Ans: A

Exp:

Statements 1 and 3 are correct: The Rigveda which is the oldest Vedic text reflects one stage of social and cultural development whereas the other three Vedas reflect another stage. The first stage is known as the Rigvedic period or Early Vedic period and the later stage is known as the Later Vedic period. The age of the Early Vedic period corresponds with the date of the composition of the Rigvedic hymns. This date has been fixed between 1500 BC and 1000 BC. The later Vedic period is placed between 1000 BC and 600 BC. Recently, the Rigveda has been included by the UNESCO in the list of literature signifying World Human Heritage.

Statement 2 is incorrect: In the Rigveda, Godhuli is used as a term for a measure of time. Distance is called gavyuti. A daughter is called duhitr or one who milks the cows. Kinship units are labelled as gotra.

Ans: B

Exp:

Pair 1 is correct: The Rig Vedic society was a tribal society. The chief of the tribe was the main political head and he was known as Rajan. They offered gifts of cattle, chariots, horse ornaments and gold to the priests. Rajan was a hereditary chief and was perhaps elected by the assembly called samiti.

Pair 2 is incorrect: The officer who enjoyed authority over a large stretch of land or pasture ground was called vrajapati. He led to battle the heads of the families called kulapas, or heads of the fighting hordes called gramanis. Initially the gramani was just the head of a small tribal kin-based fighting unit called grama, but when the unit settled, the gramani became the head of the village, and in course of time his position became the same as that of the vrajapati

Pair 3 is correct: The warrior category was the ‘Rajanya’. Many clans (vis) formed a tribe. The clans settled in villages or grama.

Ans: A

Exp:

The Samhitas are followed by a series of texts called the Brahmanas, which are commentaries on the Vedas. They explain the social and religious aspects of the rituals and throw light on the Vedic society. Although it would be wrong to take any period of early Indian history as the ‘Epic’ period as such, the two Sanskrit Epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are rich in information on different aspects of early Indian society

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: Hymns of the Rigveda yield extensive evidence of the importance of cattle in the Early Vedic society. Many linguistic expressions in the Rigveda are associated with the cow (gau). Cattle was the chief measure of wealth and a wealthy man who owned many cattle was called ‘gomat’. The terms used for conflicts and battles in this period were gavishti, gavesana, gavyat, etc.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Sacrifices and rituals became more important than prayers during the later Vedic period. People worshipped Gods for the same material reasons in this period as they did in earlier times. However, the mode of worship changed considerably. Sacrifices and rituals have taken the forefront. It involved killing of animals in public and domestic spaces. Led to the destruction of cattle wealth. The gowing cult of sacrifices enormously added to the power of Brahmanas and the later vedic society got divided into 4 varnas: Brahmins-Kshatriyas- Vaishyas-Shudras.

Statement 3 is correct: During the Early Vedic period Girls enjoyed a lot more freedom than the later vedic period. They were married long after they had reached puberty and there seems to have been considerable freedom in the selection of husbands. There was no purdah system.

Ans: D

Exp:

The cow has been described as Aditi, Dhenu, Aghanya, and with other names in the Vedas. Similarly, the word ‘Aghanya’, which means basically “not to be slain”, appears 20 times in the Rig Veda, five times in the Yajurveda, twice in the Sama Veda, and 33 times in the Atharva Veda. It’s a universal symbol of motherhood and compassion. Cows are occasionally used to represent “light” and “rays” in the Rig Veda.