In India, a completely new culture and civilisation emerged during the 1500 BC-600 BC. The country had been an observer of the several developments of culture and society since the early Bronze Age. The popularly known urban civilisation of Indus Valley collapsed due to several features including various foreign invasions. Historians view that with the coming of the Aryans, the Indus and Harappan culture ruined. The age of the Aryans are termed as the Vedic Period. The Aryans entered India from Central Asia through the Khyber Pass between B.C. 2000 and B.C. 1500. They introduced to the Indians their own culture and religion. Thus Indians began to follow the way of life as put forth by the Aryans. However, the social status of the Aryans, on the contrary, to the Indus Valley civilisation was rural culture.

The epoch was also identified as the Vedic Period because the four Vedas formed the very essence of the age. There are four Vedas- Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda which form the main literary sources for this Vedic era. Vedas are called thus as its literary meaning is Knowledge. The period of Vedas is divided into two namely the Early Vedic period which starts from B.C. 2000 and continued to B.C. 1000. The Later Vedic period forms the age from B.C. 1000 to B.C. 600. These periods are divided on the basis of certain differences.

Vedic Period saw the upsurge of monolithic religion. The Vedic Religion is the predecessor to modern Hinduism. The religious practice of the early Vedic period was in the form of nature worship. The approach of worship in the Vedic age incorporated performance of sacrifices and the chanting of Rigvedic verses, singing of Samans and offering of mantras (Yajus). In addition to that during the Vedic era, the worship of Fire, sun, wind, sky and trees were worshipped. On the other hand, many changes occurred in the field of religion during the later Vedic period. In the Later Vedic age, the existing civilisation worshipped Gods like Prajapathi, Pasupathi, Vishnu and Krishna. Sacrifices took the chief position and the animals were killed during sacrifice. In addition to that the theory of Karma and the theory of incarnation were accepted became the philosophical truth for the Vedic Civilisation

A method of Ashram system prevailed in the Vedic Period. Four Ashrams of Vedic Life were included and it was done with a view to offer an individual ideas on both Karma and Dharma. The ashrams of the Vedic society are categorised as Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa. Each stage or ashram fulfilled the ideals on which these stages were divided. The society by and large included patriarchal family. Marriage was a system of permanent settlement. Social Life in Rig Vedic civilization was characterised by a nomadic lifestyle. Agriculture and cattle rearing were the main occupation of the society.

However, the Later Vedic Civilization was quite different and developed. The later Vedic Period came to be known as the Epic Age. It was the age when the great epics- the Ramayana and Mahabharata as well as the Upanishads were written. The epics are the entrepot of mythology, legend and family history. These epics even idealized social, political, and religious aspects of life and contain within them the broad principles of Hindu religion. Social Life during Later Vedic civilization incorporated large self-sustained settlements, fortified and protected by warriors. The period is distinguished by evolution of hereditary form of kingship. The division of the society was based on the work performed. The society had been four main castes: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishya, and Shudra. The Brahmins or the priestly class led the society in conducting religious duties and educating people.

Vedic Literature which were mainly the Vedic Samhitas or the Mantras and the metric texts emerged during the Vedic period. These samhitas include Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Samhitas are the oldest layer of Vedic texts. Vedic civilisation can be identified as an associated culture. This culture mainly inhabited the northern and northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent. The Vedic age saw the rise of various civilizations and cultures. This period also saw the rise of the Mahajanapadas.