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26/5/16
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1. Did The Aryans Really Arrive?
According to Michel Danninot, a French-born Indian historian, the
established fact of the Aryans having conquered the Indian
sub-continent - a land belonging to the Dravidians - is one of the
biggest myths. "The conquering Aryans are said to have subjugated
indigenous Dravidians. However, there is no evidence to support this
19th century theory," he asserts.
2. The Great Divide
Danninot says the Aryan theory was propagated by Indologists like Max
Mueller and the theory was deliberately misused by colonial powers to
divide North and South India, besides the upper and lower castes.
3. Harappan Civilization
The Aryan invasion theory says India’s original inhabitants were the
Dravidians of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The theory, promoted by the
erstwhile British rulers of India, also claims that the the Dravidians
were driven South by the mighty Aryans, who had migrated from Central
Asia during 2nd millennium BCE.
4. Mapping It
Danninot says it's important to examine the validity of the
controversial theory from various angles: literary, geographic,
archaeological, cultural, anthropological and genetic...
5. Who Composed The Rig Veda?
The Rig Veda is supposed to have been composed by the invading Aryans.
But it contains no reference to a distant homeland or migration into
India, argues Danninot.
6. Geographical Footprint
Geographical details also challenge the theory, says Danninot. "The
Rig Veda has numerous references to oceans, ships, sailing, storms and
waves - all of which invaders from Central Asia would not have known
about..."
7. Visitors Leave Impressions
Moreover, says Danninot, had the Aryans migrated into India, we would
expect some evidence of different tools, weapons, objects of daily
use, pottery style and art forms, but that’s not the case. After more
than a century of archaeological investigations, there is still no
evidence of the arrival of new people in India, he says.
8. A Cultural Continuity
In comparison to the Aryan Invasion Theory, more and more people are
apparently voting in favour of cultural continuity between classical
India and the Indus Valley civilization, especially during the past
10-15 years. This has been proved by anthropological and genetic
studies which vouch for a demographic continuity and a genomic unity
in the Indian population.
9. A Forty Thousand Year-Old Existence
With archaeologists also ruling out the arrival of new people,
Danninot concludes: "All major components of the Indian population
have been settled here for some 40,000 years, at least."
10. The Missing Signs
If the Aryans, indeed, invaded India, where are the signs of
confrontation or man-inflicted destruction in the Harappan cities,
asks Danninot.
11. The Indus-Sarasvati Civilization
Danninot says, is it any wonder that we Indians take such pride in our
civilization, in its ancientness, and in its great cultural
traditions? It is also gratifying, he says, that India places such a
premium on its culture over any material achievements...
12. Culturally And Technologically Ahead
This is not to say, Danninot hastens to add, that we were lagging
behind technologically. On the contrary. In fact, the cultural
backdrop also made the technological accomplishments possible, he
says...
13. Indus Valley
In his words, "The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the
Harappan civilization, on the Indian subcontinent, was one of the
largest in extent, which made great advances in crafts and technology,
trade and agriculture, and its social organisation appears to have
been one of the most efficient, methodical and trouble-free ever. Yet
today, more than 70 years after its discovery, its existence and
accomplishments remain largely unknown to most people."
14. The Mystery Continues
In fact, he says, almost everything about the Harappan civilization
appears mysterious: Who were its inhabitants ? What language did they
speak? What beliefs and culture did they have? What type of government
was able to hold it together? What caused its decline? Why were its
great cities abandoned ? Did great natural calamities take place, or
should we blame wars or invoke some invasions?
15. More Questions
Danninot has further questions: "What connection is there between this
ancient civilization and those that followed on the Indian soil, in
the plains of the Ganga, for example? Is there a complete break
between the two, as some Western scholars assert, or can the Indian
civilization be traced all the way back to the Indus valley?"
16. Lack Of Unanimity
The main reason for this, according to the French researcher, is that
archaeologists, historians and experts from other fields have been
largely unable to agree on the fundamental questions, as well as on
the various decipherments proposed for the Indus script, which can be
found on thousands of seals and pottery pieces excavated from Harappan
towns and cities...
17. Mute Witnesses Of History
No wonder, "their inhabitants remain dumb to us, their thoughts and
culture unfathomable, while we are left to admire their material
skills and scholars indulge in educated guesses on the significance of
the statues unearthed, the figures engraved on the seals, the modes of
burial, of government, and virtually every aspect of Harappan life,"
says Danninot.
18. Tip Of The Iceberg
Another reason is the limited number of sites excavated, all
identified as Harappan. It means we have barely scratched the surface,
and many more findings await us just a few metres underground. Besides
some sites in Pakistan, Lakhmirwala in India’s Punjab is said to
exceed 225 hectares, but it has not been excavated yet.
19. Unappreciated Find
A third reason has been the nineteenth-century hypothesis of an Aryan
invasion into India, which insisted on placing the origins of Indian
civilization somewhere in Central Asia, and therefore left the
discovery in the 1920s of the Indus Valley civilization wrapped in a
cloud of confusion, he says.
20. Three-Pronged Enigma
"The birth, life and death of the Indus civilization remain three enigmas."
21. Unlearning Lessons From School
Most of us have learned at school that the Harappan towns were
destroyed by semi-barbarian Aryans rushing down from Central Asia on
their horse chariots, the survivors, assumed to have been Dravidians,
being driven to South India by the invaders.
22. The True Meaning Of Aryan
However, there is no such thing as an Aryan race, or a Dravidian race
for that matter, says Danninot. Nor is there an Indian tradition, in
which the word "Arya" never meant a race, but a quality of true
nobility, culture and refinement. And so, if no Aryan people invaded
or entered into India, it stands to reason that the Vedic culture was
also native to the subcontinent, and not an import.
23. Vedic Traits In Harappan
In fact, quite a few scholars and archaeologists see clear Vedic
traits in Harappan culture: the presence of fire-altars; the symbol of
a bull; the cult of a mother goddess, a Shiva-like deity; depiction of
yogic postures; the famous unicorn depicted on many Indus seals
(mentioned in the Mahabharata as aspects of Krishna); the trishul; the
swastika; the pipal tree; and the endless-knot design...
24. Vedic Homeland
Sanskrit scriptures make it clear that they regard the Vedic homeland
to be the Saptasindhu, the core of the Harappan territory. As for the
Sangam tradition, it is equally silent about any northern origin of
the Tamil people...
25. It's Your Own Heritage
Thus, the people of the Indian subcontinent can justifiably claim this
ancient civilization as a central and inspiring part of their
heritage, concludes the French scholar.
According to Michel Danninot, a French-born Indian historian, the
established fact of the Aryans having conquered the Indian
sub-continent - a land belonging to the Dravidians - is one of the
biggest myths. "The conquering Aryans are said to have subjugated
indigenous Dravidians. However, there is no evidence to support this
19th century theory," he asserts.
2. The Great Divide
Danninot says the Aryan theory was propagated by Indologists like Max
Mueller and the theory was deliberately misused by colonial powers to
divide North and South India, besides the upper and lower castes.
3. Harappan Civilization
The Aryan invasion theory says India’s original inhabitants were the
Dravidians of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The theory, promoted by the
erstwhile British rulers of India, also claims that the the Dravidians
were driven South by the mighty Aryans, who had migrated from Central
Asia during 2nd millennium BCE.
4. Mapping It
Danninot says it's important to examine the validity of the
controversial theory from various angles: literary, geographic,
archaeological, cultural, anthropological and genetic...
5. Who Composed The Rig Veda?
The Rig Veda is supposed to have been composed by the invading Aryans.
But it contains no reference to a distant homeland or migration into
India, argues Danninot.
6. Geographical Footprint
Geographical details also challenge the theory, says Danninot. "The
Rig Veda has numerous references to oceans, ships, sailing, storms and
waves - all of which invaders from Central Asia would not have known
about..."
7. Visitors Leave Impressions
Moreover, says Danninot, had the Aryans migrated into India, we would
expect some evidence of different tools, weapons, objects of daily
use, pottery style and art forms, but that’s not the case. After more
than a century of archaeological investigations, there is still no
evidence of the arrival of new people in India, he says.
8. A Cultural Continuity
In comparison to the Aryan Invasion Theory, more and more people are
apparently voting in favour of cultural continuity between classical
India and the Indus Valley civilization, especially during the past
10-15 years. This has been proved by anthropological and genetic
studies which vouch for a demographic continuity and a genomic unity
in the Indian population.
9. A Forty Thousand Year-Old Existence
With archaeologists also ruling out the arrival of new people,
Danninot concludes: "All major components of the Indian population
have been settled here for some 40,000 years, at least."
10. The Missing Signs
If the Aryans, indeed, invaded India, where are the signs of
confrontation or man-inflicted destruction in the Harappan cities,
asks Danninot.
11. The Indus-Sarasvati Civilization
Danninot says, is it any wonder that we Indians take such pride in our
civilization, in its ancientness, and in its great cultural
traditions? It is also gratifying, he says, that India places such a
premium on its culture over any material achievements...
12. Culturally And Technologically Ahead
This is not to say, Danninot hastens to add, that we were lagging
behind technologically. On the contrary. In fact, the cultural
backdrop also made the technological accomplishments possible, he
says...
13. Indus Valley
In his words, "The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the
Harappan civilization, on the Indian subcontinent, was one of the
largest in extent, which made great advances in crafts and technology,
trade and agriculture, and its social organisation appears to have
been one of the most efficient, methodical and trouble-free ever. Yet
today, more than 70 years after its discovery, its existence and
accomplishments remain largely unknown to most people."
14. The Mystery Continues
In fact, he says, almost everything about the Harappan civilization
appears mysterious: Who were its inhabitants ? What language did they
speak? What beliefs and culture did they have? What type of government
was able to hold it together? What caused its decline? Why were its
great cities abandoned ? Did great natural calamities take place, or
should we blame wars or invoke some invasions?
15. More Questions
Danninot has further questions: "What connection is there between this
ancient civilization and those that followed on the Indian soil, in
the plains of the Ganga, for example? Is there a complete break
between the two, as some Western scholars assert, or can the Indian
civilization be traced all the way back to the Indus valley?"
16. Lack Of Unanimity
The main reason for this, according to the French researcher, is that
archaeologists, historians and experts from other fields have been
largely unable to agree on the fundamental questions, as well as on
the various decipherments proposed for the Indus script, which can be
found on thousands of seals and pottery pieces excavated from Harappan
towns and cities...
17. Mute Witnesses Of History
No wonder, "their inhabitants remain dumb to us, their thoughts and
culture unfathomable, while we are left to admire their material
skills and scholars indulge in educated guesses on the significance of
the statues unearthed, the figures engraved on the seals, the modes of
burial, of government, and virtually every aspect of Harappan life,"
says Danninot.
18. Tip Of The Iceberg
Another reason is the limited number of sites excavated, all
identified as Harappan. It means we have barely scratched the surface,
and many more findings await us just a few metres underground. Besides
some sites in Pakistan, Lakhmirwala in India’s Punjab is said to
exceed 225 hectares, but it has not been excavated yet.
19. Unappreciated Find
A third reason has been the nineteenth-century hypothesis of an Aryan
invasion into India, which insisted on placing the origins of Indian
civilization somewhere in Central Asia, and therefore left the
discovery in the 1920s of the Indus Valley civilization wrapped in a
cloud of confusion, he says.
20. Three-Pronged Enigma
"The birth, life and death of the Indus civilization remain three enigmas."
21. Unlearning Lessons From School
Most of us have learned at school that the Harappan towns were
destroyed by semi-barbarian Aryans rushing down from Central Asia on
their horse chariots, the survivors, assumed to have been Dravidians,
being driven to South India by the invaders.
22. The True Meaning Of Aryan
However, there is no such thing as an Aryan race, or a Dravidian race
for that matter, says Danninot. Nor is there an Indian tradition, in
which the word "Arya" never meant a race, but a quality of true
nobility, culture and refinement. And so, if no Aryan people invaded
or entered into India, it stands to reason that the Vedic culture was
also native to the subcontinent, and not an import.
23. Vedic Traits In Harappan
In fact, quite a few scholars and archaeologists see clear Vedic
traits in Harappan culture: the presence of fire-altars; the symbol of
a bull; the cult of a mother goddess, a Shiva-like deity; depiction of
yogic postures; the famous unicorn depicted on many Indus seals
(mentioned in the Mahabharata as aspects of Krishna); the trishul; the
swastika; the pipal tree; and the endless-knot design...
24. Vedic Homeland
Sanskrit scriptures make it clear that they regard the Vedic homeland
to be the Saptasindhu, the core of the Harappan territory. As for the
Sangam tradition, it is equally silent about any northern origin of
the Tamil people...
25. It's Your Own Heritage
Thus, the people of the Indian subcontinent can justifiably claim this
ancient civilization as a central and inspiring part of their
heritage, concludes the French scholar.
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