Arrival of Aryans

During the early civilisations, different tribes and communities used to migrate from one place to another to find land for cultivation and food. Moreover, climate change, natural disasters and clashes among tribes also forced them to move to safer places. During Bronze and Iron ages, migration increased because the people had conveyance and domesticated animals to carry them and their belongings. They also became aware of geographical locations of the known sites of their time.

Experts suggest that in 2000BC Aryans moved from the Caspian Sea, where they were initially inhabited, and migrated to different parts of Europe and India, which is why they are called Indo-European.

In 1500BC they started to arrive in India via Iran and Afghanistan. Their arrival coincided with the decline of the Indus Valley civilisation which began in 1700BC. Therefore, there were no authority figures to keep an eye on the immigrants. Moreover, during the ancient period, there was plenty of land and lesser population so that the newly arrived Aryans did not create any difficulties for the old inhabitants.

So far, it was believed that Aryans invaded India and pushed the indigenous people to other parts of India. But according to a new research, Aryans were not invaders but migrants who came in different groups from time to time and settled in India along with local people.

Recently some historians debated that Aryans were not foreigners but local Indians and migrated from India to other parts of the world. The reason of this theory is to reject the other theory that reveals that India was always ruled by foreigners and locals submitted to them. However, there is no historical evidence of this argument, and that is the reason it was rejected by the historians.

Meaning of 'Arya'

The word 'Arya' was used both as an adjective as well as to define the race. In Sanskrit it means 'noble' or 'a person who belongs to the upper class'. Therefore, it was used for those people who belonged to the prestigious race. According to experts, the word 'Arya' was derived from an ancient Iranian word 'ar-ya' which is used in Zoroastrians' sacred book Avesta. Later on, it was used for Aryans as a race.

In India, Aryan civilisation was very much influenced by their sacred books, Vedas, therefore, their early period in history is known as Vedic period. Historians have divided it into two parts first from 1500 to 800BC, and the second from 800 to 500BC. During this period they settled in India and developed their religious beliefs, social, cultural values and customs. Our sources to get information about their social and economic activities are Vedas and other writing pieces of that era.

When they first arrived in India, they settled in Punjab. Their first Veda was 'Rig-Veda' which was compiled here. However, gradually they moved from Indus Valley because of their conflict with the locals, natural calamities and wars among their own tribes. Another reason for migration was that during that period, Iran occupied Punjab and Sindh. Feeling themselves unsafe due to the presence of Iranians, they migrated to the valley of Ganges and Yamuna. There they developed their culture and religious rituals, and at the same time they mixed up with the local people and adopted a number of customs from them.