Q. Which of the following statements with regard to the agrarian economy of the Later Vedic Period is/are correct?
1.Spread of iron facilitated forest clearing and the cultivation of hard Gangetic soils.
2.Shatapatha Brahmana contains textual references to agricultural ploughing rituals.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer: C
Notes:
Detailed Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: The discovery of iron (Krishna Ayas or Shyama Ayas) around enabled the creation of iron axes and ploughshares, driving agricultural expansion in the fertile Ganga-Yamuna Doab.
- Statement 2 is correct: Agriculture became the dominant livelihood, as reflected in the Shatapatha Brahmana, which describes detailed rituals surrounding ploughing (Sirakarma), sowing, harvesting, and threshing of crops like Vrihi (rice) and Godhuma (wheat).
