Re: [cybalist] Dating Zarathushtra and the Rig Veda

From: kalyan97@...

 

--- In cybalist@egroups.com, "John Croft" <jdcroft@...> wrote:
> Zarathrustra may be a creature of the Avestan religion, and not of
> history. Whatever the case, however, it is clear that the Iranians
> completely displaced the Indics in the South Caucusus and Persia --
> in > fact, everywhere except India. The Iranians encountered the
Indic > religion -- which seems to have been remarkably similar to
their own. > As a matter of ethnic pride and social superiority, it
seems they > differentiated themselves from the Indics they were
displacing via > religion -- and were quite successful. Maybe it was
the Sassanids who > did this, perhaps an earlier group..

For a justification of the out of India hypothesis see the book
review of-- The Rigveda: A historical Analysis by Talageri, at:

http://www.voi.org/reviews/rev-trha.html

Out of India and Out of Anatolia are routinely dismissed by every historical linguist of repute. There are the nationalist schools, mostly past, a few present who would argue the IE Urheimat in parochial 'we are the PIEs' terms.

 

The Standard Theory (Gimbutas) puts it in the Pontic-Caspian Steppe. This theory is the best fit for the archeological record and what historical linguistics gives us. Except for Russians and Ukranians, most would seem to be happier with another homeland. Hungary-former Czechoslovakia feels better to me, but the evidence is the evidence.

 

Mark.