--- Glen Gordon <
glengordon01@...> wrote:
> Sometimes I question K's obsession with the
> Out-Of-India hypothesis
> that could be deemed racially motivated, considering
> the lack of
> evidence and a deep lack of fundamental sense to the
> hypothesis itself.
> Why hold on to something that is completely
> unsubstantiated unless
> there were an emotional bias involved. But that's my
> opinion anyways.
>
>
> - gLeN
*****GK: I have recently been rereading the RigVeda
(in connection with the OBT issue and peripheral
items). Not the original Sanskrit (beyond my
competence) but the R. Griffith translation. I think
one can at least agree with those who contend that
"Aryan" is not a racial category. It is a religious
(and to some extent political) label. I would also
agree with those who do not see the preferred foes of
the Vedic Arya, viz., the Dasyu/Dasa as conquered
aboriginals. There are of course problems in
disentangling the mythical from the historical here.
But as far as I can see, the Dasa were located in the
highlands to the north and west of the Arya heartland,
whence they raided the settled populations of the
Indus basin. It seems that eventually the latter
managed to defeat the most dangerous of these raiders
and forced them to migrate westward (the Zambara
episode). This is the only "invasion" (apart from the
Dasa raids)I can find in the RV. But the Arya did not
occupy the vacated highlands (RV 6.47.20-22). I can
see nothing in the RV itself which would conclusively
demonstrate either the AIT or the OBT. The
geographical interest is directed northwards. There is
practically nothing about the east or the south. Now
as to the Dasa. I take it that there would be little
argument (?) in seeing this term as the Rigvedic
version of the Persian/Iranic "Daha". But the Daha
were denizens of Central Asia, and their name in
Persian meant "robber". They would be part of the
Saka/Scythian complex. The peoples of the Eurasian
steppes were occasionally symbolized by the "Serpent"
(Zmij/Zmej in Sl.) which played a certain role in
attested "Scythic" religions. And the Rigvedic Dasa,
though castigated as sorcerers, riteless, unbelievers
etc.. (that is to say as "non-Arya" in their religious
beliefs) were certainly the peoples of "Vrtra" (the
primal Serpent or Dragon), mythologically defeated by
Indra but far from spent in the historical world. I
wonder whence this concept of the Dasa came to the
authors of RV? Was it really a "local" term applied to
these dangerous northern barbarians of Kashmir, or was
it a reminiscence of prior times?******
>
>
>
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