Political Structure of Vedic Age

Features Early Vedic Period Later Vedic Period
Form of Government
  • Monarchy but the office of the chief was not hereditary
  • Chief (Rajan) was called Gopati or Gopa (Protector of cows)
  • Battle was called Gavisthis or Gavenshana or Goshu but no standing army
  • No doctrine of divinity associated with the kingship
  • Important functionaries:
    • Purohit (priest)
    • Senani (leader of the army)

Gramini (leader of a village)
  • Kingship became hereditary
  • King’s power increased and they performed various sacrifices to enhance his position
    • Rajasuya ( royal consecration and king conferred supreme power )
    • Vajapeya (chariot race to win against all kinsmen)
    • Ashwamedha (control over the area in which royal horse ran uninterrupted)
  • Kings still had no standing army
Administrative units
  • It had a Patrilineal system
  • Kula (Family) with the head as Kulapa -> Vis or clan -> Jana or tribe (largest social unit)
  • Jana changed to Janapadas ( denoting territory) and further enlarged to Kingdoms like Mahajanapadas

‘Rastra’ term appeared as wars were fought for territories now rather than cows
Tribal Assemblies
  • Sabhas (exclusive body for elites)
  • Samiti ( broad-based folk assembly, presided by the Rajan)
  • Vidatha (Tribal assembly with diverse functions)

Gana (Assembly or troop)
  • Sabhas and Samitis diminished in importance
  • Vidhatha disappeared