potters, brahmins, and RSis (contd.)

[Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan]

Frits Staal says the following in page 138 of Part I of "AGNI: The Vedic
Ritual of the Fire Altar":

"....Thus the theory of Kosambi (1950), criticized in Brough (1953, xiv-xvi),
that the Vedic brahmins were to a large extent recruited from the priest
class of the conquered pre-Aryan population, would seem to be valid at least
in the case of the AGgirases.

       In conclusion, available evidence suggests that the altar construction
of the Agnicayana, and also the ukhA and mahAvIra pots--chief ritual vessels
of the Agnicayana and Pravargya, respectively-- are of pre-Vedic origin, and
should be explained by the techniques for firing bricks and pots that were
known to the indigenous population, and that can ultimately be traced back to
the Indus Civilization. Within a wider context, this is not surprising. The
use of baked bricks, though not confined to the Indus Civilization, was one
of its characteristic achievements. Baked bricks were used in Sumer, though
not abundantly. In Mohenjo-daro and HarappA, the use of baked bricks, rather
than mud of mud bricks, was normal (Wheeler 1968, 8, 55). Whatever the
explanation of its early distribution, it is likely that the art of firing
bricks was retained by the inhabitants of Northwest India even after the
great Indus cities had disappeared."

Given the fact Classical Tamil texts show that Dravidian potters acted also
as sacrificial priests, it is possible that some members of this group could
have been incorporated into Aryan community from very early times. In that
case, one can see how the transfer of indigenous pottery technology to
articles forming part of the Aryan ritual could have easily occurred.

Does this theory sound reasonable to the Vedic scholars on this list?

Regards

S. Palaniappan