The Aryans did invade India, expanding their territory through military conquests. Initially, they occupied a small region of South Asia
Dr. J Ravikumar Stephen G.
In recent times, right-wing propagandists have enlisted pseudo-intellectuals to push the narrative that the term “Dravidian” was invented by Bp. Dr. Robert Caldwell, L. L. D, as part of a missionary ploy to divide Indians. They claim that there was never a distinction between Aryans and Dravidians, that both groups are indigenous to India, and that the Aryan Invasion is a myth. Furthermore, they argue that the Indus Valley Civilization should be renamed the Saraswati Valley Civilization and that the Indus script is actually proto-Sanskrit in origin.
Pseudo-intellectuals argue that the Indus Valley Civilization should be renamed the Saraswati Valley Civilization and that the Indus script is actually proto-Sanskrit in origin
Many have reached out seeking clarifications on the misleading content being circulated by RSS-affiliated YouTube channels and certain publications. Here, I provide a concise response to these distortions of history:
Expansion Means Invasion
The Aryans did invade India, expanding their territory through military conquests. Initially, they occupied a small region of South Asia (as seen in 1st map). However, by the time of the ‘Baudhayana Dharmasutra (BDS)’ 1.1.2.10 (compiled between 8th to 6th centuries BC), they had established a vast territory called Āryāvarta (आर्यावर्त)—defined as the land (refer to the 2nd map) west of Kālakavana, east of Adarsana, south of the Himalayas, and north of the Vindhyas.
By 1000 BC, their expansion was substantial. The question arises—how did they acquire these territories? They defeated the Dravidian Nanda rulers and established dominance over the regions of Magadha (as illustrated in the 3rd map of).
The Mahabharata war was not a battle between indigenous rulers; it was a conflict between Aryan cousins who had already invaded South Asia and established Āryāvarta.
The Word ‘Dravidian’—An Aryan Invention
The term “Dravidian” is often falsely attributed to Bp Dr Robert Caldwell, L L D, but its origins are much older. The first known usage in post-Vedic literature appears in the works of Kumārila Bhaṭṭa, a 7th-century Assamese scholar of the Mīmāṃsā School, in his book ‘Tantra Vartika’ (see the 4th picture).
However, references to the “Dravida people” exist even in the ‘Mahabharata’, and following are the references:
– Adi Parva (Book 1, Chapter 177)
– Sabha Parva (Book 2, Chapter 31)
– Vana Parva (Book 3, Chapter 51)
– Karna Parva (Book 8, Chapter 17)
The word “Aryan” was originally an endonym (a name a group uses for itself), but the Vedic Aryans and Iranians later adopted it to glorify themselves. In contrast, Dravidian became an exonym (a name given by outsiders) and later a demonym (a term for people from a specific region).
The Ghaggar River and the Saraswati Myth
The Ghaggar-Hakra River (an intermittent river in India and Pakistan – refer to the 5th image) is often misidentified as the Saraswati River of the ‘Rig Veda’. However, scientific studies, including those by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), confirm that:
– In pre-Harappan times, the Ghaggar was a tributary of the Sutlej River.
– The Sutlej changed its course around 8,000–10,000 years ago, leaving the Ghaggar-Hakra as a seasonal, monsoon-fed river.
– The Harappan civilization did not rely on the Ghaggar for sustenance, meaning even if Ghaggar were Saraswati, it played no role in the Indus Valley Civilization, as Sutlej has changed its course 6,000-years before the fall of Harappan cities.
Therefore, calling the Indus Valley Civilization the Saraswati Civilization is baseless.
The Indus Civilization Was Not Aryan
The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was not Aryan in origin. A clear architectural contrast exists between the Dravidian-built cities and later Aryan settlements:
– The Dravidians used brick-based architecture, as seen in Harappan cities, Nalanda (see the 6th picture), and Sarnath (refer to the 7th image).
– In contrast, Aryan settlements in the Gangetic plains used timber (see the 8th & 9th pictures), even for royal structures like the palace of Chandragupta Maurya.
– The absence of brick structures in early Aryan settlements proves that Aryan culture and architecture were foreign to South Asia.
This historical evidence debunks the claim that the Aryans were indigenous and that the Indus Civilization was proto-Aryan.
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Upcoming Discussion: The Aryan Expansion Beyond India
To fully understand the Aryan Invasion, we must first examine what transpired in the Levant region before the Aryans replicated the same strategy in South Asia. My next blog will explore the history of the Levant from 5000 BCE or earlier.
Read: Beyond Nilakanta Sastri: Revisiting Dravidian and Aryan Narratives
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Dr. J Ravikumar Stephen G., is the Founder, Dravidianism Revival Centre, Peace Coalition of the People of South Asia, and Sages of the New Covenant. He is also the Presiding Bishop of General Convention of the Episcopal Churches in Southern and South Eastern Asia. The Dravidianism Revival Centre is located in Badlapur, Greater Thane Maharashtra, India. Emal: Peace.Evangelist@gmail.com
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