Sunday 28 December 2014

History of an Asian, Indus valley and Indo-Aryan civilisation

I am really impressed to listen the lectures of  Associate Professor Abdul Karim Khan from the University of Hawaii about Asian civilisation who has great knowledge of history and his presentations are very engaging that helps curious minded who love to learn and understand about history of Asia especially South Asia. 

Nature unified humanity it is the great statement made by Dr Khan in his second part of his lecture in the "Monsoon Asia" and gives example of agriculture of rice culture in tropical areas of Asia, which is oceanic areas and south east of Asia and another is wheat culture in continental areas of Asia, which is north west of Asia and mostly outside Asia. In rice culture people work together since they need water whereas in wheat culture is not as great as rice culture because they work individually.  He further talks about the Nature of labour=Nature of land and says that in the nature of labour land is hard due to less water and people work individually whereas in Nature of land there is soft land due to more water and people work collectively 


I have watched his few other lectures about Indus valley civilisation, Indo-Aryan civilisation, Hinduism and Buddhism which found fascinating and insightful to learn and understand about our own civilisation influenced by Aryan who came from between the Black and Caspian Seas.


Here is the excerpt about the Aryan history who came to India and became Indo-aryan.  



- Aryan/Arya is a Sanskrit for "Noble" and "Pure".
- It can be both racial/ethnic or linguistic group.
- 3000 BCE orginated between the Black and Caspian Seas.
- Between Europe (Ukraine) and Asia (Iran).
- Aryans dispersed in different directions
- "Iran" means "Aryans' Land" in Persian /Sanskrit Languages.
- Reached closer to Northwestern India
- In 1500 BCE Aryan conquered India.
- Fall of Indus Civilisation.
- Aryans different from native peoples of India.
- Aryan as an Linguistic group suggesting an original common source of Sanskrit, Persian, Greek, Latin, German, Russian, English, etc and there are so much similarities of Aryan people who went in different directions.
- In 1500 Aryans came from Iran and entered India from Afghanistan.
- Invaded /conquered Northwestern India.
- They spread toward Northeast where the Ganges and Januman river meet in the Doab (two rivers' land).
- Aryans enslaved Dravidians (native of India) and/or People's of the Indus civilisation.
- Established race based society.
- Aryans were white and taller.
- Dravidians called Dasa (natives) were darker and shorter compared to Caucasian people.
- Foreign white Aryan minority ruling dark Dravidian majority.
- Had interaction between
       - Aryan nomadic masters and Dravidian settled slaves and had mutual influences.
       - Dravidians adopted Aryan religion.
      - Aryans adopted Dravidian agriculture practices and architecture
      - Dravidan  words for agriculture entered Aryans's sanskrit language.
      - Aryan Sanskrit script utilised Indus ideograms and Aramaic script of west Asia.

- Aryans became Indians just as Mongol invaders of China became Chinese thus they became Indianisation.
- They abandoned nomadic/pastoral lifestyle for settled agriculture
- Essential feature of Aryan Society in India.
  - Sanskrit language
  - Social/caste system
  - Brahman/priestly rule
   - Republics/kingdoms sprang out in India

- Aryan society socio-economic/poliical changes
   - They were very good at lyrics so from Lyricism to Literature it went
   - From Poetry to Philosophy
   - From Invasions to settlements
   - From Nomadism to civilisation and became cultured people

By 1000 BCE completed veda (wisdom/knowledge) in oral version.
- Vedic hymms memorized.
Between 500-200 BCE the Veda scriptures were written.
- The need for literate priests, Brahmans.
References 
1. Asian Civilisation part 1-Introduction access from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbdcSxtsj9A 
2. Asian civilisation part 2-Monsoon Asia access from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_SHR-kPZQw
3. Asian Civilization-Part05-Indo-Aryan Civilization (1500 BC - 200 BC) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huCE09UZUco&feature=youtu.be

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