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The Origin and History of Aryans
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by Jayaram V
There is a consensus opinion
among many historians that the
Aryans were a heterogeneous
group of people who lived in
different parts of the ancient
world in the area comprising
Mediterranean, parts of Europe,
central Asia and north western
India. There is also an
established opinion in the
academic circles that the
ancestors of "some" Indians, Persians, Germans, Greeks, Romans, and
the Celts were Aryans, who worshipped different gods and goddesses,
used fire in their rituals and spoke many languages, which have
evolved into the present day Indo European languages.
The Indo Iranian group of Aryans settled in Iran and parts of north
western India. Although they seemed to have shared a common
ancestry, they parted their ways in matters of language and religion.
However, there is a divergence of opinion among various scholars as to
the original homeland of Aryans, which is summarized below. Indian
historians who deal with the subject fall broadly into two categories:
those who suggest that the Indian origin of the Aryans and those who
support the non-Indian origin of Aryans. Neither side has come up with
convincing evidence or argument so far.
Historian Propose Homeland of Aryans
Max Mueller Central Asia
B.G.Tilak Arctic Region
A.C.Dass Sapta Sindhu or the Punjab region
Swami Dayanand
Saraswathi
Tibet
Nehring Southern Russia
Pokorny
A wide area located in Russia between Weser and Vistula and
up to White Russia and Volhynia
Brandenstein Kirghiz steppe
Nazi/German
Scholars
Germany
Morgan Western Siberia
Jairazbhoy West of Caspian Sea
Prof. MacDonnel Eastern Europe
Dr. Giles Austria and Hungary
History
Origin India
Arya India
Introduction to Hinduism
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The Bhagavadgita Complete Translation
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unique.
Historically, India was known as
Aryavarta, meaning the land of
the Aryans. This was not a mere
coincidence. The Buddha was a
Kshatriya, a person of noble
birth. His followers often
addressed him as Aryaputra,
meaning the son of an Arya.
In India, until recent times, men
of higher castes, landlords and
those who occupied positions of
authority were customarily addressed as Arya. In native literature,
speeches, correspondence and letter writing it was used as the
equivalent of "respected Sir." Its corrupt form in Telugu, the second
largest native language after Hindi, is "ayya," which is used even
today as a mark of respect to address elderly people, fatherly figures
and men of authority.
Thus, by usage and by custom we have clear evidence that India had a
very deep and historic connection with the concept of Arya, a tradition
which most likely originated in memory of an ancient group of people
who inhabited the region and wielded considerable influence, power
and authority.
There is also a divergence of opinion with regard to the expansion of
Aryans into the Indian subcontinent.
According to one school of thought the Aryans came in hordes and first
settled in northwestern India, from where they migrated gradually
towards the Gangetic valley, north eastern India and southern India.
According to some, they probably came in two or more waves and
colonized the land. There is no evidence to suggest that they occupied
the land forcibly and even if they did it must have been on a limited
scale. As they migrated towards the east, they had to deal with more
powerful and organized native communities and established political
powers, whom they could not conquer politically. So their expansion
into the subcontinent beyond the Sapta Sindhu region must have
happened peacefully through the migration of families of wandering
priests and sages rather than through political conquest.
The ruling classes in these regions were drawn to Vedic religion but
not completely. So some compromise on the part of both sides and
some integration of religious practices took place. This is evident from
the fact that regions comprising of present day UP, Bihar, Bengal,
Orissa, parts of MP, all of southern India and western India were not
thoroughly Aryanized and that the basic character of Vedic religion
underwent dramatic changes during the post Rigvedic period.
Historically these areas also witnessed the predominance of non-Vedic
religions and sectarian movements like Jainism, Buddhism, Saivism,
Shaktism and Vaishnavism.
It has to be remembered that India has always been, as it is now, a
heterogeneous society where people belonging to difference races,
religions, languages and backgrounds coexisted.
They came to India in the remote past from different parts of the
world, from Africa, Mediterranean, Europe, central Asia, Russia, China
and probably Arctic region by land and by sea.
While there was an inward migration into the subcontinent, there was
also probably some outward migration towards the east, north and
west and even to some islands in the Pacific and Australia.
For example, contrary to the popular opinion, the people of Andhra
Pradesh were immigrants from different regions within the
subcontinent as well from regions outside India. The invading armies
of Sakas, Pahlavas, Persians and Kushanas settled in various parts of
the country and became an integral part of native communities. So it
is incorrect to divide the Indian population mere into two or three
groups. It is also incorrect to classify Telugu as a purely Dravidian
language. In fact, it has elements of both Indo-European and
Dravidian languages. Its most literary form, which, Sri Krishna
Devaraya, the king of Vijayanagara, famously considered the best of
the native tongues, is very close to Sanskrit both gramatically and
syntactically.
The Indus people knew how to build ports or trade merchandise by
rivers and sea using boats. They knew how to chart their course
through dangerous seas using the position of the stars and the
movements of the sun and the moon. It is wrong to assume that the
Aryans introduced an organized religion or an advanced civilization in
the Indian subcontinent in the backdrop of an inferior civilization.
In conclusion we may say that the Aryan migration, if there was one,
was one in a series of migrations of different communities and races
that came to the Indian subcontinent either peacefully or through force
and settled there. Over a period of time these communities interacted
with one another to create a rich tapestry of social, religious and
cultural practices that are peculiarly and uniquely Indian.
Suggested Further Reading
The Meaning and Significance of Arya
The History, Antiquity and Chronology
of Hinduism
The Aryan invasion
The Pros and Cons of the Theory of
Aryan Invasion into India
Battle over history
The Origin and History of Celtic People
Origin and development of Sanskrit
Sanskrit and Hittite






Wednesday , August 13, 2014
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