Consider the following statements regarding the Rigvedic polity and society: 1. The tribal chief was known as the Rajan, whose primary function was the protection of the tribe and cattle rather than exercising absolute territorial sovereignty. 2. Women participated in assemblies such as the Sabha and Samiti and composed several Vedic hymns. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

During the Rigvedic period, the Rajan was primarily a military leader and protector of cattle, governed by tribal assemblies without absolute territorial dominion. Women enjoyed a high status, participated in political assemblies like Sabha and Samiti, and women poets such as Apala and Lopamudra composed sacred hymns. These egalitarian features gradually deteriorated in the Later Vedic phase with the emergence of rigid caste hierarchies. The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas and contains ten mandalas.