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Essay On The Vedic Age

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The Vedic age in India started around 1500 BC with the arrival of Aryans, an Indo-European tribe from central Asia near the Caspian Sea. Aryans settled along the banks of the Indus and its tributaries in the northern part of the subcontinent. Initially, it was a tribal society centered in northwest India and by 1000 BC, it spread along the Gangetic plain with the development of modern agriculture. Aryans dominated the local indigenous population and often ruled over them. Over time, the interbreeding with the local residents led to the emergence of mixed culture. The Vedic age lasted from 1500 BC to 500 BC. Agriculture and cattle rearing were the main occupations of the people. The Vedas and Upanishads were written during this period. The …show more content…

Buddhism emerged in the Magadha region of ancient India and rapidly became popular among the masses. It opposed complex religious rituals and preached social equality. It spread rapidly in India with support from the ruling class and also reached foreign countries such as China, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan and Sri Lanka. Buddhism peaked in India around the 1st century AD and thereafter its ideas got absorbed into Hinduism. Buddhism almost completely disappeared from India with the arrival of Islamic rule around 12th century AD. Jainism preached non-violence and believed in austere practices and had huge support from the ruling class around 3rd and 4th century BC. It was extremely popular in the merchant class and is still practised in parts of western India.
The rulers of the Nanda Empire had accumulated a huge amount of wealth due to exorbitant taxes and consequently, became unpopular among the masses over time. In 326 BC, the northwest India was attacked by Alexander the Great, the founder of the Macedonian Empire. Alexander faced stiff resistance from the then ruler of Punjab, Porus. Alexander annexed Punjab after defeating Porus in a fierce

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