‘ARYANS’, ‘DRAVIDS’AND ‘NAGAS’---SOME LIES, SOME MYTHS AND SOME LEGENDS

‘ARYANS’, ‘DRAVIDS’AND ‘NAGAS’---SOME LIES, SOME MYTHS AND SOME LEGENDS-PART ONE



Who are Dravidian people? Are they ethnically same? Do they owe their origin to South India? Strange questions I ask and strange answers I will give. I will quote from known written sources but deduce based on what the ORAL HISTORY of the people would dictate to me. Firstly, DRAVIDIAN PEOPLE are neither one nor ethnically same. The origin of the word is interesting. As I Go through WIKIPEDIA article, it makes certain amusing observations. These are:-

-The word first time finds mention in SANSKRIT TEXTS in and around seventh century AD. It was used by KUMARILA BHATTA in his book TANTRIKAVARTTIKA. It is alleged the word was used to describe TAMIL LANGUAGE. It was an Englishman, namely, Robert Caldwell, who used this phrase to describe people of South India. He coined the term DRAVIDIANS in the 19th Century. How ironic—there are people in South India whose ancestors coined this dergatory term to describe lowly people but today they as descendants of 'ANCIENTS GREATS' are also clubbed into the same category.

-The Origin of the word DRAVIDA is attributed to the Sanskrit word “DRAMILA” or “DAMILA”, which later corrupted to Tamil or Tamil speaking people. It has been done by Linguists and they have gone to the extent of equating these words with TAMIL or TARMIZ. However, I have a different definition. I personally feel the word has been coined out of old Sanskrit and ancient PERSIAN words. There is a Persian word “DRI-CHE-SHAK”, meaning undoubtedly or without doubt. Here, DRI stands for WITHOUT and ‘SHAK’ for ‘DOUBT’. Even in SANSKRIT the word ‘DRI’stands for “LACKING- IN”. The word DRAVID is made of two Sanskrit words “DRI” and “VID”. DRI, as explained, would stand for ‘Lacking-in or poor’ while “VID” means KNOWLEDGE. Thus DRAVID was a person who did not have the knowledge. It was used to refer to people who were considered INFERIOR---as till a few years back or even today, NON-ENGLISH speaking people are viewed. It was not referring to a race or one ethnicity but was used as a derogatory term.

-Robert Caldwell, a renowned linguist, in his book “Grammar of the Dravidians or the People of South India, published in 1856, recognized 73 Dravidian languages spoken from South India to Baluchistan(PAKISTAN),Western Iran, Afghanistan and Urals. It is now believed they were the people who established Pre –Aryan or the HARAPPAN civilization .I call it the civilization of NAGA people who were the worshippers of lord Shiva. The VEDIC knowledge belongs to them which had been usurped by the ARYANS because by that time, say around 1900 BC to 2800 BC NATURAL UPHEAVALS had devastated the NAGA CIVILISATION. Anyway at this stage, dates are not important.

The more I dig into VEDIC and ARYAN myths and legends, the more I am astonished at the written volumes of BRITISH-INTERPRETTED accounts of ancient Indian History. I do not blame the BRITISHERS for this gaffe but the obedient servants of HIS MASTER’s VOICE---the genre of modern Indian historians of colonial and post-colonial era. My pointer is towards the callous neglect of the ORAL HISTORY while interpreting ancient Indian history. There was a need for a deliberate effort to establish a linkage of ORAL HISTORY with the archaeological sites. The BRITISHERS couldn’t have done this. They did not understand the local facts of customs, traditions, folklores, food habits and the development of language and local dialect to include, sayings, maxims, phrases and the grammar. Let me explain my point regarding the impact of historical events on language, dialect, customs, traditions and children games. I will do so with some examples from rural Punjab of yesteryears to show as to how do games, phrases and idioms evolve?

There was a game in rural PUNJAB, some 3-4 decades back, which the young children used to play. In this game, they drew out a square on the ground. Divided it into five rectangles from top to bottom. The third and fifth rectangles were further subdivided vertically into two equal rectangles each. The own side of the side is called ‘GHAR’ (Home). The far side is called ‘SAMUNDAR’ (THE SEA). And then they throw a dice sequentially from the HOME SIDE rectangle first and go towards the SEA SIDE rectangles step by step. Each time they have to go hopping on one leg to the rectangle where the dice is lying and push it out of the square. It is done in turns. Should the dice go out sideways or land in the opponent’s square—the player is considered out. Should you successfully bring the dice out of the square---you own the rectangle where you had thrown the dice. There are two players or two teams. It is called “ADDEE –CHHARAPPA”, meaning “HEEL- HOPPING”. Now, how would you interpret this game? If I write it, for your convenience as “ADDEE-CH-HARAPPA”, then, what would you say? Let me translate it for you: HARAPPA UNDER MY HEEL. Are you raising your heckles? Why not? This is what the game means—if you follow its basic characteristics.

Go to SANGHOL—an archaeological site of HARAPPAN period---near Chandigarh, some 60 kms South West of it on the road to Ludhiana. They say it lay on the banks of river SATLUJ when it was a tributary of river SARASWATI. The excavations reveal that it was a well planned city—which one day, some distant time in the past, just banished. The folk lore says that it was the outcome of the curse of a woman of the village. They tell you the story of the curse of a widowed girl of the village who, being harassed and troubled, wanted the TOWN to cave in---or in typical Punjabi word---“NIGGHAR JAAVE”. And Lo! It caved in one evening with the sound “GARH—GARH—GARH---GARH---GARH”. Is the name “GHAGGAR”—the name of the dry stream—alleged to be ancient SARASWATI CHANNEL based on this sound “GARH ---GARH---GARH”? Just think about it? Go to Ropar, some 50 Kms WEST of Chandigarh on the road to Jalandhar/Hoshiarpur. It is on the banks of river SATLUJ as it comes out of the Shivalik Hills. The excavations, there too, tell a similar story. How about Chandigarh itself? The museum in the Punjab University tells the story of its linkage with Harappa sites. In India, the story of our historical evolution has been greatly mystified in our attempt to glamourise our past based on certain epochal stories. We tend to be emotional in claiming everything as indigenous. Let me illustrate this in succeeding paragraphs.

Take the case of evolution of Hinduism. I t must be understood that unlike other religions, it was not founded by any MESSIAH, PROPHET or a SAINT. It evolved itself by the confluence of various TEMPORAL PHILOSOPHIES, both indigenous and external. It graduated from geographical identity to religious identity over 1000 years. Primarily, it emerged with the synthesis of two diametrically opposite philosophies---SHAIVISM and VAISHNAVISM. While SHAIVITES were NON-VEGETERAIANS; VAISHNAVITES are VEGETARIANS. Even today KASHMIRI PANDITS—the Staunch SHAIVITES ---eat MEAT and that too ‘HALAAL’ and not JHATKA’. ‘Shaivites’ had Lord Shiva as its presiding deity; Vaishnavites had Lord Vishnu. ‘Shaivites’ believed in LIVING LIFE HAPPILY TODAY---thus their guiding principle was: EAT, DRINK and BE MERY. Vaishnavites believed in the betterment OF FUTURE through ‘GOOD DEEDS TODAY’.

SHAIVISM is indigenous and VAISHNAVISM is imported. In the times bygone, both of them were competitive temporal philosophies. In the history of ‘Chalukyas’, a dynasty ruling in the peninsular India around 1000-1200AD, there are instances of kings patronizing SHAIVISM and prosecuting the Vaishnavites. It is alleged that one of the Chalukya kings, namely Kullothunga Chola II, had removed the statue of Lord Vishnu from the SHIVA shrine at CHIDAMBRAM. History and EPOCHS tell us that LORD SHIVA had been the most revered deity of ancient India. The mythical RAVANA of RAMAYANA was worshipper of LORD SHIVA. Balmiki, who wrote, original RAMAYANA was a CHANDAL—who were SHIVA followers. But, over a period of time the competition between SHAVITES and VAISHNAVITES has gone and both of them merged to create HINDUISM---which further gave birth to Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

Both of them had so well meshed into one another, today, that it laid the foundation of the basic two TENETS of TOLERANCE and PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE of Hinduism. Their merger gave rise to the concept of COLLECTIVE WISDOM and MULTIPLICITY of GODS---so as to give freedom of choice in religious matters. They had merged so well that each lost its individual identity. The emergence of HINDUISM, around 530 AD, did exactly the same to INDIA what GLOBALISATION was doing to the WORLD, today. I may add here that the emerging “INDIANISM or INDIANESS” of today, might have the finer characteristics of al prevailing major religions in India, as did HINDUISM in the 6th Century AD. Geography and climatic environments do play their part in shaping the course of history as for as traditions, customs and lingual peculiarities are concerned. The point is we have to study our history in unison with ORAL TRADITIONS, ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCES and AVAILABLE WRITTEN RECORDS.

The excavations of the archaeological sites and historical monuments do not tell the true tale of our HISTORY unless we take into account the folklores, food habits, dresses, traditions, customs and lingual dialects. All this make oral history besides some written accounts. Purely basing your judgment on the artifacts discovered gives out only a disconnected and disconcerted story. Most of the ancient Indian History has been interpreted on the bases of potteries and metal works and ‘periods’ have been assigned by a process of elimination. This is amongst the reasons that after the excavations at HARAPPA—the ancient history has fallen prey to the reasoning and argument whether HARAPPA was PRE-VEDIC / ARYAN or POST VEDIC. Equally ironical is the fact that it has been dubbed as INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION—whereas it might be SAPTA SINDHU or NAGA CIVILISATION.

Who were Aryans? I agree with ROMILLA THAPAR on their LINGUAL IDENTITY. I am not going to indulge in the debate whether they were indigenous or from outside. Before I go further, let me ask you some pertinent questions. Who are the ENGLISH SPEAKING people of modern India? Are they ethnically one? Are they fair complexioned or dark complexioned? “What silly questions”, some of you would say? Yes, they are very very silly and stupid questions. Frankly speaking, they are as stupid as has been the case of the ARYANS identity with some superior ethnicity or VEDIC KNOWLEDGE. How did English language come to India? It was not of Indian origin. Today, a major chunk of URBAN India, reads, writes and may be, speaks English. It does not make them ethnically one. Linguistic uniformity does not represent ethnic connectivity. Same is true of ARYANS. It only speaks of their Lingual affinity and not of racial. I would say same of the word, “DRAVID”.

Let me emphatically state that there were no ETHNIC identities of the words ‘ARYANS’ or ‘VEDIC’ and ‘DRAVID’. The DRAVIDS do not have even the lingual similarity. They might include ‘EARLY ARYANS’, ‘NAGAS’ and various nomadic tribes who lived in the forests of a region EAST of ‘SARASWATI-SINDHU’ basin. As I have stated above, ‘DRAVID ‘was a word concocted by SANSKRIT speaking ARYANS to represent NON-SANSKRIT SPEAKING people. It had the similar connotation as the ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLE of today have towards NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING native PEOPLE. It had some derogatory and disrespectful implications—like CRUDE, BARBARIAN or an uneducated person might be referred to. I will come back to it a little later.

‘Aryan’ is a word used for people who spoke probably, a crude dialect of a language now recognized as SANSKRIT. They were the people who branched off from a tribe which migrated to ancient PERSIA from steppes of Central Asia. ‘Crude Sanskrit had many similarities with ancient Persian language AVESTAN. SANSKRIT was reformed and perfected around FIRST CENTURY AD by PANINI---“SAMAST KRIT---meaning PERFECTED”. It is after this that dissimilarities might have cropped up in the two languages. Modern day IRAN (ancient PERSIA) derives its name from the word ARIANA. It was in the 19th Century and early 20th Century that the word was glamorized, by GERMAN SCHOLARS who, too, claimed to be descendants of the same tribe. It was thus accorded an ethnic supremacy—which was exploited by HITLER to discredit Jews and other European people.

When ‘Harappa’ and ‘Mohan Jodaro’, both in Pakistan, were excavated around early 20th Century, a myth was woven around the supremacy of ‘Aryans and Vedic’ people, based on the architectural greatness of these two towns. In the absence of any available written historical records, it was assumed that crude and brute people of India could not have such an advanced civilization in the past. No attempt was made to seek a connection with ORAL HISTORY of the land. Thus a theory of ARYAN INVASION and CONQUER of INDIA was forwarded and accorded legitimacy. Thus was created a myth of VEDIC PEOPLE and INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION. To this, confusion was added by some INDIAN SCHOLARS who claimed INDIA as the origin of VEDIC or the ARYAN PEOPLE. Both were eccentrically wrong.

The word VEDIC or VEDAS has it roots in a SANSKRIT word ‘VID’, which means knowledge and education, as explained previously. Thus, the VEDAS do contain KNOWLEDGE but it PRE-EXISTED the arrival of ARYANS. The four VEDAS have their amplifications given in BRAHMANAS, PURANS, UPNISHADAS and ARYANIKAS. This knowledge belonged to people who lived in the region called SAPTA SINDHU and ALP-GANHSTHAN (AFGHANISTAN). They were neither ARYANS nor DRAVIDS—they were SAIVITES—or the followers of Lord SHIVA or what I would say “NAGA PEOPLE”. Mythology tells us that NAGAS owe their origin to RISHI (SAINT) KASHYAP. These RISHIS used to live in the forests with their families---the ARYANAKAS are the explanatory notes by them on various forms of VEDIC LITERATURE. Rishi KASHYAP or KASHPYO in GREEK is reported to have given his name to CASPIAN SEA and KASHMIR. There are different mythological stories to be told but at some other times. Here, suffice to say the descendants of KASHYAP still exist as a CASTE amongst Hindus. They claim themselves as KASHYAP RAJPUTS but worked as WATER BEARERS or PLANQUIN BEARERS in the good old days.

The Naga civilization was spread from modern day Afghanistan to East up to Assam and Kashmir in the North to Karnataka in the South. They generally lived along the water bodies such as lakes and rivers, that is why also called ‘WATER PEOPLE’. Bulk of the civilization was around rivers SARASWATI -SINDHU and their tributaries. Ninety percent of the HARAPPAN sites are located in this region. These people had trade links with the west right up to Greece, Mesopotemia and River Oxus or AAMU River.

They had their own script---closer to BRAHMI or PRAKRITI which resembles more with Indo-Dravidian or Tamil or South Indian Language. Some 434 characters have been identified. It needs to be deciphered. Efforts are on to do so. The seals recovered at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro tell the tale of family histories. Most prominent one is of a UNICORN BULL—not a known animal species these days. I will come back with some detailed interpretations of these seals.

PART TWO


In Part One, I had stated that VEDIC KNOWLEDGE in India pre-existed the arrival of so- called ARYANS. I had also gone on to say that the MYTH of ARYA, as a race, was created by Europeans or more particularly the GERMANS, who were looking for a racial supremacy. Therefore, when in the early twenties of the last Century, such magnificent archaeological sites as HARAPPA and MOHANJO-DARO were excavated, they were immediately linked to something superior which had imported itself from outside to the Indian mainland. People, like MAXMULELLER and MORTIMER WHEELER, could not believe that ancient INDIA could have had created such ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS IN URBAN DWELLING. Western Scholars, trained and educated on the biblical beliefs that the universe was created only around 23 October 4100BC, could not think of the world existing prior to this. In time and space,they reduced everything to within 2000BC and originating from Central Asia. Thus, based on the flimsiest of grounds, the theory of ARYAN INVASION and CONQUER was floated when a mount of dead bodies was found at MOHANJO-DARO. It was assumed that they might have been slaughtered by the SUPERIOR ARYANS. This myth led to the emergence of a SUPER MYTH on the supremacy and superiroity of a great ARYAN & VEDIC KNOWLEDGE, imported from outside. New archaeological excavations and the interpretation of the ORAL HISTORY reveal that the MYTH and the SUPER MYTH, both, were a cruel joke on the ANCIENT GREATNESS of INDIA.

I have already highlighted in Part One that ARYANS were only a lingual fraternity of SANSKRIT speaking people, who probably used it as a title to add honour and dignity to self. They did not belong to one particular race as is true of ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLE of today. Also, it would be pertinent to note that they did not come as a one big migration or invading hordes but as a trickle and gradually their numbers multiplied. Who can deny that SILICON VALLEY in CALIFORNIA, USA was bursting at seams today with growing population of INDIANS and ASIANS? What would you say, 500 or 1000 years hence, if the demographic shift takes place in their favor----and you have more of HINDI, Chinese or TAMIL speaking people there? I suspect something of this nature happened in ancient India in the late HARAPPAN period around 2800-1900 BC. The people speaking crude- sanskritic- dialect came as TRADERS from Central Asia and began settling down. It is a different matter that after coming to the LAND OF SAPTASINDHU they might have contributed towards the further development of the existing VEDIC KNOWLEDGE.

By the way, we call this knowledge "VEDIC" for ease of understanding and also because it was SANSKRITISED by the Sanskrit speaking people who were enamored by its greatness and depth. More ever, the main fact is that the PICTORIAL SCRIPT of the INDIGENOUS INDIANS, like the HARAPPAN SCRIPT, was too difficult for the general public to understand. Sanskrit language had become to ancient INDIANS what English language is to modern India. I would also like to emphasize here THAT THE REAL, ACTUAL AND INTELLIGBLE DEVELOPMENT OF SANSKRIT TOOK PLACE ONLY IN THE ‘SAPTA SINDHU REGION’. It was perfected by PANINI in the first Century AD and he created a GRAMMAR for it. Prior to this, SANSKRIT was the poor sister of AVESTAN ZENDA of ancient Persians. It was crude and without a proper script. Before PANINI perfected the script and the grammar, there was a tradition of ORAL TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE from one generation to another generation. GURUKUL SCHOOLS excelled in this.

It has now been established that origins of Indian civilization go back to the end of last ICE AGE, which geology tells us was around 10,000 years back. The SARASVATI River in the post 'ICE-AGE' era, and the main site of URBAN RUINS in ancient INDIA, say around 80 percent of the excavated sites, is well documented in the VEDIC LITERATURE. Old Rig Vedic litereature talks about the river from the "MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA". This phase is primarily between 5000BC to 8000BC. There is a general belief that a seismic upheaval around 4500 BC diverted its two main tributaries, YAMUNA and SATLUJ towards their current courses. This river, which was generally 6-8 KMs wide, at times up to 14 KMs, was very deep with a fast flowing current. It is assumed that between 3000BC and 1900BC, the river was gradually dying and drying. After another upheaval around 3000BC, the river used to disappear in a place called VINASHNA in the deserts of Rajasthan, where a series of lake formed themselves. The water level having further reduced, the river began to dry up and it is estimated it ceased to flow around 1900BC. RIG VEDA, HAS ITS MENTION SOME 60 TIMES WHILE THE GANGES IS ONLY ONCE. The cessation of the river SARASWATI (1900BC) corresponds with the decline of the HARAPPAN CIVILISATION. It was the drying up of the River SARASWATI that caused the ababndonment of HARAPPAN CITIES and not any invasion by some SUPER RACE. It was these ECOLOGICAL changes that led to the fall of Harappan Civilisation.

Most Western historians and some Indians too, say that RAMAYANA STORY was enacted around 1900-1500BC, that is post-SARASWATI period. Based on the same analogy, they assign MAHABHARTA the date of around 1000BC. I find major lacunae with these theories. It is that they do not take into account VEDIC RISHIS or seers such as VASHISHTA , JAGDAMBI and VISHAVMITRA, who are the creators of RIG VEDAS. So, how can these RISHIS be post SARASVATI?
This river has now been identified, through satellite imagery, as a PALAEO channel, running now along the dry channel of River GHAGHAR of Haryana –Rajasthan in India and River HAKRA in SINDH, Pakistan. It allegedly started from HAR KI DOON in UTTARANCHAL and flowed, along with its tributaries DRISHTAVADI, YAMUNA, SATLUJ etc, through KURUKSHETRA, PAHEWA, SHATRANA, SIRSA, KALBANGAN, SURATGARH (all in India) HAKRA and LOTHAL in Pakistan. Major archaeological sites have been found along this channel of the mythological river. This falsifies the super myth of INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION. It is now referred to as SARASVATI VALLEY CIVILISATION.

'Sarasvati River' has been the cradle of ancient Indian civilization. It was the FOUNTAIN HEAD of the SAPTA-SINDHU REGION. It must be noted that there was nothing 'ARYAN' or 'DRAVIDA' about this civilization. In the words of Dr. DAVID FRAWLEY and Dr. NAVRATNA S RAJARAM in their book, “HIDDEN HORIZONS”, the concepts of ARYANS and DRAVIDA races have no scientific and archaeological basis. To quote them: “ ------------The late ancient Aryan and Dravidians migrations, postulated to have taken place c.1500BCE (3500Before Present), into India from Central Asia of WESTERN Linguistic theories, occur too late, after populations and cultures were already formed, to result in the great changes attributed to them. Besides, no records of such proposed invasions or migrations have yet been found. Archaeology, literature, and science, including genetics, all contradict it. ----------------------------”

To put it simply, ARYANS were SANSKRIT SPEAKING people and DRAVIDIANS were non-SANSKRIT SPEAKING people. This was initially when crude Sanskrit was spoken before it was developed by PANINI. The word DRAVIDA is found first time in written form in a SIXTH CENTURY SANSKRIT TEXT, called TANTRIKAVARTIKA by KUMARILA BHATTA , to describe people who were inferior or lacking in knowledge and who spoke unintelligible language. This was the time, when, after the decline of BUDDHISM and emergence of GUPTA EMPIRE, HINDUISM had been given RELIGIOUS CONNOTATION with the confluence of SHAIVISM and VAISHNAVISM. This was also the time when the movement for the revival of SANATAN DHARMA would begin.

However, the word ‘DRAVIDA’ came into extensive modern use in the last half of the 19th Century when a BRITISH AUTHOR, Robert Caldwell, picked up the word from this SANSKRIT TEXT to describe the people of SOUTH INDIA—as they thought all SOUTH INDIANS speak TAMIL or DAMILA or DRAMILA. Thus, such a simplistic identification of the people is an example how SANSKRIT SPEAKING PEOPLE would have disfigured the originality of the NON-SANSKRITIC KNOWLEDGE. Actually, the idea of DRAVIDA created the myth of their migrations prior to ARYANS from Central Asia. The man behind this was CALDWELL, who regarded them as SCYTHIANS people because of some affinities between DRAVIDIAN LANGUAGES and CENTRAL ASIAN LANGUAGES.

Ancient India had movement of people from North to South and vice versa more freely. This is evident as you read the the immediate period in the aftermath of last ICE AGE. Peninsular India was the place where humans lived and cultivated. It is only when glacier melting raised the sea levels that people moved north into plain vacant areas, along the water bodies.Thus, through this Northward migration of peoples & cultures from South India, at the end of 'Ice Age', that the SARASVATI RIVER CIVILISATION WAS CREATED around 8000 BC—which was primarily NAGA CIVILISATION. But this Civilization had the best of both the regions i.e. North and South. As oral history tells us that the greatest of Rig Vedic Rishi, VASHISHTHA was the younger brother of AGASTYA –who is considered a great dominant seer in South India and Tamil Nadu It is also known that seer AGASTYA has supposedly composed 25 hymns for RIG VEDA..It establishes the fact that proto-Vedic and proto-Tamil cultures were closely related. It is further important to note that people from south like TURVASHAS and the YADUS are also mentioned in RIG VEDA as are PURUS of North India.

Anthropologists, Archaeologists and historians have now veered round to the view that the populations in the late ICE AGE were centered in the coastal areas and not along the rivers. In fact these populations preceded the river civilizations some thousands of years. Surprisingly, the historians and anthropologists have found that these sites were located not in CENTRAL ASIA, EURASIA or Europe but in the COASTAL REGIONS OF PENINSULAR INDIA or particularly now submerged LAND MASS of “SUNDA LAND”—also called GREATER INDIA. It is said that agriculture was first started in this region and when the temperatures rose at the end of Ice age, water level rose about 400 feet, submerging most of SUNDALAND—which had included whole of present day South Asia including Thailand, Myanmar and land up to INDONESIA, ANDEMAN & NICOBAR, SRILANKA etc, the people migrated to North West Region which became SARASVATI RIVER basin. Thus, began the saga of river civilizations.

HARAPPAN seals tell the story of this MUTATION of KNOWLEDGE. I would like to draw your attention to seals depicting YOGIC POSTURES—such as MULBANDHAASANA of YOGA on a seal. It is by a three headed deity who is also called PASHUPATINATH or Lord Shiva. I have said in my earlier write-up that NAGAS WERE followers of Lord SHIVA. Take another seal of SWASTIKA or SVASTI-KA meaning maker of welfare. These seals have been extensively found in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. There is a seal with five SVASTI-SIGNS—which finds mention in Rig Veda and ‘Yajur Veda’. Again, the UNI-CORN or one horned animal seal found extensively in all the archaeological sites. It could be a boar. In Mahabharata it is described as ‘one horned’ or “EK-SHRINGA” This VARAH or BOAR seal has references in Rig Veda, ‘Yajur Veda’ and Mahabharata. Again, there are several seals as well as terra-cotta figurines demonstrating various YOGIC POSTURES. They are available on the WIKIPEDIA article on HARAPPAN SEALS. All this goes to show that HARAPPAN had this knowledge prior to the coming of so-called ARYANS. There is an artifact discovered which can be interpreted as OM sign. It is ‘bow-shaped’ with ashavattha tree leaves adorning it. I conclude from all this that VEDIC KNOWLEDGE was available to HARAPPAN people who dominated the SARASWATI –SINDHU region and who had migrated to this region from the COASTAL AREAS at the end of last ICE AGE.

Now the question arises who were HARAPPANS? Were they ARYANS or DRAVIDIANS? My answer is BIG NO. Ancient history, tradition, anthropology, literature, archaeology knows none as ARYANS and DRAVIDIANS. At best ARYA was a title used by aristocratic and educated people who spoke PERFECTED SANSKRIT—a language of the elite. I would rather say the crude language was used by the traders and adopted by ancient INDIAN SCHOLARS to replace the unscientific and difficult pictorial language of SARASVATI region. Today AMERICANISED English has overshadowed the Queen’s English. So must have been the case of INDIANISED SANSKRIT- which could have overshadowed AVESTAN ZENDA or CRUDE SANSKRIT.

‘Dravidian’ was a myth created by a SANSKRIT scholar to identify NON-SANSKRIT SPEAKING people as a derogatory reference. It later was used by BRITISH scholars to describe people of PENINSULAR INDIA. Some Sanskrit texts referred to five DRAVIDAS—or PANCH DRAVIDAS i.e. GUJRAT, MAHARASHTRA, KARNATKA, TAMIL and TELGU. It was basically to describe five regions of peninsular India. Neither ARYANS nor DRAVIDAS were a race to acquire that unique status. I would further like to reiterate that SANSKRIT, in crudest form, came to INDIA as a language of the TRADERS from the Central Asia and Iran as did English. It is known now that HARAPPAN had trade links with Egyptians, Sumerians and Iranians. It was reformed and developed in India and then utilized to transpose the KNOWLEDGE from PICTORIAL SCRIPTS to its improved version. So, who were HARAPPANS?

As a simple answer I would like to say they were ‘ancient Indians’—who had migrated from the coastal regions to SAPTA SINDHU REGION at the end of last ICE AGE, when bulk of SUNDA LAND or THE GREATER INDIA was submerged into the rising ocean. They were agriculturalists and URBAN DWELLERS who lived along the water bodies such as lakes and rivers. They knew the importance of water as they had developed agriculture in the coastal areas. Discovery of an urban city in the ‘bay of cam bay ‘ or “KHAMBHAT BAY” off the coast of Gujarat testifies this theory. Carbon dating suggests that city was submerged around 7500BC. This is around the time ICE AGE came to an end. Similar discoveries are being reported from near Chennai. And they were the ancient INDIANS. Let us not talk of color and complexion. Climate, weather and geographic features play their part. American speaks their English through nasal sounds whereas English men speak differently. The geography does have its impact on your speech.

I firmly believe that people of SARASVATI-INDUS region were the carrier of VEDIC KNOWLEDGE as NAGA PEOPLE. They were followers of LORD SHIVA—who had the entire region mapped by his temples. His followers believed in drinking SOMARAS, an intoxicant, and relished non-vegetarian dishes. They believed living happily in the present. EAT, DRINK, and be MERY was their basic philosophy of life. Natural upheavals between 4500 BC to 2000BC led to their cities being devastated. It is during this period that trading jamborees of people from WEST began to settle in the region where vacuum was created by the migration EAST and SOUTH of the NAGAS. Even Ramayana mentions that Lord RAVNA was worshipper of LORD SHIVA---he is alleged to have offered his head in YAGNA to lord SHIVA one thousand times. It is also truism that RAVNA was a most LEARNED KING—he was known to have the knowledge of FOUR VEDAS. At the time of his death, Lord RAMA and LAXMAN go to RAVNA to get the final Lesson of life. And what did he tell them: “NEVER BE HAUGHTY”. I reckon Ravna was a NAGA KING.BALMIKI, who wrote Ramayana was a CHANDAL—a NAGA. Mythology talks about them as DANAVS or DASYUS, DAITYAS, RAKSHASHAS etc. This is the time when NAGAS had withdrawn from SARASVATI region to down south and East and they had established their own kingdoms. Perhaps geography, weather and climate affected their color and complexion.

‘Mahabharata’ too, makes a mention of these NAGAS in a most derogatory sense—when it paints them as demons or dangerous people. There are three stories in Mahabharata about them. One is lord Krishna, as a child, overpowering a KALIYA NAAG on the banks of River Yamuna near Mathura. He has been depicted as half human and half snake. I am sure he must be some NAGA chieftain who lived near the river. Then there is a mention of ARJUNA marrying a NAGA girl ULUPI in MANIPUR during ‘Pandav’s’ 14 year exile who gave birth to his son. She ought to be a human if ARJUNA married her and got a son through her. Then we come to the famous YAGNA by JANAMAJAY, grand son of ARJUNA, who in his zeal to revenge his father’s killing by a NAGA Prince, TAKSHAK, took a vow to eliminate NAGA race from the earth. He systematically carried out ETHNIC CLEANSING—like what happened in KASHMIR some years back when Kashmiri Pundits (KPs) were made to vacate the valley. He went on to ravage the beautiful city of TAXILA—in Pakistan. This is the only instance I find of ARYAN butchery of the HARAPPAN people. Ethnic Cleansing has historical precedence in Indian Context.

So, who were Nagas? I think it needs to take into account historical, archaeological, anthropological and mythological tales to form an opinion. It would be better if I do it separately in another blog. But for the time being I would say that they were the people who founded the Harappan civilisation. All the vedic knowledge belonged to them.They disappeared, as all fully developed civilisations do because of their own lethargy,laziness and luxurious life sparked by overwhelming wealth and knowledge. When it happens, the civilisation ceases to grow and others come and grow over them. This is the only historical truth of human transition from one 'Time Period' to another. This time period might not be visible immediately but when you read the past history the layered structure of its anatomy is visible. This is what President BH Obama of USA , has been telling the Americans. However he might not know that demography of Sillicon valley is irreversible. The 'land of plenty' induced laziness might push USA and alongwith it Western Civilisation into dustbin of history, as did all affluent civilisations while at the zenith of their development. Sometimes later on Harappan civilisation!
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