Aryan Invasion theory - complete myth
The theory of the Aryan invasion (or migration) was first put forward by Western scholars during the colonial age. It maintained that a race of European or Central Asian “Aryans” swept into the subcontinent displacing the indigenous Indus Valley Civilisation. This invasion was dated to be at around 1500 BC. Theory states it was the "Aryans" who brought in Vedas and many other aspects into Indian culture.
This is what we have learnt in our schools.Its a complete myth and distortion of facts. The AIT or AMT invasion theory has been completely debunked. I will refer to it as AIT theory unless required to specify otherwise.
It was used/still being used to:
1. Further colonial superiority of the people from Europe/central Asia
2. Divide Indian people into northern "Aryans" and southern "Dravidians"
The AIT has been debunked on multiple fronts:
1. Archeological findings:
From esteemed archeologist B B Lal:
Indeed, there is no evidence whatsoever of an invasion at any of the hundreds of Harappan sites. On the other hand, there is ample evidence of continuity of habitation, though marked by gradual cultural devolution..
Along the bank of the Sarasvati (now called the Ghaggar) is located Kalibangan, a site of the Harappan Civilization. It had to be abandoned while it was still in a mature stage, owing to the drying up of the adjacent river. According to the radiocarbon dates, this abandonment took place around 2000. Since, as already stated, during the Rigvedic times the Sarasvati was a mighty flowing river and it dried up around 2,000 BCE, the Rigveda has got to be earlier than 2000 BCE. How much earlier is anybody’s guess; but at least a 3rd millennium BCE horizon is indicated.
B B Lal also debunks the twist - "Aryan Migration Theory" in this piece.
A list of archeological findings of Indus Valley civilization:
Q:It has been held by some scholars that the Harappan Civilization became extinct, leaving no vestiges behind. How far is this true?
Lal: Because of various reasons, such as break up in external trade, drastic climatic changes, the drying up of the Sarasvati and so on, the Harappan urbanization had a major setback: cities gradually vanished, but villages continued. There was no extinction of the people who carried on their day-to-day life, though in a humble way than before. Thus, we find many of the Harappan traits in vogue even today. For example, the application by married Hindu women of vermilion (sindūra) in the partition line of the hair on the head, the wearing of multiple bangles on the arms and of pāyala around the ankles; practice of yogic exercises; worshipping Lord Shiva, even in the form of liṅga-cum-yoni; performing rituals using fire-altars, using sacred symbols like the svastika; and so on. Indeed, be not surprised if I told you that the way you greet each other with namaste goes back to the Harappan times.
2. Textual findings:
The work of Shrikant Talagere is extremely important in this regard.
In fact, an analysis of the data in the Rigveda (which the Indologists claim was composed after 1500 BCE), in comparison with the data in the Iranian Avesta and the data in scientifically dated West Asian manuscripts and inscriptions pertaining to the Mitanni people (a group of Indo-Aryan speakers who established the Mitanni kingdom in Iraq and Syria around 1500 BCE, but are known to have been present in West Asia well before 1750 BCE), shows:
i) The common data is found in 425 of the 686 New Hymns and 3692 of the 7311 verses in the New Books of the Rigveda (5,1,8,9,10) as well as in all later (post-Rigvedic) texts, but is not found in a single one of the 280 Old Hymns and 2351 verses in the Old Books of the Rigveda (6,3,7,4,2).
ii) This shows that the Mitanni Indo-Aryans in West Asia, the Avestan Iranians in Afghanistan, and the Vedic Indo-Aryans in India separated from each other during the period of composition of the New Books of the Rigveda, and after the period of composition of the Old Books.
iii) The geographical area of the New Books of the Rigveda extends from southern and eastern Afghanistan in the west to westernmost Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in the east. This, therefore, is the area from which the Mitanni Indo-Aryans migrated to West Asia: the fact that they entered West Asia from outside, and from the east, is not disputed by anyone.
iv) The fact that the linguistic ancestors of the Mitanni Indo-Aryans are already found in West Asia by 1750 BCE shows that they must have left the geographical area of the New Books of the Rigveda at the very least, and by a very conservative estimate, by 2000 BCE.
v) The development of this common culture of the New Books of the Rigveda, which the Mitanni Indo-Aryans took with them to West Asia around 2000 BCE, must therefore be much older, at least by a few hundred years: i.e. this culture must be at least datable to 2400 BCE.
vi) The totally distinct culture of the Old Books of the Rigveda must precede 2400 BCE by another few hundred years at least: i.e. it must go well into the early parts of the first half of the third millennium BCE.
3. Genetic findings:
"How can ‘they’ say South Indians are different from North Indians- the genetic heritage is same- R1a & ‘R’ancestral lines are found among many Indians regardless of caste, tribe or region. Who wants to fuel this Aryan & Dravidian divide?"
"India is the first continent founded after Africa. India has the oldest female & male genetic lines. Continuous occupation since 80KYA. Agriculture originated 12KYA separately in India. No migrations/population replacement. India is India & Indians are Indians. #NoAryans"
KYA = kilo years ago
Prof. Lavanya Vemsani's research paper:
Some clarity on Rakhigarhi DNA findings:
Rakhigarhi - a place which was a part of the Indus Valley civilization - is located in modern Haryana state of India.
DNA analysis of Rakhigarhi female skeleton (circa 2500 BCE) - showed U2b2 gene - specific to India.
Rakhigarhi is female skeleton- showed U2b2 specific to India. No migrants. And R1a1 is male gene and it’s found across India and a wide spectrum of population. I don’t why The Hindu publishes this type of erroneous articles #NoAryans
Some FAQs answered by Prof. Vemsani:
4. Linguistic findings:
There is also some linguistic evidence, though this is not as clear cut as the other findings mentioned above.
And while every single linguistic fact cited by the Indologists to prove the AIT or to dismiss the Indian Homeland hypothesis can be shown to prove exactly the opposite, there is plenty of linguistic evidence - determinedly ignored by the Indologists - which cannot be explained by any other hypothesis than an Indian Homeland hypothesis. To give just a few examples: the common word for elephant/ivory in many IE branches (Sanskrit ibha, Latin ebur, Greek el-ephas, Hittite lahpa) with India being the only IE area having elephants; the branches to the east of the Semitic line (Iranian, Indo-Aryan and Tocharian) not having many important words borrowed from Semitic (e.g. wine, taurus, etc.) found in all the other branches to the west (indicating an IE movement from east to west across the Semitic longitudes); common words from eastern Siberia found in the Germanic and Celtic branches on the one hand and the Chinese, Yeneseian and Altaic languages (indicating that the Germanic and Celtic branches passed from the areas to the north of Central Asia); the large-scale one-way borrowings from Indo-Aryan and Iranian languages into the Uralic languages of eastern Europe with no borrowings in the opposite direction (again indicating a migration of small groups of Indo-Aryan and Iranian language speakers from the east to the west across Central Asia and Eurasia); the presence of "pre-Indo-Iranian" linguistic features (such as a distinction between r and l) in Indo-Aryan languages in the eastern parts of northern India; primitive connections between the proto-Austronesian and PIE languages, etc., etc. On the other hand, not a single linguistic fact militates against the Out-of-India Theory (OIT) or Indian Homeland Theory.
Do check out the works and views of people like Aravindan Neelakandan, Konraad Elst, David Frawley, Niraj Rai etc.
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