State and Society up to 1000 CE

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts, terms, political institutions, administrative divisions, and socio-ethical ideals in early Indian state and society up to 1000 CE.

Ṛigveda

The earliest known Veda and corpus of Indian literature, consisting of 1,028 hymns (sūktas) composed in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.

Sabhā

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

Samiti

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

Vidhata

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

Jana

Kinship-based social clans or groups of people in early Vedic society bound by family ties.

Janapada

A territory-based political unit (literally meaning 'where a people first set its feet') marking the transition from kinship-based identity to territorial identity.

Mahājanapada

Bigger, complex territorial political units that arose in northern India approximately between 600 BCE and 300 CE, historically comprising sixteen major realms.

PGW (Painted Grey Ware)

A characteristic pottery style associated with archaeological findings from the first millennium BCE in the Ganga region.

NBPW (Northern Black Polished Ware)

A refined 'deluxe ware' pottery from the second half of the first millennium BCE, known for its smooth, glossy black surface.

Chakravarti Samrāṭ

The political ideal of a pan-Indian monarch or universal paramount ruler exercising political authority over the entire subcontinent.

Saptāṁga

Kauṭilya's theory of the seven constituents of the state: the king (swāmi), ministers (amātya), territory/population (janapada), fort (durga), treasury (koṣha), army/force (daṇḍa), and allies (mitra).

Mantri–pariṣhad

The council of ministers in early Indian state administration, composed of elder statesmen who advised and supported the king.

Bhukti

An administrative province in northern India during the period between 300 CE and 800 CE.

Viṣhaya

An administrative district or division within a province (bhukti) in northern India during the early historical period.

Brahmadeya

Tax-free land grants given to Brahmin villages or settlements in southern India under dynasties like the Pallavas.

Agrahāram

Brahmin settlements created through land grants under the Chālukyas of Badami that often developed into prominent centres of learning.

Kudavolai

The 'ballot pot' system described in the 10th-century Uttaramerur inscription, used by Chola village assemblies to elect committee members using palm leaves placed in a pot.

Variyam

Specialized committees formed by village assemblies in southern India to manage specific local tasks like irrigation, gardens, and temple affairs.

Dharma

An enduring socio-ethical principle representing duty, obligation, righteousness, and moral conduct that upholds all beings.

Samatva

The ethical principle of sameness or non-discrimination, holding that all bodies are made of the same matter and all consciousness manifests one supreme consciousness.

Ṛita

An all-pervading cosmic order described in the Ṛigveda that represents harmony and balance in nature and human society.

Puruṣhārthas

The four fundamental goals of human life in Indian philosophy: dharma (righteousness), artha (material well-being), kāma (fulfilment of desires), and mokṣha (liberation).

Gotra

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

Ṣhoḍaśha Saṁskāras

The 'sixteen rites of passage' or sacraments that accompanied various stages of life in traditional Indian culture.

Āśhrama

The fourfold division of an individual's life into stages: Brahmacharya (studentship), Gṛihastha (householder), Vānaprastha (forest-life), and Saṁnyāsa (renunciation).

Endogamy

The social custom of marrying exclusively within one's own social group, community, clan, or tribe.

Votive Inscription

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

Śhreṇī

Collective associations or guilds of traders, artisans, and merchants that regulated craft quality, fixed prices, and acted as banking/financial institutions.

Sāmaveda

The Veda comprising hymns drawn from the Ṛigveda arranged for musical recitation, forming a foundational basis for the seven svaras in Indian music.

Yajurveda

The Veda that elaborates the performative aspects of yajñās and contains explanations of rituals written in prose.

Atharvaveda

The Veda containing hymns intended to ward off evil and others related to the treatment of physical and mental ailments.

Junagadh Rock Inscription

A unique rock inscription near Girnar, Gujarat, containing records from three distinct dynasties (Aśhoka the Maurya, Rudradaman I the Western Satrap, and Skandagupta the Gupta) spanning 700 years.

Karitalai Copper Plate

A late 5th-century CE inscription of Mahārāja Jayanātha recording brāhmaṇas as land managers.