postVedic

PostVedic refers to the historical and cultural period in the Indian subcontinent that follows the end of the Early Vedic Age, roughly spanning from the 6th century BCE to about the 3rd century CE. The term is used by historians to describe a transitional era in which the composition of the Vedas had ceased, and new religious, philosophical, and social developments emerged. Key features include the rise of urban polities known as the mahajanapadas, the growth of large kingdoms such as Magadha, Kosala, and Kuru, and the expansion of commercial networks across the Indo-Gangetic plains and beyond.

Religiously, postVedic society witnessed the spread of Buddhism and Jainism, along with the consolidation of various strands of Hinduism. The late Vedic religious framework gradually gave way to new philosophies and devotional movements, including the Upanishadic schools, and later the Puranas. Sanskrit remained a prominent literary language, while Prakrit inscriptions and texts also flourished.

Literature from this period includes late Vedic and early postVedic strands, the epic narratives Mahabharata and Ramayana, and growing religious literature such as the Upanishads, Brahmanas, and later Puranas. The period ends with the early centuries of the Common Era, marked by empires such as the Maurya and Kushan, which helped to promote administrative innovations, coinage, and broader cultural exchange.

Scholarly definitions of the postVedic era vary, with some dating the transition earlier or later depending on linguistic, archaeological, and textual criteria. The term is primarily used to describe broad cultural continuities between the Vedic and classical periods rather than a single political epoch.