How are people described in the Rigveda?

 Ans: People are described in the Rigveda in terms of the work they do, the language they speak, the place they belong. There are two groups who are described in terms of their work- the priests, sometimes called brahmins, who performed various rituals and the rajas. Apart from these there are many terms such as jana and vish used to describe people.

 

jana and vish: Two words were used to describe the people or the community as a whole. One was the word Jana.  The other was vish. The word vaishya comes from vish. Several vish or jana are mentioned by name, such as the Puru jana or vish, and the Bharata jana.

 

Aryas andDasas or Dasyus: The people who composed the hymns described themselves as Aryas and called their opponents Dasas or Dasyus.  These were people who did not perform sacrifices, and probably spoke different languages. Later, the term dasa (dasi for feminine) came to mean slave. Slaves were women and men who were often captured in war. They were treated as the property of their owners who could make them do work they wanted.