Scribd
Upload
63 views

Aryan Notes

Uploaded by

rock gaming
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
63 views

Aryan Notes

Uploaded by

rock gaming
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Historical Roots of The Mahabharata: The Aryans

Everyone agrees that The Mahabharata was composed by the Aryans, and in some ways reflects
their history. But the question still remains. . .

Who were the Aryans?

View #1: Traditional Western Scholars View #2:“New Chronologists”& Indian Nationalists

beginning ca. 3000 BCE city-states city-states in India from 7000 BCE
grew on the Indus River Indus River city-states started in 4000 BCE

Both groups agree that these city-states were extensive and sophisticated, running 1600 km
along the Indus, from Afghanistan to Gujarat. Among the achievements of this culture, known as
the Harrapan Civilization, were the following:
advanced city planning- with standardized brick sizes & architectural styles
all cities had bathing complexes
standardized script-still undeciphered!
use of the wheel and ox carts
bronze statuary
religious system: including the worship of female and male fertility figures (including male
phallic pillars and a mother goddess) and solar symbols
tillers and traders
most famous archaeological remains of one of these city states is at Mohenjo Daro in
modern day Pakistan

Both groups also agree that ca. 1900 these city-states began to be abandoned for unknown
reasons. (Flood and/or drought seem like likely possibilities.) By 1700 BCE Harappan Culture
had disappeared from the Indus River Valley.

After this the disagreement begins again. . .

Traditional Western Scholars of India (and some Indian scholars as well) claim:
Between 1500-1300 BCE the Aryans arrived in India. The Aryans are believed to have
originated in the Caucasus region of West/Central Asia, between the Black and Caspian Seas.
They were cow herders with horse-drawn chariots who left their homeland ca. 2000 BCE and
migrated to:

England & Ireland Germany Greece & Rome Persia/Iran and on into India

For many scholars, the Aryans provide a link which helps us understand the similarities in
religious and linguistic structures between these diverse nations. However, hard archaeological
evidence about the existence of the Aryans is scant. They were nomadic, and did not write.
The “New Chronologists” and Hindu Nationalists completely disagree with this idea of
Aryan migration. In their view, the Aryans were always in India. They base their views on
the following evidence:
-kingship lists and astronomical observations of the Aryans date back as far as 4500 BCE
-there is great similarity between Harrapan and Aryan culture
-the philosophy, astronomy, and math in the ancient Aryan holy books is too
sophisticated to have come into India with a bunch of illiterate nomads on
horseback

Traditional Scholars refute these arguments by disagreeing with Indian dating, and attesting to
the long, slow process of cultural intermingling which occurred between the conquering Aryans
and the “dasas” or Dravidians, the darker-skinned natives whom they dominated.

Both groups agree, however, on the following facts about the Aryans:
-”Arya” means “noble ones;” thus the Aryans were an elite, whether indigenous or
foreign

-The the Sanskrit language, spoken by these Aryans, did not have a written alphabet until
long after some of the greatest philosophical and religious works of these people had been
composed. Thus, the most ancient holy texts of Hinduism, The Vedas, and the oldest
Veda, The Rg Veda, were likely to have been composed around 1350 BCE, based on
stories and ideas that had been generated earlier. These Vedas were memorized word-for-
word and passed down in priestly families in order to preserve their authenticity.

-the Aryans were concerned about social hierarchy and stratification and their concerns
were the basis of what Westerners today call the caste system

-cows were important to the ancient Aryans- as a sign of prosperity- but holy???

-the Aryans were very concerned about having sons to carry on the family

-they believed in gods who were intimately connected with the day-to-day affairs of
human life, and could sometimes be bested by humans- more on this later!

-what the Aryans believed in wasn’t Hinduism-not yet! But it was the basis of “modern
Hinduism (more on this later!)

-The Mahabharata is an Aryan epic, and reflects many Aryan values (with some later
additions!) The battle it recounts did take place- either ca. 1400 BCE (traditional
historians), or in 1900 BCE (new chronologists) or ending on February 18, 3102
BCE (Hindu dating).

You might also like