A Comprehensive History of India
Lecture – 3
October 9- 2011
Linguistic Diversity
Maharaj Mukherjee
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
What is common among these?
Lal Patthar
Petrified Tree
Petroleum
St. Peter’s Cathedral
Pathar - Rock
They all came from the same word which means – a rock
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Linguistic Diversity
Lal PattharHindi
Pathar Bengali
Peter –
English
Petra + Oleum
Latin
How come the same word is used in so many different languages?
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Indo-Aryan (Indo-European)
Languages
English
Hindi
French
German
Bengali
Oriya
Italian
Kashmiri
Parsi
Marathi
Guajarati
Tara (Bengali) / Taraka (Sanskrit)/ Sitara (Hindi) /Star (English)/ Astra (Latin)
Bhana (Bengali, sanskrit)/ Bahn (German)/ Vehicle (English. Latn)
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Indo Aryan Migration
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Caucasian Mountains
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Aryan Migration to India and Europe
Why did the Aryans Migrate?
• Why do people migrate?
• Basic Needs
• Food
• Shelter
• Population Pressure
• Pursuit of Happiness
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
The Aryans
also first
populated the
Indus Valley
Map of India
Himalayas
Bindhya
Arabian Sea
Bay of Bengal
Indian Ocean
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Hints of Reasons of Migration
• Indian Mythological Stories
– Gods leaving the heaven because of the Asuras
– Aryans in Iran (Aryan) worshipped Ahuras
HS
• The River Indus was originally known as Sindhu
– Sindhu means – a large body of water
• Sindhu > Hindu > Hindi > Indus > India
• The word Hindu was used by Iranians/Aryans to just distinguish
themselves and refer to the tribe that were lost.
• The Indian Aryans – did not call themselves as Hindu-s.
• The Iranian – Aryans called them Hindu-s and the name got
stuck
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
What were the Aryans Like?
•
•
•
•
They were nomads
They did not have farms
They did not know how to write
They did not know how to build brick
houses or cities
• They were great thinkers/inventors
• They knew how to make iron
– That means they mined for coal and iron
• They learned how to use horse in
war and hunting
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
The Spread of Aryans in India
• The Aryans moved
along the river Ganges
Aryavarta – Land of Aryans
• Their spread came to
Bengal last
• Their spread was
limited by Himalyas on
the North, Vindhya on
the South and
Ganges+Bramhaputra on
the East
Dakshinapath – The way of
the South
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
The Spread of the Aryans
Gandhara, Madra,
Bahika:
Afghanistan/
Punjub
Kuru: Delhi and
surrounding
places
Panchala:
Uttarpradesh
Kosala: Bihar
Uttar Pradesh
Videha, Anga:
Bihar
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
The spread of Aryans
• The spread was along the Ganges Plains
• As they spread they also fought and interacted
with people who were already in India:
– Danavas – Big People (Indus Valley People ??)
– Rakshashas – Demons (Native Hunter Gatherers)
• They learned farming
• They learned to build cities
• They learned to build states and empires
– Will be covered in the next lecture
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Aryan way of Life
•
•
•
•
Aryan Religion
Division of Labor
Life Style
Quest for Learning
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Aryan Religion
• They worshipped natural forces
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Indra – God of rain and thunder on a horse
Varuna – God of water
Agni – God of fire
Pavana – God of the wind
Ashwinis – God of the herbs
Surya – The Sun God
Soma – The Moon God
Bramhana – The God that created everything
• As they migrated they also adapted the gods of
the natives
– Durga, Shiva, Vishnu
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Division of Labor (Barna)
• Four Categories or Barnas:
– Brahmins – Educators, Thinkers, Experts,
Priests
– Kshatriyas – Soldiers, Rulers, Kings, Knights,
– Baishyas – Traders, Business People,
Bankers,
– Shudras – Farmers, Workers, Laborers
• People outside the Barnas – Untouchables
– Mainly non-Aryans
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Life Style - Ashrama
• Four Stages of Life – Ashrama
– Balya - Childhood
• Spent part at home followed by staying with the
teacher in the school
– Garhastha – Home life
• Working, looking after the family
– Banaprastha – Retired life
– Sanyasa – Leaving the home and staying as
a recluse.
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Quest for Learning
• First wide spread public
school system
– They did not know how to
write
– Spread knowledge from
the teacher to the student
by learning
• First Literature – not
written
– Vedas
– Upanishads
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Aryan - Literature
• Vedas: A collection of verses describing
everything in life
– Scientific process – how to lit a fire, proper
way of farming
– How to lead a disciplined life
• Upanishadas: A more filtered version of
Vedas dealing with more esoteric and
spiritual quests
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
A quote from the Vedas
In the beginning there was neither existence nor non- existence; there was no
atmosphere, no sky, and no realm beyond the sky. What power was there?
Where was that power? Who was that power? Was it finite or infinite?
There was neither death nor immortality. There was nothing to distinguish night
from day. There was no wind or breath. God alone breathed by his own
energy. Other than God there was... nothing.
In the beginning darkness was swathed in darkness. All was liquid and
formless. God was clothed in emptiness.
Then fire arose within God; and in the fire arose love. This was the seed of the
soul. Sages have found this seed within their hearts; they have discovered that
it is the bond between existence and non-existence.
Who really knows what happened? Who can describe it? How were things
produced? Where was creation born? When the universe was created, the one
became many. Who knows how this occurred?
Did creation happen at God's command, or did it happen without his
command? He looks down upon creation from the highest heaven. Only he
knows the answer -or perhaps he does not know.
Rig Veda 10:129.1-7
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Sample Quiz Questions
• What is common among these?
•
– They all came from the same word
• Are Bengali and English related languages?
– Yes
• Did the Aryans always lived in India?
– No they came from the Caucasian Mountains
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Sample Quiz Questions
• Did the Aryans called themselves as
Hindus?
– No – the other Aryans/Iranians called them
Hindus
• What were the four division of labors?
– Priests, Soldiers, Traders, Farmers
• Name one important Aryan literature
– Vedas, Upanishads
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee