The Vedas are the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, composed in an early form of Sanskrit and traditionally regarded as revealed to ancient sages. There are four collections: the Rigveda, a set of hymns to deities such as Agni and Indra, the Samaveda of chants, the Yajurveda of sacrificial formulas and the Atharvaveda of spells and everyday prayers. The Rigveda is generally dated to the middle of the second millennium BCE. The texts were passed on orally for many centuries using elaborate memorisation techniques, and were written down much later. Commentaries known as the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads were added over time, and the philosophical Upanishads in particular have had a deep influence on Indian thought.
Before and after
- from c. 1,550 BCE to 1,070 BCEEgyptian Empire
- from c. 1,531 BCE to 1,155 BCEKassites
- c. 1,507 BCEBirth of Hatshepsut
- from 16th century BCE to 5th century BCEVedic period
- 16th century BCEVedas
- from 16th century BCE to 3rd century BCEMumun pottery period
- from 16th century BCE to 1st century BCENok culture
- from c. 1,500 BCE to 500 BCELapita
- c. 1,500 BCERigveda
More in Evolution & life
- from c. 3,200 BCE to 1,050 BCECycladic civilization
- from c. 2,600s BCE to 2,200s BCEBell beaker culture
- from c. 2,300 BCE to 1,000 BCEAndronovo culture
- from c. 1,300s BCE to 500s BCEChavín culture
- from c. 1,200 BCE to 800 BCEUrnfield culture
- from c. 100 CE to 700 CEMoche culture
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires.