Indo-Aryan origins and other Vedic issues

Book Details

• Publisher: ADITYA PRAKASHAN Indological Publishers & Booksellers

• ISBN-13: 9788177421156

• ISBN-10: 8177421158

• Edition: New Delhi

• Year: 2017

• Language: English

• Subject: History, Texts

About the Book

This book presents a series of studies by a renowned Greek Indologist, focusing on the complex issue of Indo-Aryan origins, with a solution grounded in indigenism. The studies explore various facets of the Indo-European common heritage and the Vedic tradition, offering fresh insights into the interconnections between early cultures.

One study examines the position of early Hittite culture in relation to other Indo-European branches, particularly Vedic traditions, while another traces common deity names across different Indo-European cultures. Two additional studies compare Vedic traditions with Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures, respectively, highlighting shared themes and practices.

Focusing on purely Vedic issues, the book also delves into topics such as the religio-philosophical thought in the Vedas and the real meanings of terms like "pur" (defensive structure) and "samudra" (ocean). These studies present the Vedic inheritance as the oldest Indo-European tradition, older than even the Near Eastern cultures, with the bulk of the Rigveda hymns believed to have been composed in the 4th millennium BCE.

The book provides a comprehensive analysis based on linguistic, literary, anthropological, archaeological, and genetic evidence, revealing that Indo-Aryans have been residing in North-West India (and present-day Pakistan) since approximately 5000 BCE.