Re: Who were Aryans?
Religions gets inspirations from the old religions. Like it is said that the concept of Jesus (born without father) was also there in Greek mythology. The question is how the English writers during British era supported old Indus valley civilisation if they were against the ancient India concept?
Re: Who were Aryans?
It's my personal opinion that aryans could be the 'outsiders' from the (central Asia) region not necessarily from the european stock. The truth could be between the western and Indian anologies. And it perfectly makes sense these areas were good in agriculture and the weather was warmer and the landscape (plains) was a big factor, especially in Pakistani punjab there has been one stop for the invaders ie jehlum otherwise they used to run over the rest of the province easily. On the other hand it's very difficult to conquer the areas on the other side of the hindukush which has been proven over and over even in our lifetimes.
Re: Who were Aryans?
But invaders did came from Europe like Alexander. If I remember correctly, Jehlum's name is derived from the name of the horse of Alexander. :)
Re: Who were Aryans?
Yes Greeks under Alexander did come to the region but otherwise most of the invaders have been from the region mongols, Turks, afghans, huns, scythians, persians, arabs etc.
Re: Who were Aryans?
History I believe is very important and it shapes most of our behaviors even today. Baloch, fata, and Afghanistan have given tough time when ever they are attacked which is true even today. Secondly in Pakistani army (although I don't support this policy) even todate most of the people in the army are from jehlum upwards to some districts of kp and if we see the history these people have always maintained armies and provided resistance to any foreign occupation in the region.
Re: Who were Aryans?
I found some more info that the Aryans migrated to the Dravidians, the original inhabitants of India.
Seriously divergent opinions exist as to where the original home of the Aryans was, and as to their racial traditions. Evidence support the suggestion that they belonged to the Semitic group, and are the descendants of Aram of the same race. A sect of this race ruled Arabia during the time of Prophet Hud a.s. The Quran calls this sect Aad and Iramu. It may be known by the name of Aryan. They are called Aram in the Bible and **Airiana **in the ancient literature of Persians.
If we content to examine only the religious beliefs off the Indo-Aryans who have to their credit a great many ancient scriptures. No other people are known to possess so smuch old religious literature as the **Indo-Aryans **do. So anyone can examine and ealuate their religious theories and pratices in the light of these scriptures. Only, he should be prepared to study them objectively.
The most ancient writings of the Indo-Aryans are the four scriptural anthologies of Vedic Samhitas. **They are **Rig, Yajur, Saama **and **Atharva, written in the very ancient 'Sanskrit tongue. The oldest among them is the Rig Veda. Western scholars reckon the time of the Rig Veda to be about 1500 B.C. but tin the opinion of the Indian scholar 'Bala Gangadhara Tilak', the Rig Veda could date back atleast to 3500 B.C. In any case no other extent Veda is so ancient.
Scholars who have conducted research on the language of the Vdea have found that is bears resemblance to many other languages. The closest affinity is with the old language of the Iranians. Rearding the proximitly between Sanskrit language and the language of the Avesta, the Iranian scripture, Krishna Chaitanya writes in his Histor yof Sanskrit Literature:
"*It (i.e. Sanskrit language) is the closet to Avestic, the first Vedic language of the ancient Iranians. Entire verses of the Avesta can be translated word by word into Vedic Sanskrit with the mere application of phonetic rules; that is just by altering the pronounciation a alittle the mannder permitted. Not only would they preserve the verse form, but the poetic beauty ccould be kept untarnished as well"
*This affinity between the old Persian tongue and the Vedic language indicates that the **Indo-Aryans **and the **Persians **belonged originally to a single rece. The term 'Iran' itself means 'the land of Aryans'. In short, it is certain that the ancient Persian people formed a constituent part of the Aryans.
References:
1- History of Sanskrit Literature, by Krishna Chaitanya (S.P.S. Publication). Page 58.
2- The Encyclopaedia, Vol. 2, p. 471. (a S.P.C.S. Publication).
Re: Who were Aryans?
Another question should be, who are the Dravidians (initially called the Indus Valley people)? According to this article, Dravidians of South India are an African people. You never know!
Re: Who were Aryans?
But if everyone came from outside then who were the people native to Indus valley?
Re: Who were Aryans?
Dravidians were the natives.
Re: Who were Aryans?
As far as my knowledge goes, the word Aryavrata is the oldest Sanskrit name for India, extensively mentioned in the Epic Mahabharat. If the word Arya means noble, then Aryavarta translates into 'Land of nobles'.
Why I have a feeling that it could be the Europeans who adopted the word, and slightly changed its meaning and the purpose.
Re: Who were Aryans?
Is there any link between Aryan and Iran?
Re: Who were Aryans?
But if everyone came from outside then who were the people native to Indus valley?
Good question. It says in my history of Indo-Pakistan book that those who belong to the Toda, Santal, Munda and Kol ethnic groups are descendants of the earlier peoples of the subcontinent. Maybe (some of) their ancestors, who were around during the Old and New Stone Ages (prior to the creation of the Indus Valley Civilization), were the actual natives of the Indus Valley.
On the other hand, some people believe in the "Out of Africa" theory i.e. the view that life originally began in Africa and that all human beings therefore have a connection to the continent. Maybe that is where the "Dravidians are Africans" hypothesis comes in.
Re: Who were Aryans?
Why you spreading such nonsense?
Re: Who were Aryans?
Is there any link between Aryan and Iran?
I dont think so, Iran has always been called Persia. The name Iran is new, maybe it was also adopted at the time when "Aryan" invasion theory was being propagated.