A Gathering of Data for the Refutation of the Aryan Invasion Theory, by Sanjay Lohar
Upon the colonization of India, the British came to perceive the Indian culture as a threat to their rule. To counter this threat they introduced reforms; these changes were educational, religious, and political. The purpose of all of their reforms was to change the thinking of the Indian people, from their traditional culture and religion to the traditions the British deemed appropriate. Often those reforms would force Indians to change their way of life that had developed over millennia. A part of that reform was the introduction of the Aryan Invasion Theory. This theory was developed by many historians under the pay of the British. With the Aryan Invasion Theory, the British sought to demoralize those factions that opposed them by denying them their heritage and claiming that their vaunted scriptures were in fact imports from western lands. The presence of certain artifacts, correct linguistic analysis, and dating of various historical writings prove the Aryan Invasion Theory incorrect.
Geographical Data
Sub-continental India is surrounded by a dense mountainous region which makes the movement of any large force and supplies nearly impossible. Those mountains are the reason Alexander the Great was forced to withdraw his forces from India. They are also the reason that the Soviet Union could not maintain a military presence in Afghanistan during their decade-long struggle there. Alexander was a military mastermind, and the Soviets had vast funds at their disposal; however, the Aryans had neither of those resources available—they were nomadic cattle herders. The Aryan Invasion Theory claims that the Aryans conquered the native Harappan “population with the use of chariots and superior bronze weaponry”. The Sanskrit term ayas was thought to connote iron. In the Vedas, however, ayas is associated with cattle and barley—both of which were amply used in Harrapan times. The Vedic meaning of the term is most appropriate in this context because Sanskrit was not yet fully developed at that time. The proposal that nomadic invaders came “down [from] the passes of Afghanistan in war chariots is fanciful,” navigating hundreds of mountainous miles is very impractical (Feuerstein 157). The chariots would break down due to the rough terrain. The horses would tire quickly due to the dearth of proper fodder.
Also, a large number of chariots would be required to transport enough supplies for a hostile takeover of an entrenched civilization. The propulsion of chariots requires horses. The Aryan Invasion Theory proposes that there were no domesticated horses present before the invasion; the Aryans brought them to India. This is disproved by excavations that have found the “bones of Equus caballus Linn… [which] clearly establishes that the true domesticated horse was very much in use” (Frawley 28). To conquer the natives, the Aryans must have used metallic weapons; however, weaponry of any sort has yet to be found on any of the Indus Civilization excavations because the denizens of the area were peaceful. There have been iron tools (possibly for farming) found in the area that date as far back as 1800 B.C.E. The introduction of metallurgy was not of Indo-European origin but was native to the Vedic civilizations of Harappa and the surrounding areas. The presence of chariots, horses, and various metals supports the refutation of the Aryan Invasion Theory.
Linguistic Data
The interpretation of extinct languages is very imprecise, and because there are no living speakers of the original language it is very difficult to decipher the sound and meaning of each word. Many scholars propound that the Aryans brought and “then imposed their language on the conquered people” (India). Prior to the purported Invasion the language used to keep accounts, to communicate, etc. was Vedic. The Vedic language was written using a seal system, similar to the ancient Mayan and Egyptian hieroglyphics; all three of which are still a source of mystery to scholars. The Aryans apparently brought Sanskrit to the Indus Valley and forced the denizens of that place to replace their own languages with that of their overlords. However, Sanskrit is an intricate language that is considered “by the opinion of many, one of if not the most refined language in the world” (Frawley 49). Such a language could not have been devised by a primitive nomadic race. They would have been engaged in various nondiscretionary activities required for their survival. They would have no time for the pursuit or refinement of their own language much less the development of a language such as Sanskrit.
Additionally, the word Arya was thought by many to have meant a race of people (the English term Aryan originates from that word). However, Arya is used in the Vedas as an adjective—it refers to those people who are pure of mind, body and spirit, those people who perform noble deeds for the advancement of society. Arya does not connote any ethnicity, creed, or skin color.
Logical Arguments
There is no record of such a race as the Aryans in any of the Vedic texts—they are not in the Puranic genealogies which “date back to the third millennium b.c. [sic] and earlier” (Feuerstein 160). They are in not in the Vedas or the Upanishads either. Vedic religion contains a metaphorical struggle between light and darkness. This struggle was translated by many as a struggle between light and dark skinned people. This is a false notion; the true meaning relates to knowledge—light is knowledge whereas darkness is ignorance. To interpret that metaphor as a clash between races would be akin to saying the never-ending “Biblical battle between God and Satan… [refers to a war] between light and dark-skinned people” (Frawley 33).
The Vedic calendar was based on astronomy. The Brahmanas, the Yajur, and the Atharva Vedas all speak of “the vernal equinox in the Krittikas and the summer solstice in Magha… This yields a date of around 2500 BC” (Frawley); there are many other texts to corroborate these statements. The Vedas were written before the Aryans began their invasion of the sub-continent, thus they cannot have been written by Aryans. The Vedas cannot have been brought by the Aryans either because it was written in the script of the Indus Valley civilizations. The Vedas could not have been composed by the Aryans because there simply is not a long enough gap in the dating between the Aryan Invasion and the writing of the Vedas. The Vedas were composed over a span of centuries; there is one manuscript that was dated to be from mid 14th century B.C.E; before that time, they were composed and memorized, and passed down orally. Lastly, had they truly written the Vedas then they would have included themselves in them. No race can resist the chance to extol its accomplishments; especially when that accomplishment is the conquering of another race that was already settled.
Conclusion
The evidence against the Aryan Invasion Theory is quite numerous. The archaeological excavations of Indian civilizations began at an incorrect time because all the evidence discovered was manipulated to suit the colonial mindset of the British ruling over India at the time. Had they begun at a time when there was no foreign influence in India, the evidence might not have been corrupted to suit the designs of the British Raj. However, the scholarly society is now considering the evidence against the Aryan Invasion Theory and is reevaluating its own ideas. The presence of metal tools and chariots, the linguistic analysis of various texts and the date of the texts themselves serve to provide evidence against the Aryan Invasion Theory.
References
“India: History.” World Geography. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 20 May 2008 <http://www.worldgeography.abc-clio.com>.
Feuerstein, Georg, and Subhash Kak. In Search of the Cradle of Civilization. Second Edition. Wheaton, IL: The Theosophi-cal Publishing House, 2001.
Frawley, David. The Myth of the Aryan Invasion of India. First Reprint of Enlarged Edition: February 2002. New Delhi: Voice of India, 2002.
“Who Composed the Vedas?.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. 20
ABC-CLIO. 26 May 2008 <http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com>.
Sanjay Lohar is a senior at Green Hope High in Cary, North Carolina. You can contact him at lohar.s@gmail.com.
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