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It's Not Revisionist History When It's Actually Accurate | Murali Balaji
During the 1800s, Orientalist scholars such as Max Müller developed the theory that ancient India, specifically the northern part that includes modern day Pakistan, was invaded by a group called the Aryans, a term derived from the Sanskrit term arya (noble) and used commonly in the Rig Vedas, one of Hinduism's oldest sacred texts. Their assumption of an invasion was guided by a number of contextual factors, including the assumption that the Earth, at least according to Christian beliefs, was only several thousand years old.
Moreover, the homology between Sanskrit and contemporary European languages such as English and German was, and remains, a persuasive argument for a "Proto-Indo-European" (PIE) language from which Sanskrit, English, German and other languages descended. During Müller's time, it also seemed appropriate to situate the original PIE-speaking group in the middle of the various territories the descendant languages currently occupy. By this logic, Sanskrit speakers would have come to India somewhere from the West. Hence, the Aryan Invasion Theory. All subsequent data for more than a century was fit into this model.
But a funny thing happened to the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT): evidence emerged that the so-called Aryans could have been indigenous to India. The long-puzzling remains of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, for example, discovered after the AIT was developed, suggested practices that are similar to those of contemporary Hinduism, undercutting the belief that Hinduism was a religion imposed from the outside into the subcontinent.
Additionally, even the linguistic basis for the theory came into question, as research on the traditional dichotomies between so-called Aryan and Dravidian languages revealed more linguistic diversity than previously understood. Slowly, even the most hardcore proponents of Aryan Invasion Theory began to shift to a more nuanced explanation, called Aryan Migration Theory, to explain how Aryans mingled with Dravidians in waves, eventually establishing Vedic culture in the subcontinent. Aryan Migration Theory, however, has failed to account for recent genealogical and archaeological findings that suggest more indigenous roots. Several studies conducted over the past decade show that an Aryan Invasion or Migration simply could not have occurred the way scholars had previously surmised, including a 2011 study and one conducted by National Geographic.
While I won't go as far as to say that the Aryan debate is settled, it's clear that children in schools probably don't need to be inundated with information about conflicting theories that do little to help us understand the development of ancient Indian society. Aryan Invasion or Migration Theory continues to be prominently featured in textbooks, while states such as California are still using outdated understandings about Aryan Invasion Theory as a basis for content standards. This is why HAF is pushing for an evidence-based reform and revision of educational content, especially in light of how Common Core is being implemented across the country. Perhaps in reforming instructional materials, we can better appreciate the rich legacy of ancient Indian society, including developments in Hinduism, and the emergence of Buddhism and Jainism.
During the 1800s, Orientalist scholars such as Max Müller developed the theory that ancient India, specifically the northern part that includes modern day Pakistan, was invaded by a group called the Aryans, a term derived from the Sanskrit term arya (noble) and used commonly in the Rig Vedas, one of Hinduism's oldest sacred texts. Their assumption of an invasion was guided by a number of contextual factors, including the assumption that the Earth, at least according to Christian beliefs, was only several thousand years old.
Moreover, the homology between Sanskrit and contemporary European languages such as English and German was, and remains, a persuasive argument for a "Proto-Indo-European" (PIE) language from which Sanskrit, English, German and other languages descended. During Müller's time, it also seemed appropriate to situate the original PIE-speaking group in the middle of the various territories the descendant languages currently occupy. By this logic, Sanskrit speakers would have come to India somewhere from the West. Hence, the Aryan Invasion Theory. All subsequent data for more than a century was fit into this model.
But a funny thing happened to the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT): evidence emerged that the so-called Aryans could have been indigenous to India. The long-puzzling remains of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, for example, discovered after the AIT was developed, suggested practices that are similar to those of contemporary Hinduism, undercutting the belief that Hinduism was a religion imposed from the outside into the subcontinent.
Additionally, even the linguistic basis for the theory came into question, as research on the traditional dichotomies between so-called Aryan and Dravidian languages revealed more linguistic diversity than previously understood. Slowly, even the most hardcore proponents of Aryan Invasion Theory began to shift to a more nuanced explanation, called Aryan Migration Theory, to explain how Aryans mingled with Dravidians in waves, eventually establishing Vedic culture in the subcontinent. Aryan Migration Theory, however, has failed to account for recent genealogical and archaeological findings that suggest more indigenous roots. Several studies conducted over the past decade show that an Aryan Invasion or Migration simply could not have occurred the way scholars had previously surmised, including a 2011 study and one conducted by National Geographic.
While I won't go as far as to say that the Aryan debate is settled, it's clear that children in schools probably don't need to be inundated with information about conflicting theories that do little to help us understand the development of ancient Indian society. Aryan Invasion or Migration Theory continues to be prominently featured in textbooks, while states such as California are still using outdated understandings about Aryan Invasion Theory as a basis for content standards. This is why HAF is pushing for an evidence-based reform and revision of educational content, especially in light of how Common Core is being implemented across the country. Perhaps in reforming instructional materials, we can better appreciate the rich legacy of ancient Indian society, including developments in Hinduism, and the emergence of Buddhism and Jainism.