Was an Aryan Invasion Responsible for the Demise of the Indus Valley Civilization?
Elizabeth-Ruth Nantaba
Was an Aryan Invasion Responsible for the Demise of the Indus Valley Civilization?
YES
Historian Stanley Wolpert (from A New History of India, 6th ed) states that the Aryan invasion of the Indus Valley did occur and that it played a role in the demise of the Indus Valley civilization. All excavations do prove that the decline of the Indus valley civilization occurred suddenly between 1800 BC and 1700 BC. It has been suggested that perhaps the people of the Indus Valley Civilization were destroyed by invading barbaric tribes. It has also been suggested that the Aryans who were the next settlers, may have attacked and destroyed the Indus Valley Civilization, since their epics talk about their conquest of great cities. Such theories of a violent end have been partly proved by the discovery in Mohenjo-Daro of human remains that indicated a violent cause of death.
Similarly, invasion theory proposed by max Muller discredits India of its cultural, religious and spiritual continuity, it states that around 1500 BC people of Indus valley civilization known as Dravidian were conquered by a tribe known as Aryans who originated from Europe (central Asia, arctic region, southern Russia, Hungary and Germany). It adds that this Aryan tribe from Europe brought the Vedic knowledge to the Indian sub-continent thereby declining India of its indigenous culture.
NO
Archaeologist Jonathan Mark Kenoyer counters that there is little proof that the Aryan invasion occurred and that the decline of the Indus Valley civilization was due to internal environmental and social conditions. Evidence was not consistent as most other cities showed an absence of a massacre between the Dravidians and Aryans. The possibility of the Aryans being involved in such a conflict seems unlikely, especially since recent excavations have shown that the Aryans arrived almost 500 years after the decline of the major Indus Valley Civilization 's cities.
The theory of climatic factors
Was an Aryan Invasion Responsible for the Demise of the Indus Valley Civilization?
YES
Historian Stanley Wolpert (from A New History of India, 6th ed) states that the Aryan invasion of the Indus Valley did occur and that it played a role in the demise of the Indus Valley civilization. All excavations do prove that the decline of the Indus valley civilization occurred suddenly between 1800 BC and 1700 BC. It has been suggested that perhaps the people of the Indus Valley Civilization were destroyed by invading barbaric tribes. It has also been suggested that the Aryans who were the next settlers, may have attacked and destroyed the Indus Valley Civilization, since their epics talk about their conquest of great cities. Such theories of a violent end have been partly proved by the discovery in Mohenjo-Daro of human remains that indicated a violent cause of death.
Similarly, invasion theory proposed by max Muller discredits India of its cultural, religious and spiritual continuity, it states that around 1500 BC people of Indus valley civilization known as Dravidian were conquered by a tribe known as Aryans who originated from Europe (central Asia, arctic region, southern Russia, Hungary and Germany). It adds that this Aryan tribe from Europe brought the Vedic knowledge to the Indian sub-continent thereby declining India of its indigenous culture.
NO
Archaeologist Jonathan Mark Kenoyer counters that there is little proof that the Aryan invasion occurred and that the decline of the Indus Valley civilization was due to internal environmental and social conditions. Evidence was not consistent as most other cities showed an absence of a massacre between the Dravidians and Aryans. The possibility of the Aryans being involved in such a conflict seems unlikely, especially since recent excavations have shown that the Aryans arrived almost 500 years after the decline of the major Indus Valley Civilization 's cities.
The theory of climatic factors
References: 1. Demise of the Aryan Invasion Theory by Dr.Dinesh Agrawal 2. Contexts of Civilizational Collapse in the Bronze Age Indus Valley by Chris J.D. Kostman, M.A. 3. http://www.adventurecorps.com 4. http://www.ushistory.org/civ/8a.asp 5. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Ancient/Indus2.html