Vedic Era

The area of the present day of Himachal Pradesh has been occupied and inhabited by men since the very beginning of human civilization. The rich and prosperous history of this land is worth paying a little attention. Among the different eras into which the history can be divided, the Vedic Era is a significant one.

The Vedic age was the important are in every aspect of life. The inhabitants in the Himachal Pradesh area have been referred to as Dasas or Nishadas in the Vedas. They are also familiar in other names like Nagas, Yakshas and Kinnars. These are the names that the later literary works have called them. The Vedic era is the time when man discovered the writing skill. Many documents of this era are found, which provide authentic information about the life in the Vedic time.

There was also another clan dwelled in the areas of the Present day Himachal Pradesh. The clan is known as Kols or Mundas and they are believed to be the one of the earliest migrants to the hills of Himachal Pradesh.

The next stage of migrants who came in the Himachal Pradesh area was the Mongoloid people. They were known as the Bhotas and the Kiratas. Still later, the third phase of migrating people were the Aryans who had by that time left their original home in the central Asia and had drifted towards the Indian subcontinent. They are considered the most important of all the other migrants. Al these events in the history and the Vedic age influenced the lifestyle and culture of the Himachal Pradesh that we see today.