🏛 100 Vedic Age GK Notes with Questions & Answers

The Vedic Age (1500 BCE – 600 BCE) is one of the most important phases of Ancient Indian History. It is divided into two periods:

Early Vedic Period (1500–1000 BCE) → based on Rig Veda
Later Vedic Period (1000–600 BCE) → based on Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Veda

Here are the 100 most important GK Questions and Answers with small explanations for quick exam preparation.

🔹 Section 1: Vedas and Literature

Q: Which is the oldest Veda?
👉 Rig Veda – It contains 1028 hymns in 10 mandalas.
Q: Which Veda is called the ‘Book of Chants’?
👉 Sama Veda – It deals with music and melodies.
Q: Which Veda is known as the ‘Book of Sacrifices’?
👉 Yajur Veda – Focuses on rituals and sacrifices.
Q: Which Veda is called the ‘Book of Magical Charms’?
👉 Atharva Veda – Contains hymns on healing, magic, and daily life.
Q: Which is the earliest literary work of India?
👉 Rig Veda
Q: Which Veda has Gayatri Mantra?
👉 Rig Veda (3rd Mandala) – Dedicated to Sun God (Savitr).
Q: Which Veda deals with Ayurveda?
👉 Atharva Veda – Considered a source of Indian medicine.
Q: The Upanishads mainly deal with?
👉 Philosophy and spirituality – Explains concepts like Brahman and Atman.
Q: How many Upanishads are considered principal?
👉 108 in total, 11 principal
Q: The Brahmanas are books related to?
👉 Rituals and sacrifices

🔹 Section 2: Political Structure

Q: The basic political unit in Rig Vedic period was?
👉 Jana (Tribe)
Q: Larger units of political organization were?
👉 Grama, Vish, Jana, Rashtra
Q: Head of the tribe was called?
👉 Rajan (King)
Q: Who assisted the king?
👉 Purohita (Priest) and Senani (Army chief)
Q: The king did not have what in Rig Vedic period?
👉 Regular standing army or large bureaucracy
Q: Two important assemblies in Vedic Age were?
👉 Sabha and Samiti
Q: Sabha was?
👉 Council of elders
Q: Samiti was?
👉 General assembly of people
Q: Bali was?
👉 Voluntary tribute to the king
Q: Kingship in Rig Vedic period was?
👉 Not hereditary, often elected

🔹 Section 3: Society

Q: Society during Rig Vedic period was based on?
👉 Tribal organization
Q: The family was?
👉 Patriarchal – Father was head.
Q: Position of women in Rig Vedic period was?
👉 High and respected – Women attended assemblies, composed hymns.
Q: Marriage system in Vedic Age was?
👉 Monogamy, though polygamy existed
Q: The four varnas (social divisions) were?
👉 Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra
Q: Varna system in Early Vedic period was based on?
👉 Occupation, not birth
Q: Later Vedic period saw varna system become?
👉 Rigid and birth-based
Q: The lowest varna was?
👉 Shudras
Q: Women in Later Vedic age lost?
👉 Right to attend assemblies
Q: Widow remarriage in later Vedic age was?
👉 Prohibited

🔹 Section 4: Economy

Q: Main occupation of Rig Vedic people was?
👉 Cattle rearing
Q: Which term was used for war?
👉 Gavishti (search for cows)
Q: Secondary occupation was?
👉 Agriculture – Barley, wheat, rice in later period.
Q: Important crops of Later Vedic period?
👉 Rice and wheat
Q: Cow was considered as?
👉 Wealth and prosperity
Q: Trade was carried out mainly through?
👉 Barter system
Q: The term ‘Nishka’ referred to?
👉 Gold ornament, used as currency substitute
Q: Land was owned by?
👉 Community in early Vedic period
Q: Iron was introduced in?
👉 Later Vedic period
Q: Later Vedic people were more?
👉 Agrarian than pastoral

🔹 Section 5: Religion

Q: Main deities in Rig Vedic period were?
👉 Indra, Agni, Varuna, Surya
Q: Indra was god of?
👉 Rain and war
Q: Agni was?
👉 Fire god, messenger of gods
Q: Varuna was god of?
👉 Cosmic order (Rita)
Q: Surya was god of?
👉 Sun
Q: Chief female deity was?
👉 Ushas (goddess of dawn)
Q: Later Vedic period saw rise of which gods?
👉 Prajapati (Brahma), Vishnu, Rudra (Shiva)
Q: Sacrifices in Rig Vedic period were?
👉 Simple and domestic
Q: Sacrifices in Later Vedic period became?
👉 Elaborate and ritualistic
Q: Concept of transmigration of soul developed in?
👉 Later Vedic period

🔹 Section 6: Education & Literature

Q: Language of Vedic literature was?
👉 Sanskrit
Q: Education was imparted through?
👉 Oral tradition (Shruti and Smriti)
Q: Gurukula system meant?
👉 Students lived with teacher (guru)
Q: Students were called?
👉 Brahmacharins
Q: Knowledge was considered?
👉 Sacred and spiritual
Q: Rig Veda has hymns in praise of?
👉 Nature gods
Q: Sama Veda mainly borrowed hymns from?
👉 Rig Veda
Q: The Aranyakas are called?
👉 Forest texts – Meditations and philosophy.
Q: Upanishads are also called?
👉 Vedanta (end of Vedas)
Q: Total number of Vedas?
👉 Four

🔹 Section 7: Later Vedic Changes

Q: Political power shifted from Punjab to?
👉 Ganga valley
Q: Kingship became?
👉 Hereditary
Q: Sabha and Samiti lost importance in?
👉 Later Vedic period
Q: Sacrifices like Rajasuya, Vajapeya, Ashvamedha became popular in?
👉 Later Vedic period
Q: Agriculture became?
👉 Primary occupation
Q: Use of iron tools led to?
👉 Forest clearing and expansion of agriculture
Q: Social division became?
👉 Rigid and hierarchical
Q: Women lost right to property (stridhana) in?
👉 Later Vedic period
Q: Religion became dominated by?
👉 Rituals and priests (Brahmanas)
Q: Philosophy emphasized in?
👉 Upanishads

🔹 Section 8: Important Facts

Q: Rig Veda mentions how many rivers?
👉 10 rivers (Sapta Sindhu region)
Q: ‘Purusha Sukta’ is in which Veda?
👉 Rig Veda – Explains origin of varna system.
Q: ‘Nasadiya Sukta’ deals with?
👉 Cosmology and creation of universe
Q: ‘Soma’ was?
👉 Sacred drink used in rituals
Q: Horses were important in?
👉 Later Vedic sacrifices
Q: Education of women was?
👉 Allowed in early Vedic, restricted later
Q: Main food of Vedic people?
👉 Milk and milk products
Q: Meat eating was?
👉 Common in early Vedic age
Q: Term ‘Arya’ meant?
👉 Noble people
Q: Dasas and Dasyus were?
👉 Non-Aryan people

🔹 Section 9: Key Personalities & Ideas

Q: Vishwamitra is famous for?
👉 Creating Gayatri Mantra
Q: Yajnavalkya was?
👉 Philosopher of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Q: Gargi and Maitreyi were?
👉 Famous women philosophers
Q: Panini was?
👉 Grammarian (later period, not Vedic)
Q: Kapila founded?
👉 Sankhya philosophy
Q: Patanjali is associated with?
👉 Yoga system (later development)
Q: Which Upanishad teaches “Tat Tvam Asi”?
👉 Chandogya Upanishad
Q: Which Upanishad teaches “Aham Brahmasmi”?
👉 Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Q: Which Upanishad teaches “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”?
👉 Mundaka Upanishad
Q: “Neti Neti” (not this, not this) belongs to?
👉 Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

🔹 Section 10: Final Revision Q&A

Q: Time period of Early Vedic age?
👉 1500–1000 BCE
Q: Time period of Later Vedic age?
👉 1000–600 BCE
Q: Rig Veda was composed in region of?
👉 Punjab (Sapta Sindhu)
Q: Later Vedic texts were composed in?
👉 Ganga valley
Q: First Aryan settlement in India was?
👉 Punjab region
Q: Vedic religion was?
👉 Naturalistic
Q: Later Vedic religion was?
👉 Ritualistic
Q: Varna system in Rig Vedic period was based on?
👉 Profession
Q: Varna system in Later Vedic period was based on?
👉 Birth
Q: Vedic literature is written in?
👉 Sanskrit

📑 Conclusion

The Vedic Age (1500–600 BCE) laid the foundations of Indian society, religion, politics, and philosophy. These 100 GK Questions with Answers and Explanations cover the most important facts for exams like UPSC, SSC, Railways, Banking, NDA, CDS, and State PSCs.

🔗 External References

NCERT History Textbooks
Vedic Religion – Britannica
Vedic Period – Wikipedia
GKToday – Ancient India Notes
BYJU’S Ancient History Notes