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Administration IN THE Vedic Times
Ancient India (HSB654)
Aligarh Muslim University
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ADMINISTRATION IN THE VEDIC TIMES
When the Harappan civilisation was at its most advanced, complex administrative systems were already in place (c. 2600-1750 BC). Even though we don't know exactly what the Harappan state was like at this point in time, there's no doubt that it wielded an enormous amount of power over the vast Harappan civilization. However, without this administrative authority, the high standards of civic life, urban planning, a standardised system of weights and measures, and some uniformity in its material culture would have been impossible to maintain for several centuries. Only a few details about Indian politics can be found in the Rigveda, India's earliest work of literature (c. 1500-1000 BC). Raja, or king, is already mentioned in the Rigveda, a Hindu epic poem. Rigvedic scholars, on the other hand, believe the Rigvedic raja was not an actual monarch. A mature monarchy lacks features such as a well-defined territory, a subservient population, a dynastic succession, a powerful army and an adequate supply of resources. This ancient Indian king was not known by the usual titles of Narapati (lord of men), Bhupati (lord of soil), Adhipati (overlord), or Mahipati (master of the earth) (lord of the earth). He had many titles, including "Lord of the Cattle," "Leader of the Clan or Tribe," and more. The Rigveda reveals that pastoral and agricultural activities coexisted in Rigvedic society, indicating that it was not entirely sedentary. The Rigvedic raja was the head of a family rather than a sovereign over a large area. Sudas, the most prominent political figure in the Rigveda, was a Raja of the Tritsu-Bharata clan, but he is not known to have ruled over a specific territory. The Rigvedic raja resembled more of a clan chieftain than the monarch of a monarchical state, according to the available evidence. He was the clan's leader and frequently took part in the so-called Gavishti wars (literally search for cattle). As a result, wars in the Rigveda were waged primarily for the sake of cattle rather than for territorial expansion, a characteristic of monarchical rule. A reference to the government of a kingdom is highly unlikely in the Rigveda under these circumstances.
Early references to a Vedic ruler's assistants can be found in the later Vedic texts (c. 1000- 500 BC) at this time. 'Bejeweled ones' is how the later Vedic texts refer to them (Ratnins). Senapati, the general in charge of the army, Bhagadugha, the keeper of the dice, and others like them were all in attendance as well. Even if these are not regular administrative offices, the complexity of Vedic polity necessitated that the ruler have a few servants to assist him. The earliest known collection of an impost or levy, most likely on agricultural products, is also mentioned in later Vedic literature (Bali). However, this does not imply that there is a regular demand for revenue or that there is a widespread system for collecting it. Due to the fact that the Bali's rate was not fixed, there is little hope of assessing the levied agricultural revenue. A regular army may have been impossible to raise in this situation because of the uncertainty of the collection of Bali. The Vedic polity was at best a proto-state, on the cusp of a more complex state system, due to the lack of a regular army and a revenue system. However, a full-fledged territorial state polity had not yet been established. Aside from these three popular assemblies, Vedic literature emphasises their importance. They are difficult to pin down in terms of what they are. Though it was more primitive than the sabha and smiti in terms of its political and cultural functions, the vidatha was also involved in the distribution of the available social wealth among Rigvedic clan members (Jana, Gana, Vish). Sabha and Samiti were attended by the clan's members as well as the Vedic Raja, whose power appears to have been restrained by these popular gatherings. " However, despite the disappearance of the Sabha and the Samiti in subsequent periods, the non-monarchical organisations (Ganasangha/Ganarajya) of the post-Vedic period continued to allow for popular participation in politics.
Administration IN THE Vedic Times
Course: Ancient India (HSB654)
University: Aligarh Muslim University
