Epic Age in India

The Epic age in India is named so because some of the greatest epics came into being during this time. The epic period is estimated to be roughly from 1000 to 600 B.C. The ancient Indian society is described in a very vivid manner in these three epics. The three famous Indian epics that were created during this time were the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Upanishads. Not only are these three a part of the religious and mythological scriptures, but are also an important part of the historical roots of India. Read on about Indian epic age.

The very ideology of Hinduism is based on the famous Bhagwad Gita, which is a part of the Mahabharata. Thus, the Mahabharata is a foundation of the religion that is thriving today. It is as important to us as the Bible is for Christians. We get a clear picture of the kind of life people led during that point of time. According to the evidences found in the epics, the society was basically rural in nature. People remained prepared for any attacks or external aggressions by keeping weapons with them. The rulers were not chosen but were hereditary. The main economic activity was agriculture and small scale industries like arts, handicrafts, pottery, etc. thrived.

The epics tell us about the way the society was ruled at that time. The King basically filled his treasure vault with the taxes collected from people. He was the highest authority who had the power to punish and pardon. The priests were given the task of performing the religious rituals and sacrifices to make sure that no evil forces hampered the kingdom. With time, the priests began to gain power and also started to influence the king. The king listened to them because the priests were highly learned people who were supposed to be the voice of Gods.

The warriors were trained in using weapons and were supposed to be the protectors of the palaces. Though caste system was there, it was not too rigid. A warrior or an out caste could become a priest if he was adopted by one. The most respected and feared of all were the Dravidians who could not be questioned and were unaffected by the society. The most popular recreational activity was gambling. Horse racing, hunting, gambling, etc. were all introduced during the Epic Age in India.