Social changes that took place in the Later Vedic period:

(i) The family remains the basic unit of the Vedic society. However, its composition underwent a change.

(ii) The Later Vedic family became large enough to be called a joint family with three or four generations living together. The rows of hearths discovered at Atranjikhera and at Ahichchhatra (both in western Uttar Pradesh) show that these were meant for communal feeding or for cooking the food of large families. 

(iii) The institution of gotra developed in this period . It means people having common gotra descended from a common ancestor and no marriage between the members of the same gotra were allowed.

(ii) Monogamous marriages were preferred even though polygamy was frequent.

(v) Some restrictions on women appeared during this period. In a text women have been counted at a vice along with dice and wine. In another text a daughter has been said to be the source of all sorrows. The woman had to stay with her husband at his place after marriage. The participation of women in public meetings was restricted.

(vi) However, the most important changes that took place during this period, was the rise and growth of social differentiation in the form of the varna system.

(vii) The society was divided into four varnas-brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras.

(viii) The brahmanas became very powerful due to the growing number of sacrifices and rituals. They conducted various rituals including those related to different stages of agricultural operations. This made them all the more important.

(ix) The kshatriyas were next in the social hierarchy. They were rulers. All aspects of life were controlled by the kshatriyas with the help of brahmanas.

(x) The vaishyas were the most numerous varna. They were engaged in agriculture as well as in trade and artisanal activities. The brahmanas and kshatriyas were dependent on the tributes which included gifts and taxes, paid to them by the Vaishyas.

(xi) The shudras were the fourth varna. They were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. They were ordained to be in the service of the three upper varnas. They were not entitled to the ritual of upanayana samskara.

(xii) The brahmanas, the kshatriyas and the vaishyas were entitled to Upanayana samskara ceremony and hence they were known as dvijas.

(xiii) During this period another important social change took place. In this period the institution of ashrama or different stages of life began to take shape.

(xiv) The different stages of life were — Brahmacharya (student life), grihastha (householder), vanaprastha (hermitage), and sanyasa. The first three ashramas are mentioned in the texts but the fourth, sanyasa was added later on . Together with varna, it came to be known as varna-ashrama dharama.