Post-Vedic Period Important points
* Post-Vedic period in the 6th century is marked by many new developments in different aspects of life.
* There was widespread use of iron and iron technology.
* Emergence of territorial states became a common feature by 500 BCE.
* There was an emergence of socio-economic classes in North-India.
* There was a transition from cattle rearing to agriculture as a primary occupation.
* Towns has also came into existence.
* Artisan were organized into guild called 'Shreni'.
* The Buddhists texts describe vanijja (trade) as one of the high occupation.
* The social vocabulary of the early Pali texts reflects the economic and social changes that took place in north India in the 6th century BCE.
* In Vedic literature, gahapati was used to mean the head of a household.
* Setthi was another social group during this time.
* Towards the end of the Vedic period, a few janapadas arose. However with the progress in agriculture and settlement they became a common feature by 500 BCE.
* Two kinds of states are included in the list of mahajanapadas, namely monarchies rajyas and non-monarchical states known as ganas and sanghas.
* The term bhaga shows that the king was entitled to his share and the term kara shows that he could collect taxes from the people.
* Among the mahajanapadas, the Magadha emerged as the most powerful and succeeded in the founding the first empire in India.
* The Post-Vedic period also witnessed the rise of Heterodox Sects.
* Reason for the emergence of heterodox sects was due to the rise urban settlements in India around 600 BCE.
* The Brahmanical attitude towards trade was not very encouraging.
* The traders were looked down in the Brahmanical society.
* The Dharmashastra did not favor the practices of trade because trade and money gave rise to money-lending of loan for interest.
* Thus, in the 6th century BC, there emerged many new religious teachers who preached against Vedic religion in the Gangetic valley.
* Buddhism and Jainism became the most important which survived till today.
* The new religious sects attracted many people of the lower classes because they could even became a monk or attained nirvana.
* In the 4th century BCE, the Greeks and the Iranians fought for the supremacy of the world.
* The Greek campaign in north-western India lasted for about two years.
* The important outcome of the Macedonian or Alexander's invasion was the establishment of direct contact between India and Greece.
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