"The ideological challenge posed by Jainism and Buddhism was deeply rooted in the socio-economic transformations brought about by the expansion of agrarian settlements in eastern India." Explain.
Verified Answer
Iron-aided agrarian expansion in the middle Gangetic basin made cattle crucial for plough agriculture, clashing with Vedic sacrificial animal slaughter. Concurrently, urban growth and trade enriched Vaishyas, who sought higher social status denied by rigid Brahmanical varna hierarchies. Heterodox sects accommodated these needs by championing Ahimsa and social egalitarianism.