Q. Which of the following characterizes/characterize the practice of animal sacrifice in the pastoral economy of the Early Vedic phase?
1.Animal sacrifice in pastoral settings provided a means to cull non-productive animals that posed an economic burden.
2.The economic rationale for large-scale animal sacrifice diminished as society shifted from pastoralism to settled iron-plough agriculture.
Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below:
Answer: C
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: In a pastoral nomadic setup without agricultural surplus, maintaining non-productive cattle was costly, making ritual sacrifice of select animals economically feasible.
- Statement 2 is correct: When the economy transitioned to settled agriculture, cattle became critical draught animals for ploughing, leading to opposition against indiscriminate cattle slaughter (a core driver of later heterodox movements like Jainism and Buddhism).
