The Aryan Invasion Theory is an idea from the 20th century that states a group of Aryans came to northern India and destroyed the Indus Valley Civilization. People who disagree with this idea say that it was made up to justify the British invasion of India and has no basis in archaeology or genetics.
Due to what the most populous tribe, Aryana, did during the time in question, there are still a lot of questions and disagreements about India’s past geography. Focus has been put on finding an answer to the long-standing question of whether or not the Aryans invaded India or if they are, in fact, invaders. Because of this, the famous German “orientalist and philologist” Friedrich Max Müller has developed a theory to explain how Indians remember their history and past. The “Aryan invasion theory” is based on the idea that the Aryan tribe moved to or conquered the Asian subcontinent.
What does the term “Aryan invasion” mean?
During the time they were in charge of India as a colony, the British used or rather adopted the idea of an “Aryan invasion.” With this idea, the British tried to legitimize and explain why they were in charge of India. It is also said that they used this idea as a plan to invade the Asian subcontinents. So, they have effectively shown that “white people” are to blame for “dark-skinned people” being mistreated and must do so. This happened two thousand years ago before Christ was born. In Aryan Invasion, this idea helps to show that this is true.
Main Idea behind the “Aryan Invasion”
Max Müller, a well-known person, created the “Aryan invasion idea” based on his idea that shows how different languages are similar. A few examples of these languages are “Sanskrit,” “Greek,” “Spanish,” “French,” and “German.” You could also say that these European languages were found during the colonial period by European researchers. Max thought that the Aryans either moved to India or attacked it based on this evidence alone.
At first, people thought that the “Dravidians” lived in India before the Aryans came and that the Aryans then killed them all off. The idea also said that the Aryan invaders were like underground roots that led to the creation of “Modern India.” The thesis also tries to show that the “Harappan civilization” is not where Indian civilization began.
Theory that the Aryans took over
Since the beginning of colonial rule in India, linguists like William Jones and Jakob Grimm (who co-edited “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”) have noticed that Sanskrit is similar to French, English, Farsi (or Persian), and Russian in many ways. Linguists finally concluded that all of these languages came from a single language called Indo-European.
But most of the languages in North India are Indo-European, while most of the languages in South India are Dravidian. Researchers developed the so-called “Aryan invasion” theory to explain this. This theory says that a group from outside India invaded northern India and brought a proto-Sanskrit language with them. The word “Aryans” comes from the Sanskrit word “Arya,” which means “noble” or “honorable.” In the early 1900s, a British archaeologist named Mortimer Wheeler said that these Aryans may have attacked and destroyed the mysterious Indus Valley Civilization, which lived in what is now India and Pakistan.
After that, the Aryan migration hypothesis became controversial. It was used to explain why some Indian subgroups thought they were better, because it was the basis for the caste system, and because the Nazis used a distorted version of it to say that the Aryans were the “master race.”
Also, a 2003 study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics said that genetic evidence from before the Bronze Age didn’t seem to support the idea that many Aryans moved to India.
Why do people keep asking, “ what’s the Aryan invasion theory?”
According to Max Muller’s “Aryan invasion idea,” different pieces of historical evidence were used to back up what the British believed. The evidence was also gathered to show the people of India that “white-skinned people,” meaning the British, had a right to colonize India and treat “dark-skinned people,” meaning the Indians, badly. The following are not enough reasons to say that British rule in India was right. The fact that Indians have a culture is the oldest and most important proof that Aryans did too. The “Aryan invasion idea” shows that there are also similarities in the way people speak. During the time of the Aryans, the “caste-based structure” that divided society was also taken away. Most of the time, Latin or Greek is the European language linked to Sanskrit. The idea also showed that the “uncivilized Dravidians” were made more civilized by the Aryans.
Is the “Aryan invasion hypothesis” right or not?
At this point in the investigation, it is clear to the Indians that this hypothesis hides a secret truth. It’s easy to think that the British made up this idea and put a front in front of the Indians to boost their colonial power there. They also show that they tried to make the Indians more civilized and that this is not the first time something like this has happened. This story took place after “The Invasion of the Aryans.” This made the Indians wonder, “Is it true that the Aryans took over?”
Max Muller came up with the question, “What is the Aryan invasion theory?” out of the blue. Indians were curious about the ideas, so they asked the British, “Is the Aryan invasion hypothesis true?” The British used this excuse to justify their actions during colonialism. In the name of “civilizing” “uncivilized” Indians, this ideology also gave them the freedom to steal, plunder, and use India’s wealth ruthlessly.
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