The recent announcement by the Tamil Nadu government to honor British Archaeologist Sir John Marshall on the 100th Year of the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilization is of great significance. This recognition also takes us back to the year 1902, when John Marshall, then just 25 years of age, was appointed as the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by Lord Curzon. Under Marshall’s leadership, the ASI would go on to unravel many ancient sites potentially reshaping the understanding of India’s ancient history. On September 20th, 1924, Sir John Marshall reported the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilization in The Illustrated London News, which continues to play a prominent role in political and cultural space even now. Gregory Possehl in his work Indus Age: The Beginnings, explains how Marshall argued that the Indus culture was different from the Vedic and Aryan traditions. He went on to suggest that the Indus Valley Civilization predated the Vedic era and may have been rooted in Dravidian languages. Scholars suggest that severe droughts around 1900 BCE brought about the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization and this resulted in mass migration of the inhabitants down south and other parts of the subcontinent. Between 2000 and 1500 BCE, Aryan migrants, a nomadic pastoralist people from Central Asia, started arriving in the region—marking the rise of the Vedic Age. They carried with them the early forms of Sanskrit, the proto-Vedas, fire rituals, animal sacrifices, social hierarchy and gods, which over a period of years fundamentally reshaped the cultural and social landscape of the Indian subcontinent.
The theory of Aryans migrating into India has sparked considerable resistance, particularly from rightwing groups. Their assertion that Aryans were indigenous to the subcontinent is not just from the perspective of historical interpretation but an important element to advance their political ideology. In contrast with the supposedly “outsider” origins of religions like Islam and Christianity, they wanted to portray Vedic Hinduism as entirely native to India so as to strengthen the claims of cultural continuity. This led to the “Out of India theory”, which claims that the Rig Veda, Sanskrit, and priestly rituals all originated in India before spreading to the rest of the world. Moreover, by identifying the Rigvedic river Sarasvati, they aim to link the Vedic-Aryan culture with the Harappan civilization. This narrative, which postulates that the Aryans were indigenous to India, serves to “Aryanize” the Harappan civilization and positions the Aryans as direct ancestors of modern Hindus. In contrast, the many hurdles during the Keeladi excavations in Tamil Nadu, along with the Union government’s refusal to release the report submitted by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna to the ASI are seen by many as deliberate attempt to withhold the findings of excavations. The artifacts excavated from the Keeladi sites are similar to those of the Indus Valley Civilization, and many believe the two civilizations may be linked. Historians and critics argue that the Union government’s refusal to release the ASI report on Keeladi excavations may be driven by the need to control the narrative of India’s ancient history, possibly to align it with ideological agendas.
The narrative to project that the Aryans were indigenous has increasingly been challenged by recent scientific findings. For instance, several genetic findings have decisively confirmed the migration patterns going back thousands of years, underscoring that the Aryans did indeed migrate into India from Central Asia. This clearly suggests that the foundational elements like Vedic Sanskrit and fire rituals were introduced by these migrants, making Hinduism itself partly an “outsider” tradition. It is important to differentiate this migration theory from the earlier proposed “Aryan Invasion Theory”. Scientists have discredited this theory, as evidences suggest that the arrival of the Aryans happened by means of gradual migration rather than a militaristic conquest.
It is important to view the migration of Indo-European language speakers during the second millennium BCE into South Asia within the broader context of human history. In fact, the origin of civilization on the subcontinent and across the globe has begun much earlier, with the original migrants coming out of Africa. As the centenary of the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilization is being observed, we should pass on to the future generations about the need to approach history through a scientific lens rather than relying on age-old beliefs and mythological narratives. The rich artifacts of the Indus Valley Civilization reveals that the roots of civilization in the subcontinent are far more diverse and egalitarian. In an increasingly polarized society, the lessons from the past history are more relevant than ever to foster unity in modern society.
Dr Magilan Karthikeyan completed his PhD from a Tamil Nadu State University. Since then, he has completed three postdoctoral assignments in India and abroad. Currently, he is working as an Assistant Professor in a Private University. His interests include science, politics, history and culture. He can be reached at [email protected]
