Aryan Invasion Theory

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Aryan Invasion Theory

The major theory that has been repeated throughout time, to interrupt the evolution of India and migration of man, has been the Aryan Invasion Theory. According to this account, India was invaded and conquered by a nomadic tribe of Indo-European tribes from Central Asia around 1500-100 BC. It was said that these light skinned nomads fought a major battle with the darker skinned "Dravidian Civilization, from which they took most of what later, became the Hindu culture." The Aryan Invasion Theory is based upon ruins that were discovered in the Indus valley. The Aryan people also cite how the Aryan Vedic scriptures explain a war between the powers of light and darkness. This was therefore interpreted throughout time, to mean that the war occurred between a lighter skinned civilization (Aryans) and more dark skinned civilization. Scholars believed that the Aryans came into India around the time of 1500 BC, since the Indus Valley culture was earlier than this, they concluded that it had to be preAryan. It was also assumed by these same scholars, much of them who were of Christian origin, and unsympathetic to the Vedic culture, that the Vedic culture originated from primitive nomads from Central Asia. Thus, the Vedic culture could not have found any "urban culture like that of the Indus Valley." The Vedic culture was thus said to be warriors of Central Asian decent who came into India with horse drawn chariots and iron weapons. However, there was never any chariots or iron discovered in Indus Valley sites. The whole idea of nomads with chariots has been challenged. How could these nomads travel through rough mountain valleys (in tough weather ) with these chariots? Horse drawn chariots, were vehicles that were most likely used in lands that were mostly flat. Therefore, it can be said that the metals and wheel fragments that were discovered could come from the Vedic culture. Opponents of the Aryan Invasion theory, point to many different flaws...

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  • Submitted by: cnelson
  • Date Submitted: 05/24/2008 04:29 PM
  • Category: History Other
  • Words: 744
  • Pages: 3
  • Views: 282
  • Popularity Rank: 5128

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