The Rig Vedic period, generally dated between c.1500 BCE and c.1000 BCE, represents the earliest phase of Vedic civilization in north-western India. The primary source for understanding this period is the Rig Veda, a collection of hymns that provides valuable insights into the social, political, economic, and religious life of the people. The society was predominantly pastoral, tribal, and relatively simple, while political organization was based on kinship rather than territorial states. The basic social unit was the family or *kula*, headed by the eldest male, known as the *grihapati*. The family was patriarchal, and descent was traced through the male line. However, women enjoyed a respectable position in society. They participated in religious ceremonies, attended assemblies, and received education. Learned women such as Lopamudra, Ghosha, and Apala composed hymns included in the Rig Veda. Marriage was generally monogamous, though polygamy existed among chiefs. Child marriage and the practice of *sati* were absent, and widows could remarry. The larger social organization consisted of the *grama* (village), *vis* (clan), and *jana* (tribe). Society was largely egalitarian, though distinctions based on occupation and wealth were emerging. The concept of *varna* had begun to develop, with references to Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras appearing in the Purusha Sukta of the Rig Veda. However, the varna system had not yet become rigid or hereditary. Occupational mobility was possible, and social divisions were not as sharply defined as in the later Vedic period. The economy was primarily pastoral, with cattle serving as the principal measure of wealth and status. Cows were regarded as valuable assets and were often the object of raids and