Part III of my Book
Our ancestors, brought with them
great thought of development and
were worshipers of Panch Tatawa. Aryans studied the Panch tatwa, of our great
land minutely and extensively, as their religion was to worship the nature and
its gifts. The Panch tatwa i.e. the Jal (Water), Vayu (Air), Dharatee (Land),
Agni (Fire) and Akash (Atmosphere) of this nation was properly analysed,
explored and exploited and made a way of life, culture and worship.
Agriculture, trade and cottage industries, which were the main industry of the
early men, all developed and prospered, by full exploitation of the Panch
Tatwas of our great nation. Agriculture, the mainstay of economic stability,
was considered respectable. All the methods of agriculture were well understood
and defined, the plough was drawn by six to twelve bulls and canals were dug
for irrigation.
Then
came the system of social law, the society and the fusion of numerous tribes
and races. The Vis was then divided into Gotra system (each representing and
named after the patriarchal father the holy sage or Brahmin) and also the Varna system was later
evolved. It is in this light that we still find in the Hindu society, belonging
to different castes Varnas as Bahamans, Vaisya having the same Gotra. The division of labour was found to be
essential for the growth of this great nation hence the Varna system was formulated.
Family
(Kula) served the basis of social and political organisation, starting with family;
the hierarchy in the ascending order was Grama (village), clan (Vis), Jana (people) and Rastra (country). A number of of
clans constituted the people (Jana). The Rastra (country) contained a number of
Janas (people), several of which are mentioned in the Rg-Veda and later Vedic
literature. Rastra were generally ruled by Rajan (Kings), through non-monarchical
organisation also existed as Ganapati or Jyestha as the head of Ganas. Some
tribes had a sort of obligacy, with several members of the royal family ruling
jointly. The most powerful of the non-monarchical to mention were the Licchavis
ruling from their Capital at Vaishali currently in the state of Bihar. Protection of the life and property of the people,
maintenance of peace, law and order, administration and defence of the Rastra
was the moral duty of the King. He was a military commander and a religious
head, which would establish and uphold, established order and moral rules
(Dhartavrata). As checks of king’s arbitrary exercise of power two popular
people’s assemblies, Sabha and Samitri, were present which expressed the will
of the people on important matters. Sabha was, from the outset, a limited body
with judicial functions. The Samiti was the Vedic tribal of folk assembly par
excellence, which at least occasionally exercised the right of electing the
King.
The administration of justice and punishment
to the guilty were the principle duties of the King, and Purohita and later the
Sabha and Samhitas assisted as the court of justice. The crimes were well
defined and were recorded. Loans and usury were well understood, and wergild
(monetary compensation to the relatives of the person killed) was inforce.
Hence it is evident that the system and philosophy of Democracy was prevalent
in India
from ancient times. No where in our history or Granths has there been any
reference of any dictator or military ruler ruling Bharat i.e. India.
Since
the beginning of the Indian civil society, its affairs were regulated not by
laws of state but by customary rules known as Dharma. Dharma is what holds together, or a code of Duties for
harmonious functioning of various divisions of Society. Dharma Shastra or Shmritis laid down rules for every caste and
vocation, for every relation in society king and subject. Religion played an
important part in the lives of the Indians from the earliest times, as in case
of many other ancient nations of the world.
Vedic people believed in the sanctity of
the creative force, and venerated the father and mother aspect of the divinity
and their emblems. The Veda and the Brahmanas constituted the first bulk of
literary out put of the Vedic Aryans. But even in the early period the seers
entertained doubts about the utility and efficacy of Vedic ritualism.
Our
ancestors formed their way of living based on some philosophy, and accordingly
they drafted Granths and Upanishads
(large in number but only eleven considered to be proper). The Upanishad
sections of the Vedic literature envisage a progressive outlook. These
Upanishads, rightly described as the Vedanta
(acme of Vedas), represent early stage in the origin and development of the religio-
metaphysical concept. The Granths stated that the Ultimate Being (Sat) is one
and in and behind the objective world is the ultimate reality called the
Brahma, which is real, infinite and blissful Consciousness.
The
Yogavasistha stresses and emphasises
more on mans own thinking and efforts than the authority of Sastras
(scriptures), and the dependence on teachers and Divine grace. The multiplicity
of the world objects sprang from it as sparks from fire.
Puranas (derived
from Purana i.e. old and of antiquity) the Chronology of Indian Kings and their
History and some of the Smrities like that of Manu further amplifies and
popularises the teaching of Upanishads, the Bhagavad –Gita and Yogavasisistha
by mixing them with popular religious believe and rituals. The Dynastic lists
in the Puranas have shown that the historical information they convey is not as
untrustworthy as was believed to be by historians. But often the fragments of
history embedded in them have been torn away from their context; in every
probability the chain of evidence which might have brought Puranas into
substantial evidence with earlier Vedic tradition has been broken.
The
indigenous tribes were forced to follow and submit to this new Hindu way of
living and society. The tribes that refused to submit to the Aryan domination
were dispossessed of its land, and forced to move off to hills and forests and
live by hunting and plundering. The religion
Hindu and the Indian way of life the Hinduism a fusion of Aryan, Dravidian
culture, and several other cultures and religion’s, with the more emphasis on
the mental and spiritual aspects and thinking. It was perhaps formed and grew
up in the Indus valley civilisation, with most
other classes and species converging their best of cultures and way of life
into it.
The
Vis were itself split into three parts, the main body, i.e., the Vaisya followed productive pursuits
like agriculture, cattle rearing and trade. The Brahmans performed the function of Dharma, on the basis of custom
and equity and formulated laws, welfare and studies. The Ksatriya were charged with the defence of realms and running the
administration. The three varnas specialised in their avocations and each was
accorded a place in the social hierarchy suitable to the dignity of its
services. The indigenous tribes who originally refused to submit top Aryan
domination were given the Sudras varnas
and were given professions like sweeping, corpse-burning and executing
criminals.
In
the beginning the vocations of Varnas were not strictly hereditary. The Vaisya
and the Sudras could improve their status and position provided they possessed
the necessary talents and virtues. . However
this Manuvadipratha, was later in history misutilised by people and was
misconceived and misinterpreted by people for their petty gains. Selfish
rulers, in their bid to divide and rule the people, promoted this Jati pratha.
Our old scripts and writing states that kshatiyas (Rajputs) when they reached a
definite age took Sanyas and became Saints. Ksatriya, who excelled in
philosophical pursuits and delivered holy ideas and speeches, become a Brahman.
It is also mentioned in old mythologies that Kshatiyas(Rajputs), married their
daughter’s to Saints. A well-known story of Satapatha Brahman, Janaka, king of Videha and Vishvamitra of Vedas give similar stories. In Yajnavalkya’s Dharma Sastra (religious
laws), Sudras are allowed to pursue the Vaisya calling of Agriculture, crafts
and trade. So it is conclusive that the system was only a method of division of
labour, which made our great nation an economic power, to
be
known as Sonay ki Chirya i.e. the Golden bird. Our
Rishis (Sages) described life patterns for each individuals called the Ashrams
which was relevant and appropriate in their times. The four Ashrams were named
as Brahamcharya, Greehastha, Vanprastha and Sanyas.
In
his travel accounts and chronicles of India, in 4th century
B.C. Megasthenes (a Chinese traveller) observed and stated in his
observation described Indian castes division as actually that relating to
vacation groups. Vocations were not
necessarily fixed by parentage and that division of vocation had become more
apparent than those of birth.
Women
enjoyed equal status with men; Upanayana (initiation) was performed for girls.
Women studied Vedas and brahmacarya like boys and followed the profession of
teaching upto the Stura period. In the Vedic times women had access to all
branches of learning. Women like Ghosnha, Apahla and Vishvavara were composers
of outstanding Vedic hymns. Women of higher castes were indispensable partners
of their husbands in Yajna (Yagya). They could hold property and widows could
remarry.
Our holy Granths have described Puspak
Viman (meaning thereby aeroplane) and many other modern amenities, which
appears to be more developed than the one existing and are prevalent in this
modern age. References are made to the “Moving fort”, and a machine for
assaulting strongholds. The army and men made use of several types of weapons,
which were treated, as magical or gifted by the Devas as per granths, and was
capable of causing destruction, much more than what modern age weapon can do.
The spirit of “Bharat” was developed in the villages, which had in
ancient times, the most advanced cottage industries of its time, with spiritual,
moral and intelligent people living there in, all bound by the way and custom
of life called “Hinduism.” The golden era of the Indian economy (when it was
called Shonay kee Chriya) saw the villages develop and prosper into a
self-sufficient small economical center for development of ancient Bharat. The
agriculture and cottage industries based on it, which was the only developed
industry in ancient times, were the most developed. The villages had it
separate autonomous economic and democratic set up, which looked after the
development of villages. Hence it helped
the socialist, cultural and economical cause of the ancient Bharat
The
Arts and crafts was a family affair, knowledge and skill passed mostly from
father to son, or was imparted by the master craftsman of the caste group or
craft guild.
The
Vaisyas were the most numerous castes; some of them climbed to the highest rung
of the economic order. The merchants sent their cargo across the sea as far as Mesopotamia and East Indies
by ships. The economic pyramid the hierarchy from top to bottom were top
officials, merchants, and bankers and land owners (Amatya, Sresthi,
Gramabhojaka) small farmers, artisans and ordinary officials and labours. The
ancient Indian literature shows that Indian textile enjoyed undisputed
supremacy all over the civilised world for nearly 2000 years.
Our
Saints and the great Aryans realised the importance of our rich natural
resources, they travelled extensively throughout the country and formed Mathas
and temples on each and every corner of our country in order to unit and bind
the people with one culture and religion the “Hinduism”. Our great Saints
discovered, explored and researched with the rich natural resources and
heritages of this great Land/nation and formed and applied their thoughts into
action and way of life. Our great rivers, which irrigated and fed our people,
gave life to the rich vegetation and flora, were worshiped. Saints hence
discovered the important of our, seven great rivers named and worshiped them, and
formed temples and civilisations on their Banks. Hindu rituals and worship’s
was incomplete without the water of these great rivers. The Aryans/Our
ancestors realised the importance of these rivers and its resources to the
prosperity and development of our motherland, to the extent that, any Hindu
Yagya was not complete without bring/ mixing/performing rituals from the water
of all/most of these important rivers.
There might have existed several
religions and Gods, being worshiped by different classes of people at that
point of time. It was in this respect that Hinduism found a common path of
Nationalism, by drafting Hinduism the way of life wherein all the Gods
representing different section of the society being worshiped by all. However
there was a catch here that each Hindu had its own Ista Deveta (God), thereby
defying any confrontation. It is in this line that we Hindus some time become
astonished and confused, why we have so many gods to worship, as compares to
the single figure gods of other religions. There have been references in our
Holy Granths as to the treatment of certain Devas as inferior Devas in the
ladder, for performing religious rituals.
Our
ancestors and the thinkers of the land from pre-Historic times realised the
natural geographical unity of India
and find expression in the formulation of the ideal of a universal emperor,
Chakravorti or Sarvabhauma Samrat, the ceremonial of his installation is
detailed in Aitareya Brahmana. And in the definition of Chakravarti Ksetra by
Kautilya as including the whole of India from Himalayas
to the Seas and thousands yojanas across. Hence it is evident that the national
boundaries of Bharat, the concept of nationalism and its boundaries was spelt
and defined from ancient pre- historic times.
Hindu society from the earliest times considered the education of its
members as one of its primary obligation; this indeed was a system on which
society was based. This system is known as Varnasama Dharma, meaning thereby
life being regulated by different classes (Varanas) and stages (Ashrams). The
disciples had his physical birth at home of his natural parents but his
spiritual birth at the place of his preceptor, where he accepted brahmachaya,
with strict discipline of life, regulation about diet, dress, study, social
service and religious practices. The view of the education as a process of
ones’ inner growth and self-fulfillment evolved its own technique, its rules,
method and practices. It recognised that the making of man was primarily the
training of mind as the instrument of acquiring knowledge so as to increase its
intrinsic potency and creative capacity. As per Manu Shamrti :- " जन्मना जायते शूद्रः "
How the Aryans a pastoral race of people
developed such a scientific and advanced system, which grew and prospered
without any outside help, and that too in such a short span of time as
described in history. And that too from the very beginning of Indian civilised
society, is a matter desiring proper evaluation and explanation from
historians.
