Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2226-6348

Physical Geography during Vedic-Civilization: A Literature Survey

Tapas Pal

Open access

Geography is fossilized within the shade of History. Historical events, historical societies, and even paleo-ritual realms bear the thought of Geography, the culture of folk-geography and the film of geo-society. From mid 2nd to mid 1st millennium BCE (or the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age), the Vedic society belonged to Hindus of Northern and North-western part of Indian subcontinent. Though this time period is controversial yet a chronological transition could be traced from the late Harappa period to the rising of Mahajanapadas (early Indo-Aryan Kingdoms in India); the Vedic age (when Veda was composed) would be demarcated. To deal or to evaluate the Vedic-Geography, the analysis of Vedic literature has much importance. In Vedic literature (Rig-Sama-Yajur and Atharva), an important hidden geographical scenario could be demarcated with respect to its; physical, social, culture, economic, traditional, folk, medical, behavioral, ritual, religious believes. The purpose of this paper is to frame and find the geographical overview, especially physical sites of Vedic time period. For this purpose helps from literary surveys has been sought after. The key findings of this paper are: the geographical periphery of Vedic civilization, its riverside world, biodiversity, climatic scenario and the oceanic world. These have vitally contributed to the proper analysis of paleo-geography of great importance which in turn gives an explicit frame of contemporary geography.

Avari, B. (2007), India: The Ancient Past, London: Routledge, p.77.
Flood, G. (ed.) (2003), The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism, Malden, MA: Blackwell,p.5.
Flood, G. (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism.London: Cambridge University Press.p.36.
Bhargava, M. L. (1964). The Geography of Rig Vedic India. Lucknow: Upper India publishing house.
Chatterjee, M., Misra, H. M., and Dutta A. K. (eds.) (2008). Exploration in Applied Geography. Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India Privet Limited, Literary and Humanistic Geography in India Review and Trends. p. 75.
Muir, J. (1861), Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and Progress of the Religion and Institutions of India. Edinburgh: Willams and Nrgate. p.XV.
Mittal, S., & Thursby, G. R. (Eds.). (2006). Religions of South-Asia: an introduction. New York: Routledge. p.37.
Oldenberg, H. (1988). The Religion of the Veda. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited. p.1,8.
Aman, A. A. A. (Ed.). (2010). RigVeda Samhita (Vol.1), Kolkata:Haraf Prakasani.
Aman, A. A. A. (Ed.). (2010). RigVeda Samhita (Vol.2), Kilkata:Haraf Prakasani.
Alterkar, A. S. (1959). The position of women in Hindu civilization. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass , Publisher Pvt.Ltd.
Bhattacharji, S. (1994). Women and Society in Ancient India. Culcutta: Basumati Corporation Limited. Goswami, B. (Ed.). (2000).Atharva Veda Samhita. Kolkata: Haraf Prakashani.
Goswami, B. (Ed.). (2000). Yajur Veda Samhita. Kolkata: Haraf Prakashani.
Habib, I., & Thakur, B. K. (2005). The Vedic Age and the coming of Ironc.1500-700 BC.Kolkata: National Book Agency Private Limited.
Kosambi, D. D. (1992). The culture and Civilization of Ancient India. Delhi: Vikas Pulishing House.
Thapar, R. (1999). Texts, Readings, Histories. Delhi: Kali for women.

In-Text Citation: (Pal, 2012)
To Cite this Article: Pal, T. (2012). Physical Geography during Vedic-Civilization: A Literature Survey. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 1(1), 216–232.