07-27-2007, 07:21 PM
From Dhu's post above:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Burden of Bad Ideas: Some Critical Issues in the Vedic- Harappan Historiography
Professor Shiva G. Bajpai
Professor Emeritus of History, California State University, Northridge, CA.91330-8250
The presentation will deal with the current status of the Aryan Invasion theory that postulates that the Vedic Aryan invaded India in the mid-2nd millennium B.C.E. and developed the Vedic culture on the ruins of a glorious urban Harappan or Indus valley civilization of the 4th to 2nd millennium B.C.E. Despite the recent researches exploding this alien myth, the belief in the theory lingers on in the main stream historiography and, more importantly, in the most influential text books on Indian history and culture such as the newly revised Romila Thaparâs Early history of India (University of California Press, Berkeley, 2002; First published by Pelican Books, A History of India. vol .one, 1966). Additionally, the vast quantity of materials on various internet websites perpetuates this myth.
My perspective as well as of other scholars argues for the convergence of the Harappan and Vedic cultures on the basis of hard evidence of the Rig Veda and theVedic-Puranic tradition, the Vedic historical geography and the ancient archaeology. The first part of my presentation reiterates my earlier conclusions on the identity of the Sarasvati River with the modern Sarasvati- Ghaggar River, the home of the Vedic Aryans. The profusely celebrated River once flowed from the mountains to the sea ( RV 7.95.2) , but it dried up in the sands of Rajasthan near the archaeological site of modern Kalibangan ( ancient Vinashana) in about 2000- 1900 B.C.E. This identification has been reinforced among others by the eminent archaeologist, Professor B.B.Lal in his book, The Sarsvati Flows On, New Delhi: 2002. That the Sarasvati River constituted the central region of the Vedic culture is further reinforced by the identification of the Sarasvati-Drishadvati doab as the epicenter of the Vedic culture describe as â the navel of the earth ( RV 3.29.4 -nabha prithivya) and âthe earthâs most excellent portionâ( RV 3.23.4 & 3.53.11- vara a prithivya,)in the Rig Veda and called Brahmavarta (the Divine Land) in the later historical tradition. The extensive Vedic ecumene called the Sapta-Sidhu country extended from the Ganga in the east to the Indus including its tributary Kubha ( Kabul) River of the Hindukush Mountains in the west (RV 10.75). This extensive country is the main area of the Harappan Civilization as well. The composition of the Rig Veda, at least its 7th mandala (Book) and the presence of the Vedic aryans, therefore, must antedate 2000 B.C.E.when the perennial river Sarasvati dried up causing extensive ruin. Archaeologically, the Harappan civilization also declined about the same time. Additionally, the archeo-anthropological findings preclude any discontinuity in the population make-up between 4500 and 800 B.C.E. in the northwestern India. The 800 B.C.E.- date is too late for the arrival of the Vedic Aryans by the universal scholarly verdict and their immigration between 6000 B.C.E. and 4500 B.C.E. has yet to be established. The Rig Veda and the Vedic Aryans must, therefore, be placed at least between 4500 and 2000 B.C.E., thus overlapping the Harappan culture in time and space.
Finally, I examine the historical implications of the confluence of the Vedic and Harappan cultures with a view to solving the riddle of their dichotomy and suggesting a new model of historical explanation. The validity of my historical reconstruction derives from the available hard evidence which effectively counters the theory of supposed evidence explicated by western methodology, especially of socio- linguistics. The methodological sophistication is no substitute for historical evidence; it does not by itself establish the truth of history. Further, a historiography based on the absence of evidence of certain elements of the Harappan matrial cultue in the Vedas and of the Vedic culture in the extant Harappan archeological record is not evidence of absence. There are other valid explanations and tenable historical interpretations consistent with the diversity and complmentarity character of the traditional Indian culture.
One wonders why this myth of the Aryan Invasion is still taken seriously by the establishment academics and their followers. The explantion lie principally in the understanding that its origins began in the orbit of colonial orientalism in the 19th century; and it is a perspective, which the present-day neo-orientalists continue to perpetuate on account of their methodological affinities and ideological agendas. What were, in fact, wrong ideas have become bad ideas, burdening historical narratives and interpretations.. Indians like others have lived with their past, while the neo-orientalist continue to live in the past ingeniously perpetuating their myths.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Burden of Bad Ideas: Some Critical Issues in the Vedic- Harappan Historiography
Professor Shiva G. Bajpai
Professor Emeritus of History, California State University, Northridge, CA.91330-8250
The presentation will deal with the current status of the Aryan Invasion theory that postulates that the Vedic Aryan invaded India in the mid-2nd millennium B.C.E. and developed the Vedic culture on the ruins of a glorious urban Harappan or Indus valley civilization of the 4th to 2nd millennium B.C.E. Despite the recent researches exploding this alien myth, the belief in the theory lingers on in the main stream historiography and, more importantly, in the most influential text books on Indian history and culture such as the newly revised Romila Thaparâs Early history of India (University of California Press, Berkeley, 2002; First published by Pelican Books, A History of India. vol .one, 1966). Additionally, the vast quantity of materials on various internet websites perpetuates this myth.
My perspective as well as of other scholars argues for the convergence of the Harappan and Vedic cultures on the basis of hard evidence of the Rig Veda and theVedic-Puranic tradition, the Vedic historical geography and the ancient archaeology. The first part of my presentation reiterates my earlier conclusions on the identity of the Sarasvati River with the modern Sarasvati- Ghaggar River, the home of the Vedic Aryans. The profusely celebrated River once flowed from the mountains to the sea ( RV 7.95.2) , but it dried up in the sands of Rajasthan near the archaeological site of modern Kalibangan ( ancient Vinashana) in about 2000- 1900 B.C.E. This identification has been reinforced among others by the eminent archaeologist, Professor B.B.Lal in his book, The Sarsvati Flows On, New Delhi: 2002. That the Sarasvati River constituted the central region of the Vedic culture is further reinforced by the identification of the Sarasvati-Drishadvati doab as the epicenter of the Vedic culture describe as â the navel of the earth ( RV 3.29.4 -nabha prithivya) and âthe earthâs most excellent portionâ( RV 3.23.4 & 3.53.11- vara a prithivya,)in the Rig Veda and called Brahmavarta (the Divine Land) in the later historical tradition. The extensive Vedic ecumene called the Sapta-Sidhu country extended from the Ganga in the east to the Indus including its tributary Kubha ( Kabul) River of the Hindukush Mountains in the west (RV 10.75). This extensive country is the main area of the Harappan Civilization as well. The composition of the Rig Veda, at least its 7th mandala (Book) and the presence of the Vedic aryans, therefore, must antedate 2000 B.C.E.when the perennial river Sarasvati dried up causing extensive ruin. Archaeologically, the Harappan civilization also declined about the same time. Additionally, the archeo-anthropological findings preclude any discontinuity in the population make-up between 4500 and 800 B.C.E. in the northwestern India. The 800 B.C.E.- date is too late for the arrival of the Vedic Aryans by the universal scholarly verdict and their immigration between 6000 B.C.E. and 4500 B.C.E. has yet to be established. The Rig Veda and the Vedic Aryans must, therefore, be placed at least between 4500 and 2000 B.C.E., thus overlapping the Harappan culture in time and space.
Finally, I examine the historical implications of the confluence of the Vedic and Harappan cultures with a view to solving the riddle of their dichotomy and suggesting a new model of historical explanation. The validity of my historical reconstruction derives from the available hard evidence which effectively counters the theory of supposed evidence explicated by western methodology, especially of socio- linguistics. The methodological sophistication is no substitute for historical evidence; it does not by itself establish the truth of history. Further, a historiography based on the absence of evidence of certain elements of the Harappan matrial cultue in the Vedas and of the Vedic culture in the extant Harappan archeological record is not evidence of absence. There are other valid explanations and tenable historical interpretations consistent with the diversity and complmentarity character of the traditional Indian culture.
One wonders why this myth of the Aryan Invasion is still taken seriously by the establishment academics and their followers. The explantion lie principally in the understanding that its origins began in the orbit of colonial orientalism in the 19th century; and it is a perspective, which the present-day neo-orientalists continue to perpetuate on account of their methodological affinities and ideological agendas. What were, in fact, wrong ideas have become bad ideas, burdening historical narratives and interpretations.. Indians like others have lived with their past, while the neo-orientalist continue to live in the past ingeniously perpetuating their myths.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->