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Who did the Aryans fight?

Atman

Member
What are we defining as Aryans here? When they initially traveled to Persia from the Steppes of Asia, certainly it's possible that there was conflict with many Persian cultures. By the time the Aryans had made it to Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent, they had intermingled their people and culture together with that of the Persians'.
 

Riverwolf

Amateur Rambler / Proud Ergi
Premium Member
What'cha got to support this? Not saying I disagree; I'm just wondering.
 

Ben Dhyan

Veteran Member
Hint: It wasn't the Dravidians.
It was actually the Persians.

Have you ever wondered about the phonetic similarity of 'Iran' and 'Aryan'?

People of Iran: History of Iran: The Origins of Aryan People

There are all numerous reasons that the Aryan race has undergone its evolution from the primitive man to the white man in the Iranian Plateau. These reasons can be categorized as historical, geographical, mythological, anthropological and linguistically.
 

TTCUSM

Member
What'cha got to support this? Not saying I disagree; I'm just wondering.

Rig Veda, Book 7, Hymn 6:

1. PRAISE of the Asura, high imperial Ruler, the Manly One in whom the folk shall triumph-
I laud his deeds who is as strong as Indra, and lauding celebrate the Fort-destroyer.
2 Sage, Sing, Food, Light,—they bring him from the mountain, the blessed Sovran of the earth and heaven.
I decorate with songs the mighty actions which Agni, Fort-destroyer, did aforetime.
3 The foolish, faithless, rudely-speaking niggards, without belief or sacrifice or worship,—
Far far sway hath Agni chased those Dasytis, and, in the cast, hath turned the godless westward.

It says that the Dasytis (the enemies of the Aryans) went westward.
What country lies to the west of the Indian subcontinent?
 

Riverwolf

Amateur Rambler / Proud Ergi
Premium Member
Rig Veda, Book 7, Hymn 6:



It says that the Dasytis (the enemies of the Aryans) went westward.
What country lies to the west of the Indian subcontinent?

A lot of countries lie westward of the subcontinent.

But it could be a reference to driving the enemies further west but still on the subcontinent.
 

TTCUSM

Member
No, they were Zoroastrians.
According to the Vedas, the Dasyus worshiped Asuras (in Sanskrit, the word "Asura" means "demon").
In Zoroastrianism, the chief deity is named "Ahura Mazda".
 
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bhaktajan

Active Member
The Suras and Asura [Sura as in 'Surya'] are descended from the same family Tree ---Diti and Aditi were both wives of Kasyapa [one of the universal progenitors]. Kasyapa was the great-grandson of Lord Brahma.

If the OP is asking inre to pre-western History on this planet earth ---it can also be seen that such martial pastimes repeated themselves with the locals too ---not so long ago:
Muslims Invade India

excerpt:
. . . The economic effects of the loss of precious metals to India had a number of facets. The flow of bullion outside India resulted in stablizing Ghaznavid currency49 and in the same proportion debasing Indian. Consequently, the gold content of north Indian coins in the eleventh and twelfth centuries went down from 120 to 60 grams.50 Similarly, the weight and content of the silver coin was also reduced. Because of debasement of coinage Indian merchants lost their credit with foreign merchants.51

Outflow of bullion adversely affected India’s balance of trade in another way. India had always been a seller of raw and finished goods against precious metals. She had “swallowed up precious metals, both from the mineral resources of Tibet and Central Asia and from trade with the Islamic world…”52

Now this favourable position was lost. Indian merchants were even unable to ply their trade because of disturbed political conditions. One reason which had prompted Anandpal to send an embassy to Mahmud at Ghazni with favourable terms to the Sultan (C. 1012) was to try to normalize trade facilities, and after an agreement “caravans (again) travelled in full security between Khurasan and Hind.”53 But the balance of trade for many years went on tilting in favour of the lands west of the Indus.

Besides, the Ghaznavids collected in loot and tribute valuable articles of trade like indigo, fine muslins, embroidered silk, and cotton stuffs, and things prepared from the famous Indian steel, which have received praise at the hands of Utbi, Hasan Nizami, Alberuni and many others. For example, one valuable commodity taken from India was indigo.

From Baihaqi, who writes the correct Indian word nil for the dyestuff, it appears that 20,000 mans (about 500 maunds) of indigo was taken to Ghazna every year. According to Baihaqi, Sultan Masud once sent 25,000 mans (about 600 maunds) of indigo to the Caliph at Baghdad, for “the Sultans often reserved part of this (valuable commodity) for their own usage, and often sent it as part of presents for the Caliph or for other rulers”. . . . continued . . .
 

TTCUSM

Member
A word of caution. Do not let superficial similarities lead to you jump to big conclusions. Coincidences do happen.

The similarities go beyond the term "Ahura/Asura".
There is evidence from both the Vedas and Zoroastrian scriptures that Ahura Mazda, the chief deity of Zoroastrianism, is none other than the Hindu god Varuna.
 

Surya Deva

Well-Known Member
The Aryans and the Dasyus are not a race of people. This is a bad interpretation of poor early indology in the 19th century where racial theories, social dawinism, eugenics, even ideas as ridiculous as blacks are genetically inferior sub-human race were in vogue. The racial theory of Aryans has been widely discredited by modern archeaologists who have found no evidence of this mythical Aryan race invented by early indologists.

The Sanskrit word "Aryan" means noble or high charactered, the word Dasyus is the opposite. The Vedas often depict these as being at war both on earth and in the heavens. Similar to the war between Devas and Asuras in later Vedic literature. This is basically the classical symbolism of light vs dark, good vs bad, positive vs negative. In the Vedas they depict this symbolism is depicted in many ways: as a cosmological struggle between good and bad forces; as a human struggle between noble and ignoble people and finally as the psychological struggle between positive thoughts and negative thoughts.

Early indologists motivated by a racial and social darwinist paradigm interpreted this literally as a war between a race of fair-skinned Aryan people(because they are described as light, luminious, shining etc) and dark-skinned Dasyus(because they are described as dark, ignorant etc)
 
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Breathe

Hostis humani generis
The Sanskrit word "Aryan" means noble or high charactered, the word Dasyus is the opposite. The Vedas often depict these as being at war both on earth and in the heavens. Similar to the war between Devas and Asuras in later Vedic literature. This is basically the classical symbolism of light vs dark, good vs bad, positive vs negative. In the Vedas they depict this symbolism is depicted in many ways: as a cosmological struggle between good and bad forces; as a human struggle between noble and ignoble people and finally as the psychological struggle between positive thoughts and negative thoughts.
Frubals. That's exactly how I understand it, too.

Vedas and Dasyu ? Agniveer May be worth looking at? :)
Site is a bit.. anti-other religions, then again it's Arya Samaj. Still, interesting view on there which echoes Surya Deva ji's post, in my opinion. IMO, early Iranians and Indians are from the same family.
 
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