HUMAN SETTLEMENT

LECTURE 4 VEDIC CIVILIZATION

Ar. Nihal Singh Verma

Department of Architecture NIT Raipur
 INTRODUCTION

A civilization or culture associated with the Vedas

centered in the Ganges river valley.
Named after the Vedas.
By the 6th century BC, the culture began to be
transformed into classical forms of Hinduism.
1500 500 BC the Vedic period or the Vedic
Age.
Was succeeded by the golden age of Hinduism
and classical Sanskrit literature.
The Aryans nomadic people originated from
northwest.
Migrated eastward to the Ganges valley.
An Indo-European race, spoke Indo European
language; Sanskrit.
Took many basic physical, cultural and religious
elements of the Indus civilization.
Founded the city of Delhi.
 VEDAS

There are four Vedas in ancient wisdom.

Rig-Veda- Termed as stuti of gods.

Samavda- Describes about how to pronounce mantras.

Yujurveda- It describes how to perform Yagya.

Arthaveda- It describes art of living..

 PHYSIOGRAPHIC CHARACTER

Temperature was moderate, around Northern and southern part of Vindhyas.

There was no earthquake and land was plain.
Wild life was abundant in foothills.
Cultivation was easy and no need for irrigation.
Supply of snow-fed water.
Land between Hindukush, Suleman Hills, the Himalayas and the seas to the south
were secured.
The Gangetic plains were probably a marshy land.
 POLITICAL CHARACTER

No need to defense against other communities or invasion.

Hence, communities were small, little need for political or economic leadership.
People around this area were more aggressive and had repeated invasions
Political leadership was the focal point.
Insecurity in life increased the importance of religion- belief and looking towards the divine for security.
Later, the rise of the Mahajanapadas or great kingdoms (e.g. Magadha Empire).
The rashta (state) ruled by a rajan (king).
The king also called gopa (protector), samrat (supreme ruler), ekarat (the one ruler), sarvabhumi
(ruler of all the earth) and chakravartin (protector of land).
Aided by purohita (chaplain) senani (army chief) and sena (army).
Employed spasa (spies) and dutas (messengers).
The state was divided into jana (provinces), vis (district) and grama (village).
 SOCIO- CULTURAL CHARACTER

Little or no social stratification.

Nomadic lifestyle; cattle rearing and agriculture.

The invasion led to social stratification conqueror and the defeated.

The defeated as captives and slaves were put into agricultural works and clustered
around religious centers.

The conqueror were higher castes and not into agriculture

One leader political cum storage in charge at some central location surrounded by
higher caste people engaged in defense in administration

Religious leader another central location-surrounded by priests and people of higher

castes.
 SOCIO- CULTURAL CHARACTER

Cattle and cows were held in high esteem; religion and as standard unit of barter.

Milk important part of the diet.

Families were patrilineal and people prayed for abundance of sons.

There was no need for any division of labor for production, defense administration and
storages.

Agriculture gave surplus and spare time to spend. So Art, Philosophy, Science, Ethics and
religion developed.

Religious life was influenced by saints and sages.

Philosophic thinking nurtured.

Science developed : Astronomy, integers and zero was invented.

 CASTE SYSTEM

Society was strictly organized in a system of caste.

Caste system is a hereditary class of social equals who share the same religion,
pursue a specific trade or occupation, and avoid extensive social contact with
members of different castes.
Originated in the class system of the Aryans.
Also to distinguish themselves from the local Indians and to mark descent.
The root of Hindu caste system.
Brahmins- Intellectual
Administrator-Kshtriyas
Businessman- Vaishyas
Shudras-Servants
The outcasts (pariah).
 RELIGIOUS CHARACTER

Vedic religious practices (Vedas) the predecessor and root of Hinduism.

The Rigveda the oldest Vedic religious text.

The rishis (composers of the Rigveda hymns) were considered divinely inspired hearers.

Vedic rites to help adherers to transform through sacrifices.

The mode of worship performance of sacrifices and chanting of verses (hymns).

The priests helped the common people in performing rituals.

Primary gods: Indra, Agni (fire), Soma, Varuna (sky), Surya (sun), Mitra and Vayu (wind).

Primary goddesses: Ushas, Prithvi (earth), Adithi (the mother of gods / cow) and Saraswati.

Traces of Indo-Iranian religion; the fire worship.

Rigveda prohibits cow-slaughter led to the later practice of vegetarianism (prohibition of eating all
animals).
 PLANNING ACCORDING TO CAST SYSTEM

Zones in the picture shows

their spaces in the city.
Temples are situated in the
centre of the city or town.
After temple, there is a zone of
Brahamanas, then of Kshatriyas
and after that the is zone of
Vaishyas. At last, the zone of
Shudras come.
 VEDIC CIVILIZATION PRINCIPLES

The Doctrine of orientation

Site Planning : Vaastu Purush
Mandala
The Proportionate Measurements:
Mana
The Six Rules of Vedic
Architecture
Kautilyas Arthashastra provide
essentialoffundamentals
Aesthetics the building to the
practices of design and
development of human
settlements.
 MAIN COMPONENT PART OF THE BUILDING

Shilpsasthras refers to
Aadhistaana (Base) four distinct categories:
Janabhavanas- house
Stambha (Column) for common mass
Prastara (Entablature) Rajbhavanas- ruling
class
Karna (Wings) Devbhavanas-
Shikhara (Roof) religious shrines
Public spaces
Stuupi (dome) Manasara, Mayamata
and Vishvakarma
prakara for planning
and architecture of
 TOWN PLANNING ACCORDING TO VEDIC SCRIPTS

Sthapatya

RECOMMENDED SHAPE OF THE TOWN

Vritta,
Chandur gola Kritta Vritta
Agatara vritta
a (elliptical)
(rectangle) (square) (circle
)
 CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS

Construction of dwellings with the locally and easily available materials like mud, wood
and thatch.
Columns were erected on hard ground with supporting beams placed reclining against
them and connected by rafters on which long bamboo were laid resulting in a high
roof.
The whole of the structure was covered with some other material.
The straw and reed reinforced mud walls were plastered and finished with cow dung
periodically giving sufficient protection against weathering agents.
Rammed earth floors too was given periodic cow dung treatment.
Decorate their entrances by making colorful geometrical patterns on the wall.
Some special geometrical patters called Yantras were also employed for such
decoration
 ESTABLISHMENT OF VILLAGES AND TOWN

The sites of the Villages were chosen according to two principles:

1.Ritualistic : Governed by the Vedic rites.
2.Sanitary : As expounded in Shilpa Shastras and observed in the traditions.

The villages were situated on the river banks, by the sea shore or by the side of the lake.
A flowing stream was always preferred over stagnant water for sanitary considerations.
A typical village plan comprised of a rectangular enclosure with its four sides facing the four
quarters, divided into four wards by the two main streets, with crossed each other in the
centre and terminated at the four ends by four principal gates.
There were four subsidiary gates near the corners of the village enclosure so that the whole
circumference of the walls was divided into eight.
The Vedic religion was, thus, the moving spirit of the organisation of the village communities.
The execution of every minutest planning and design was governed by laws that are
applicable even today.
 ESTABLISHMENT OF VILLAGES AND TOWN

Making the outlines of the Vastu-

Purushmandala and Division in to plots
(vastu-purushmandala )
Layout of the principal streets.

Division in to hypothetical rings of Brahma,

Daivika, Manushya & Paisacha.
Division in wards by means of branches
roads, erection of outer wall, gates and the
moat.
Erection of various edifices according to site-
planning and folk planning principles.
 TOWN PLANNING (CATEGORIZATION)

Town planning in Ancient India is evident from various ancient texts and
puranas. Various vastu shastra text like artha sastra of kautilya and Sukra
Nitisara. These texts illuminate the development of civic art.
According to these texts ancient towns are categorized on the basis of size,
shape and purpose.
Rajdhani - The capital of the king.
Sakhanagra All other categories of town besides Pura.
Karvata - Smaller Town
Nigma - Smaller then Karvata
Grama - Smaller than Nigma
Special Town
Pattana - The Second residence of Town.
Putabhedana - It is a similar to Pattana, in addition to being a commercial center
 TOWN PLANNING (CATEGORIZATION)

According to Shape and Purpose Ancient towns are divided into eight types.
Dandaka

Nandyavarta

Sarvatobhadra

Swastika

Prastara

Padmaka

Karmukha

Chaturmukha
 DANDAKA

Literally means a phalanx or a staff.

It is usually a rectangular or square.

Monasteries and gardens
Its streets are straight and cross each other at right
angles.
Vishnu temple
No. of streets vary from one to five running parallel to
each other.
Monasteries and gardens
Streets at ends have single row of houses and streets at
center are lined with double row of houses.
Shiva temple
Town offices and panchyats are located in the eastern
portion of the town. Town offices

This type of town is considered auspicious for Brahmins.

It may contain 12, 24, 50, 108 or 300 Brahmin families.
 NANDYAVARTA
It may be square or Oblong, It is divided in 4 main
vitthis. 1. Temple
The town has four large streets along the sides. This
2. Tank
3. Palace
type of layout is like a mystic figure Nandyavarta.
4. Court
There can be three. Five or seven sets of such 5. Brahmins
streets, with a row of houses on each side. Quarters
6. School
The lanes which are traverse between the main 7. Monastery
roads should have no houses. 8. Hospital
9. Theater
Vithis is a streets which is lined with houses, Marga
10. Residence
is a streets which is devoid of any houses.
for
Small roads are at interval of six or seven rajjus ( 1 Artisans
Rajju = 10 dandas = 60 feet). 11. Quarters
for other
Usually streets are 3,4 or 5 dandas wide. castes
12. Quarters
 SARVATOBHADRA
Literally means bliss full for all, It is oblong or square and divided into interlineal chambers.

In center temple dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is located.

No. of car streets varies form one to five with a boulevard going around the village.

Pavilions, Rest houses, colleges halls at several corners.

Town is secured by a wall and a ditch with four large gates on the sides and
many gates at corners.

Hamlets for vaisyas and shudras should be allotted towards the south.

Drapers and weavers have their quarters in between west and the south west.

Blacksmiths are to be quartered between varuna and vayu and further

opposite to them are fishermen and the butchers.

Physicians are to assigned between Vayu and Soma.

By the side of eastern wall temple of chamunda is erected.

Huts of chandalas and outcastes in the further outer proximity.

Tanks and reservoirs should be constructed either in south or in the

intermediate quarters.
 SWASTIKA

Based on mystic figure swastika.

There are two streets passing through center.
Traversing streets are planted in clock wise direction.
Ramparts defend the village and a ditch is to enclose these
rampart.
There are eight gates .
Kings palace should be erected in the four cardinal direction, in
the cell of aryama or others.
Temple at the center.
The bhuddhist temple should be established on the plot of vayu
and Jains temple in south-west in the cell of nitri.
Temple of durga and ganesh in four directions.
The outer most road is lined with single row of houses while other
streets have double row of houses.
 PRASTARA

Literally it means a village resembling a couch

This town is either square or oblong.

Space is divided into 4, 9, or 16 wards by a network of streets.

These streets vary from 6,7, 8, 9, or 11 dandas.

In wards roads are planted in chess board system. But they are
not divide in equal no of plots.

division was according to degree of rank or wealth of the

person.

The village is enclosed walls and ditches with four principal

gates on south and subsidiary ones in the corners.
 PADMAKA

Mayamata says there are five variety of

this Village.
Its Length and Breadth are made equal
while the enclosing walls are circular or it
can be quadrangular, hexagonal, or
octagonal.
The divide edifice or council house should
be at the center.
Round about this plot should be planted
streets no. four to eight and they are line
with houses.
There should be gates in four cardinal
directions.
 KARMUKHA

Literally means a Bow.

Its shape is semi circular or semi elliptical, like a bow.

This type of plan is used at sea shore.

Towns like Pattana, Kheta, or Khavarta are planned in this manner.

Pattana has preponderance of viasyas.

Kheta is generally inhabited by Traders and Laborers.

It has two car streets and one principal streets.

If bow faces west then one car streets runs from south to east and other from north to east and
principal street runs from west to east and other runs from north to south.
No. of traverse streets can be from one to five
Houses range on both side of them.
It may have desirable no. of gates and circumvallation is optional.
 CAHTURMUKHA

It is square or oblong in shape lying east- west.

There are four car streets on four sides.

Two large streets crossing at right angles in the center dividing

the whole site into four blocks or wards.

Four principal gates are raised placed on the terminus of two

highways and no. of supplementary gates at corner.

Each ward is planted with four smaller roads crossed by same

no. of them.

The south eastern ward is allotted for Brahmins.

South- western for ruling class.

North- Eastern and North- western to traders.

Sudras or artisians and labour class are relegated to the

extreme borders.
WHAT IS NEXT ?

Human settlements during ancient Greek

period.

Thank