Polity and Administration
- The polity of the Rig Vedic period was that of a tribal society.
- The chief of the tribe was the main political head and he was called rajan.
- The kings lived in multipillared palaces.
- They offered gifts of cattle, chariots and horse ornaments and gold to the priests.
- Rajan was a hereditary chief.
- He was perhaps elected by the assembly called samiti.
- The main duty of the king was to protect the tribe.
- He protected wealth, fought wars, and offered prayers on behalf of gods.
- The king had authority over the territory and people.
- Vedic society was militaristic.
- Bows, daggers, axes and lances were the main weapons of war.
- Tributes and booty collected from war were redistributed by the king.
- There are also references to gift of dasas or slaves.
- The king Trasadasyu, the chief of the Purus, gave away 50 women as a gift.
- The chief was known as gopa or gopati which means, chief of cattle.
- The assemblies called sabha, samiti, vidhata and gana are mentioned in the Rig Veda.
- Sabha was the assembly of elders or the elites, samiti was an assembly of people, and vidhata was the assembly of tribe.
- They performed military and religious functions.
- Women attended the sabhas and vidhatas.
- The king sought the support of the samiti and sabha for his activities.
- There are debates about the exact nature of these assemblies and functions.
- Most of our understanding of the conditions of Vedic society depends upon the interpretations of various terms.
- Sometimes it is hard to reconstruct the original meaning.
- The purohita or priest offered advice to the king.
- Vedic priests advised the kings, inspired them and praised their deeds. In turn they received rewards for their services.
- Senani was the chief of army.
- There is no evidence of tax collecting officers.
- Perhaps people made voluntary contribution called bali to the king.
- Some scholars say that bali was an imposed tax, and not voluntary.
- There is no reference to the administration of justice.
- The officer who controlled the territory was called Vrajapati.
- He helped the kulapas or heads of fighting groups called gramini.
- Gramini was the head of the village and fighting unit.