With reference to the difference between the culture of Rig Vedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Rig Vedic Aryans used the cost of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them. 2. Rig Vedic Aryans knew gold, silver, and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron. 3. Rig Vedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

With reference to the difference between the culture of Rig Vedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Rig Vedic Aryans used the cost of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them. 2. Rig Vedic Aryans knew gold, silver, and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron. 3. Rig Vedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal. Select the correct answer using the code given below: Correct Answer 1 and 3 only

The correct answer is 1 and 3 only.

Mistake Points

• This question was asked in UPSC Civil services Prelims Exam 2017, Paper-1.
• The answer provided in the Official answer key is 1 and 3 only. (Reference: UPSC-CSE2017/Paper1/SetA/Q.2)

Key Points

• Rig Vedic:
  • Rig Vedic Aryans used the cost of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.
  • There is also evidence of swords, arrows, bows used during Rig Vedic Aryans. Hence the statement 1 is correct.
  • Rig Vedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal. Hence the statement 3 is correct.
  • Rig Vedic Aryans know gold, silver, copper, iron whereas Indus valley people knew gold, copper, bronze but they did not know iron. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

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Additional Information

• During the Rig Vedic period, the tribal society was divided into three groups-warriors, priests, and the people.
  • The fourth division called the Sudras appeared towards the end of the Rig Vedic period because it is mentioned for the first time in the tenth Book of the Rig Veda, which is the latest addition.
• There are references to slaves who were given as gifts to the priests in the Rig Vedic period.
  • They were mainly women slaves employed for domestic purposes.
  • It is clear that in Rig Vedic times slaves were not used directly in agriculture or other producing activities. 
• In the age of the Rig Veda differentiation based on occupation was started but this division was not very sharp as there are references of various families in which different occupations were held within the same family.
• During the Rig Vedic period, tribal elements in society were stronger and social divisions based on the collection of taxes or accumulation of landed property were absent.
  • ​The society was still tribal and largely egalitarian.
  • It clearly signifies that there was not any evidence of feudalism in the Rig Vedic period.