Page 20 - General Knowledge

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 2019

Women‘s Position
 Respectable position in society.
 No child marriage and marriageable age for girls – 16 to 17 years.
 There is proof of widow remarriage and the practice of Niyoga.
 Monogamy, polygamy and polyandry were also known.

Female Deities
 Usha- Goddess of dawn
 Aditi- Mother of God
 Prithivi- Goddess of earth
 Aryani- Goddess of forest
 Saraswati-River deity
Important Rituals
 Rajasuya- king‘s influence was strengthened by rituals. Conferred supreme power on
him.
 Asvamedha – Ceremony lasted for 30 days and ended with horse sacrifice.
 Vajapeya – chariot race was performed by the king. Royal chariot competed against
kinsmen in a race.

Types of Marriage
 Brahma – In same class, a suitable dowered girl to a man.
 Daiva- Father gives his daughter to a priest as a part of his fee.
 Arsa – Token bride - gives cow and bull as dowry.
 Prajapatya - Father gives his girl without any dowry.
 Gandharva- Love marriage.
 Asura- Marriage in which bride is bought from her father.
 Rakshasa - Marriage by warriors.
 Paishacha – Marriage by seduction.

Vedic Literature
Aryans developed the Vedic culture based on Vedas. There are four Vedas in Vedic literature.
Vedas Description

Rig Veda Oldest one. It Consists of 1028 hymns sung in honour of the Gods.

Yajur Veda It consists of detailed rules to be followed at the time of sacrifice.

Sama Veda The Book of Songs. It contains a set of melodies for singing during sacrifices

Atharva It contains the details of rituals of worship
Veda

PRE-MAURYAN AGE

 Age period is about 300 years from 600 BC to 300 BC.
 Age of Buddhism hence called Buddhan age.
 Anguttra Nikaya- Source of 16 kingdoms written in Pali language.
 Pali or Prakrit was spoken by the common man.

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