Consider the following statements regarding the social structure of the Early Vedic period:
1. The early stratification was primarily based on varna, which initially indicated color or tribal groupings like Arya and Dasa.
2. The social structure was highly flexible, and occupations were not strictly hereditary during this phase.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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Accepted Answer

Both statements are correct. In the Rigvedic phase, society was organized on tribal lines and was highly egalitarian. The term varna was used to distinguish the incoming Aryas from the local Dasas. Crucially, professions were fluid and dependent on individual choices rather than birth, a flexibility that was lost in the Later Vedic phase.

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