Sapta Sindhu, Vedic Culture and Indian Knowledge Systems

Abstract

As per sociologists, a society can be defined as a group of people who have interactions within a common territory, and share a similar culture. Every society has its own unique culture, habits, tradition, beliefs, value system, etc. India is a vast country with a huge population. It is also known as the Subcontinent because it has ocean, sea, mountains, plateau, plains, hill, desert etc. Indian society is a perfect example of diversity in almost every dimension of social life. Whether it is religion, language, economic, regional, class, or caste. There is difference everywhere yet we stand united as an integrated nation. This diversity is found from the first civilization( Indus Civilization ) to the present one. Indus Valley Civilization spread over a vast expanse of India - stretching to the banks of the now “lost” saraswati river or the Ghaggar-Hakra river, this land is glorified as sapta sindhu. Sapta Sindhu is the term which gave birth to the word “Hindu”. The Civilization of Sapta Sindhu was referred to as Hapta-Hindu by persians and other outsiders. The people of this region and culture, the Sapta-Sandhavas were referred to as hapta-Haindavas by Persians and other outsiders. All these terms are found in Zend Avesta of Zoroastrians. Thus, the very concept and identity of India or Bharat originated from the land of seven legendary rivers and expands with the same. In all of its context, Sapta Sindhu has been the homeland of Sapta Saindhavas (