautilya's Saptanga theory of state.

Amatya

Councillors, ministers, and other high officials in Kautilya's Saptanga theory.

Durga

Fortified towns and cities in Kautilya's Saptanga theory.

Kosha

The treasury containing the wealth of the kingdom in Kautilya's Saptanga theory.

Danda

The forces of defence, law, and order in Kautilya's Saptanga theory.

Mitra

Allies of the state in Kautilya's Saptanga theory.

Aharas

Administrative divisions or districts in the Satavahana Empire governed by amatyas.

Gramika

The village headman in the Satavahana administrative system.

Pradeshikas

District governors responsible for local administration and justice, who consulted bankers, caravan leaders, artisans, and scribes.

Bhuktis

The administrative term for provinces in North India during the $300\,\text{CE}$ to $800\,\text{CE}$ period.

Vishayas

The administrative term for districts in North India during the $300\,\text{CE}$ to $800\,\text{CE}$ period.

Mandalams

The administrative term for provinces in South India.

Sandhivigrahika

The minister of peace and war in the Gupta civil administration.

Kumaramatyas

High-ranking officials in the Gupta Empire who administered provinces and local regions.

Brahmadeyas

Tax-free land grants awarded to Brahmanas, prominent under Pallava rule.

Variyams

Autonomous village assembly committees in Pallava administration that managed irrigation, gardens, and temple administration.

Agraharams

Tax-free land grants given to Brahmin settlements that served as prominent learning centres, such as Aihole and Badami.

Tripartite Struggle

The multi-dynastic conflict fought between the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Palas, and Rashtrakutas to gain control over Kannauj.

Kudavolai

The 'Ballot Pot system' of local election detailed in the Uttaramerur inscription of Parantaka-I.

Urs

Individual village-level assemblies in the Chola administrative system.

Samatva

The spiritual principle of sameness, establishing that all bodies are made of the same matter and all consciousness is a manifestation of one supreme consciousness.

Rita

The cosmic order described in the Rigveda that maintains universal balance, regulates nature, and upholds moral values.

Dharma

Righteousness, duty, moral conduct, and ethical living (equivalent to the Pali term Dhamma).

Purushasukta

A hymn in Book $10$ of the Rigveda containing the earliest reference to the four varnas.

Endogamy

The social practice of choosing marriage partners from strictly within one's own social group, community, clan, or tribe.

Kula

The family unit, forming the smallest and most basic social building block in Vedic society.

Gotra

A patrilineal lineage or clan traced to a common ancestor, traditionally linked to a Vedic sage (Rishi).

Patrilineal

A social system in which family identity and inheritance are passed down strictly through the male line.

Ashramas

The four stages of life aimed at social, moral, and spiritual fulfillment: Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, and Samnyasa.

Shodasha Samskaras

The sixteen rites of passage marking significant life events from birth to death in Vedic tradition.

Purusharthas

The four foundational goals of human life: Dharma (righteousness), Artha (material well-being), Kama (fulfilment of desires), and Moksha (liberation).

Votive Inscription

A text engraved on stone, metal, or other durable material dedicating a gift, sculpture, or structure to a deity or sacred place.

Alvars

Twelve saint-poets devoted to Lord Vishnu who spearheaded the Tamil Bhakti tradition.

Nayanmars

Sixty-three saint-poets devoted to Lord Shiva who established the Tamil Shaiva Bhakti tradition.

Gurukula

A residential institution centered at the teacher's home where students lived and learned under disciplined guidance.

Shrenis

Guilds or collective organizations of merchants, traders, and artisans in the same craft or profession.

Uttarapatha

The major northern overland trade route in ancient India.

Dakshinapatha

The major southern overland trade route in ancient India.