Aryan Invasion Theory and Ambedkar

[S Krishna]

S.Palaniappan writes:

>Those interested in the history of the Aryan invasion theory seem not
to be aware of the contribution  Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's views on the Aryan
invasion theory of the 1940s.....In his book, Who Were the Shudras?
(1946), he has at".......In discussing the original home of Aryans, this
is what he says of Mr. Tilak'stheory of Arctic origins of Aryans, "This
is of course a very original theory."
 The first explanation is to be found in the support which the theory
receives from Brahmin scholars.... ..
 This view may seem harsh towards Brahmins. But, that there is some
truth in what Ambedkar says seems to be supported by what Prof. M. M.
Deshpande .... Deshpande narrated an anecdote in which when a
Maharashtrian brahmin boy was enrolled in the primary school, his father
wrote in the application form  "Aryan" as the racial affiliation of the
boy.>>


  I believe that this argument was also used for  by Indians for the
purpose of immigration to N.America..The relevant case is called(AFAIK)
viSnu sAkhArAm paNDit vs the INS( circa 1920)...The claimant argued that
he was, for the purposes of immigration, an European (Immigration being
closed to ASiatics) since he could prove that he was Brahmin and
Aryan...This argument was accepted and was treated as being valid for
some time till a California court pointed out that the "Aryan invasion
theory" was only a "theory" and not well-established fact and therefore
ruled against citing the AIT as credible proof. However, I must point
out that some of the applicants who were admitted under this rule were
NOT Brahmin; they belonged to the Non-Brahmin higher castes. As is
known, while education(one of the main driving forces for which many
immigrants came to the USA) was Brahmin dominated in the Madras province
and to a lesser extent in the BOMbay province( erstwhile), both the
Punjab and the Bengal provinces had a substantial Hindu non-Brahmin
presence in the field of education( The Kayastha community in Bengal and
assorted groups in Punjab). The fact that these "sat-Sudras"( to use
M.N.Srinivas's expression) were admitted as being "Arya" would point to
the fact that quite a few non-Brahmins adhered to the AIT( or to put it
uncharitably,some of them adhered readily when it suited their purpose).
Either way, given the community profiles of immigrants from
Punjab( quite a few of the leading figures in the Ghadar party were
non-Brahmin) and the fact that Dayananda Sarasvati's "Arya Samaj" (
which was founded on the priniciple of a spritual return to the
Vedas)found a lot of acceptance and patronage in Punjab by non-Brahmin
Hindus( the Maharajah of Nabha, e.g.) makes me think that the obsession
with the AIT was not restricted to the Brahmins alone but was more a
feature of the "haves"( of whom a large percentage were Brahmin) in
order to distinguish themselves from the "have-nots".

 Just my views....

                                                          Regards,
                                                          Krishna


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