On S. Farmer, also on invasion

[Prasad Velusamy]

<<<
While language replacement on a very wide scale can
happen, one with relatively little effect on the
intrusive language (e.g., Professor Witzel's EJVS paper
on substrate languages in old Indo-Aryan, and compare to
non-I-E in Hittite or Greek ) is much harder to imagine.
The remnants of the Harappan civilization must have been
meagre indeed. -Arun Gupta
>>>

T. Burrow, `On the significance of the term arma-, armaka-
in early Sanskrit literature', Journal of Indian history,
41, 1963, 159-166.

"The Aryans were aware of the numerous ruined Indus sites
among which they lived, and they referred to them by the
term arma, armaka, 'ruined site, ruins'. Among the
references to these the following is of particular
significance: *The people to whom these ruined sites,
lacking posts, formerly belonged, these many settlements
widely distributed. they, O, Vaishvaanara, having been
expelled by thee, having migrated to another land*."
(Taittiriya Brahmana II, 4, 6, 8.)

Burrow concludes (p. 166):  'They confirm the theory that
it was in fact the Aryans who were responsible for the
overthrow of the Indus civilisation, they show that for
centuries the most important of these ruins were
conspicuous features of the countryside and they supply
interesting information about the location of some of
them.'

I think Burrow's conclusion need to be modified on
account of: 1) the falling dates of iron in India,
2) the date of the RV assigned some centuries later
than conventionally held by Indologists.

The Harappan civilization already collapsed, and a
majority (elites?) have already moved to the South and
elsewhere in India.

The Aryans with the new "technology" of religion, ritual,
chariots, and horses saw a lot of ruined sites, and a
sparse meagre population around 1200-1000 BCE in the
Indus culture zone.

And, implemented a language shift amongst those.
This myth, ritual, magic "technology" was carried on to
other places in India with varying degrees of success
in the following centuries co-opting with the locals.

Regards,
Prasad


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