[INDOLOGY] New Book Publication: Handbook of Indian History

[Dominik Wujastyk]

Here is a quotation from the Introduction, p.5:

The Beginnings of India’s History: Arche-
ological and Genetic History by Lavanya Vemsani utilizes the recently
available data
to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the beginnings of Indian
history. This
chapter traces the history of first Indians and their settlements utilizing
archaeo-
logical and genetic data. India is postulated to have settlements of 2
major demo-
graphic events: The first, during 15 MYA (Million Years Ago) in the form of
the first
human ancestors also known as archaic humans or hominids (Homo sapiens)
catego-
rized as Sivapithecene and Ramapithecene (Dryopithecenes) in India. The
next larger
impactful event is traced to the settlement event of the Anatomically
Modern Humans
(Homo sapiens sapiens) about 170 KYA (Thousand Years Ago). Recent genetic
and
1 Introduction to Handbook of Indian History 5
archeological research shows that these are the only two demographic events
that
shaped the history of India. However, a new theory, colonial theory
introduced in
19th century popularly known as the Aryan invasion/migration was propounded
in
the twentieth century colonialist histories of India, which proposed a
replacement
of the original prehistoric settlers of India by neolithic arrivals.
However, this third
theoretical event merely remains a fictional theoretical proposal due to
lack of archae-
ological and genetic evidence in India. This later migration event (Aryan
invasion/
migration) has been disproved emphatically by Genetic history, which has
already
transformed the understanding of Pleistocene human settlements of
Anatomically
Modern Humans in India, and their contributions to the peopling of the rest
of the
non-African world, referred to as Foundational event giving the name
Founders Zone
to India. The legacy of these early prehistoric Founders remains entrenched
in the
genetic make-up of the current residents of India, as analysis of MtDNA and
Y
Chromosome heritage of present-day Indians shows, which will improve the
under-
standing of prehistory and shed light on the early human migrations. This
chapter
together with the other chapters included in this section helps allay the
colonialist
assumption of Aryan invasions/migration.

This narrative asserts that there was never an Aryan migration into India
and that, on the contrary, South Asians are responsible for populating the
whole world except for Africa.  This assertion is not supported by research
discoveries in human genetics and archaeology.
The book does not cite or engage with the voluminous research that would
contradict its assertions, including the foundational monograph by David
Reich and other publications from his laboratory, nor the publications of
Narasimhan et al., the classic works of David Anthony, the accessible
account by Tony Joseph, etc. etc.


--
Prof. Dominik Wujastyk
University of Alberta

"The University of Alberta is committed to the pursuit of truth,
the advancement of learning, and the dissemination of knowledge
through teaching, research and other scholarly and creative activities and
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3.01



On Fri, 22 Nov 2024 at 19:30, Lavanya Vemsani via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> Happy to share the news of our book: *Handbook of Indian History*
>
> Further information on the book can be found here on the publisher's
> website:
>
> https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-97-6207-1
>
>
> Thank you.
>
> Lavanya
>
>
> --
>
> *Dr. Lavanya Vemsani*  Ph.D. History (Univ. of Hyderabad) & Ph.D.
> Religious Studies (McMaster Univ.)
>
> Distinguished University Professor of History, Department of Social
> Sciences
>
> *Shawnee State University*
>
> Portsmouth OH 45662
>
> V:7403513233 F:7403513153 E:lvemsani at shawnee.edu
>
>
> Editor, *American Journal of  Indic Studies*
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> INDOLOGY mailing list
> INDOLOGY at list.indology.info
> https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
>
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