The main (chief) social unit of the Aryans was ________.

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CGL 2023 Tier-I Official Paper (Held On: 26 Jul 2023 Shift 1)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Jana.

Key Points

Early Vedic Period (1500 - 1000 B.C.):
- It is also known as Rig Vedic period.
- During the Rig Vedic period, people were mostly confined to the Indus region.
- The Rig Veda refers to Saptasindhu or the land of seven rivers. This includes the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej along with the Indus and Saraswathi.
- The political, social and cultural life of the Rig Vedic people can be traced from the hymns of the Rig Veda.
Political Organization during Early Vedic Period :
- The basic unit of political organization was kula or family.
- Several families joined together on the basis of their kinship to form a village or grama. The leader of grama was known as Gramani.
- A group of villages constituted a larger unit called Visu. It was headed by Vishayapati.
- The main (Chief) Social unit was called Jana or tribe.
- There were several tribal kingdoms during the Rig Vedic period such as Bharatas, Matsyas, Yadus, and the Purus.
- The head of the kingdom was called Rajan or king.
- The Rig Vedic polity was normally monarchical and the succession was hereditary.
- The king was assisted by a Purohita or priest and Senani or commander of the army in his administration.