Features Like Urban Features of Sites

The term Aryan was mainly given to a race of people who were believed to speak the Indo-European language and were thought to have civilization in central Asia (ancient Iran) during prehistoric times. In “Indian history” the term “Aryan race” was introduced during the mid-19th century and it stayed dominant until the 20th century.  It is believed that The Aryans were a group of migratory people who travelled from central Asia to India. The Aryans travelled through the Khyber Pass to enter the Indus valley. According to some hypotheses, it is believed that Aryans were the group of light-skinned nomadic people who invaded India from the northern territory. This article articulates the history of the Aryan civilization and how it shaped Indian culture in “Indian history”.

Aryan People

Aryan is a designation that refers to “noble”, “Civilized”, or “Free” without referring to any ethnicity. This term was adopted by the group of nomadic people in Central Asia to self-identify them and later understood as Indo-Iranians.  It is believed that these Indo-Aryans came to India where they merged with the indigenous civilization of the Indus valley as per the “Indian history”. This civilization is also known as Harappan culture or Harrapan civilization during 600 BCE. The sites of Harappan civilization showed evidence of advanced civilization which consisted of developed religious rituals, developed agriculture techniques, and showed evidence of domestication of animals. They have also produced artwork and sculptures.

Aryan civilization and evidence of urbanization

During the excavation of sites of Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and Ganweriwala, it was found that these cities showed “Feature like urban features of sites”. During 2600 BCE, these great cities developed significantly and showed evidence of advanced technological skills and urban planning. These cities had enhanced drainage and sewer systems which were used for directing the rainwater and waste toward either side of the lane. Houses were built in such a way that they can easily catch the wind to provide air conditioning features and this was proof of “Feature like urban features of sites”. The Indus valley civilization showed evidence of writing scripts, farming implements, musical instruments, and flat bottomed boats. The people of the Indus valley also built ports for trading goods with Mesopotamian peoples.

The downfall of the Aryan civilization

As per “Indian history”, the Indus valley civilization started to decline between the point of 1900-1500 BCE. Major cities of the Indus valley were abandoned and people started to migrate towards the southern part of India. This migration period coincides with the creation of the Vedic age or the Vedic period where the sacred text known for Hinduism started to get developed in Sanskrit form. Since the Indus valley civilization does not show evidence of Sanskrit scripts it was believed these two civilizations of Indo-Aryan and Indus valley got along and blended and gave birth to a common culture.

A counterview to this above theory as per the “Indian History” stated that Vedic thought and Sanskrit language got exported to central Asia and later got reunited through a migratory wave. Although this theory was rejected by professional scholars but always advanced due to the nationalist agenda. The migration of Indo-Aryan to the south is well documented but there is no evidence that an invading force made them do this. The most common thought about their arrival to the south was due to the changes in climate. It is believed that decreased trading with Mesopotamia peoples and severe drought forced the Indo valley civilization to migrate. 

According to “Indian History”, long-distance trading with the Mesopotamia people got difficult due to the changes in the Egyptian dynasty, and this made a downfall in the Indus valley civilization. The people of the Indus valley did not migrate to the south due to fear of invasion: they moved south in search of better living opportunities and conditions.  The cities were abandoned due to overpopulation and overuse of resources, not due to any foreign invasion.

Racial interpretation

When ruins of Harappa were first discovered by British excavators, they stated that the people of Indus valley were invaded by the Aryans and the cities got destroyed and they drove the people south. Later discoveries challenged this theory and stated them a fabricated statement to support white supremacist ideas. 

Conclusion

Through this article, it can be concluded that the Aryan people were migratory people who once flourished in central Asia but migrated toward the southern subcontinent. Aryans were considered as free people and they entered India and merged with the civilization of the Indus valley. Indus valley was highly civilized and showed evidence of advanced technological skills and urban planning. Their water drainage system was well planned and maintained granaries and public baths. The Harappa site demonstrated developed warehouses and protective walls. However, climate changes and the fall in trade with Mesopotamia, forced them to migrate to the south.