The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration Debate [Hardcover]

Edwin Bryant (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195137779 | ISBN-13: 978-0195137774 | Publication Date: September 6, 2001

Western scholars have argued that Indian civilization was the joint product of an invading Indo-European people--the "Indo-Aryans"--and indigenous non-Indo European peoples. Although Indian scholars reject this European reconstruction of their country's history, Western scholarship gives little heed to their argument. In this book, Edwin Bryant explores the nature and origins of this fascinating debate.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A balanced description and evaluation of the two century old debate dealing with the origins of the Indo-Aryan speaking peoples of South Asia. [Bryant] presents both sides of the issue, that is the traditional western, linguistic, and philological consensus of immigration from Central Asia, and the more recent Indian position that denies any immigration and that asserts an indigenous South Asian origin. He probes for loopholes on both sides of the argument and presents the multi-faceted evidence from linguistics, archaeology, texts, etc. in an even-handed manner. As such, the book not only is an important and very welcome introduction into recent Indian historical thought but also a valuable heuristic tool in re-evaluating many of the unspoken or un-reflected presuppositions on both sides."--Michael Witzel, Harvard University

"The problem of Indo-Aryan origins has vexed scholars in both India and the West for well over a century and has touched every nerve of both academic and political discourse, so much so that many in the West have automatically dismissed any arguments to come 'out of India'[this book] investigates how these two worlds of scholarship came into being and systematically exposes the logical weaknesses of most of the arguments that support the consensus f either side. This is not only an important work in the field of Indo-Aryan studies but a long overdue challenge for scholarly fair play."--J.P. Mallory, Queen's University of Belfast

About the Author

Edwin Bryant is at Harvard University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195137779
• ISBN-13: 978-0195137774
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,000,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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84 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A much-need survey, March 30, 2002

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This review is from: The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration Debate (Hardcover)

I found this book to be a remarkably even-handed and clearly written overview of a subject that has, bizarrely enough, produced much empassioned debate in the past several hundred years -- the problem of the origins of the Indo-European language family. What is primarly a linguistic problem has been commandeered by missionaries, nationalists of varying stripes, racists, and even Nazis to produce a peculiar body of thought about a so-called "Aryan race" both in Europe and India. Even highly-trained scholars have indulged in circular reasoning, the conflation of disparate bits of evidence, and outright fantasy in their attempts to postulate and prove their answers to the questions posed by the undoubted similarities of the various languages in this far-flung group.
One of the tenets of the conventional, European view is that a group of Indo-European-speaking nomads entered India around 1200 BC and then proceeded to spread their language and culture throughout the northern half of this subcontinent. Beyond the existence of Sanskrit and the Prakrits themselves, the evidence for this movement of people has always been sparse; the reasoning displayed by those determined to prove that this influx existed has generally been flawed -- rough guesses have been turned into proven facts, and these so-called facts then used as the basis for more guesses. This entire controversy might seem of no interest to anyone outside of a handful of academics, but unfortunately, the early and false conflation of language and race has been partly responsible for the deaths of a great many innocent people. Ideas can be fatal in the wrong minds.
Bryant attempts to strip away the muddled thinking that surrounds the "Aryan influx" theory. First, he analyzes the theory itself and discusses its history -- which is primarly a history of colonial exploitation by the British and indigenous exploitation as well, by the upper castes. Bit by bit he examines the evidence that has been brought forward in support of the theory and displays just how inadequate it is. Most of the "sure things" invoked by scholars through the centuries, right up into the last decade, are not sure at all. Many could easily be used to prove the opposite theory, that the language and culture of northern India developed in place, as it were, from some vague Paleolithic or Mesolithic beginning.
I decided to write this review partly because I was startled by the other reviewer here, who seems not have finished Bryant's last chapter. Rather than dismissing the Indigenous Aryan theory or linking it solely with Hindutva, the current Hindi nationalist movement, Bryant takes pains to show that many serious scholars and prehistorians also uphold the theory or at least, have found huge holes in the fabric of the opposing, Aryan Migration, theory. Over and over he repeats that he does not mean to dismiss the solid thinkers and their theories. In fact, when I first read the book the constant repetitions of his support for serious holders of the Indigenous Aryan theory annoyed me; they seemed like overkill. I understand why he repeated himself now. While he himself thinks that the evidence for a migration is stronger than that for indigenous development, he makes it amply clear just how weak the evidence for both theories is. He does, however, have a little fun with the most far-fetched fringe writers on the subject, some of whsom have floated ideas that deserve mockery.
I did have a few minor problems with the book, but those must be laid at the door of Oxford University Press. The book contains so many typos that I can only suppose it wasn't proofread by a professional. The paper is so thin that the printer was forced to use dark gray ink instead of black to avoid show-through, a real nuisance for those of us whose eyes aren't what they used to be. For a book of this price, this kind of penny-pinching is inexcusable.

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Edwin Bryant's book on Vedic people., January 8, 2006

By 

Maruthi Peri (San Jose) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration Debate (Hardcover)

I am an Indian and a practicing Hindu. I respect all religions and believe in the dictum "If you are a Christian, be a good Christian. If you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim. If you are a Hindu, be a good Hindu..Above all be a good human being." Having said that, let me say a few words about the book.

Edwin Bryant makes a superhuman effort to show all sides of an extremely emotional and complex story where several mutually opposing parties are involved without showing any bias towards any group. He goes after truth like no one else did before. He refuses to brand anyone but let one brand oneself by quoting what one said or wrote on the "Indo-Aryans" subject. Also, he completely refrains from the cheap trick - selective quoting. Now, that is scholarlship.

As a whole Bryant comes out as not only a brilliant scholar who can capture the essence of what has been said on this subject in the last 200 years which in by itself is no small accomplishment but more importantly in doing so establishes himself as a mature, sensitive and a decent human being. Now, that is beyond sholarship.

He doesn't hesitate to go after the establishment when he sees fit. As an example, see Bryant's response to Harvard professor, Michael Witzel, who believes in Aryan Immigration/Acculuturation Theory, on the subject of river names. Just to be sure, Bryant agrees with Witzel on several other readings. I am just using this as an example to show Bryant's fearlessness, integrity and personal resolve to stand firm.

See page 100
Witzel's reading (1999) of the evidence of hydronomy is as follows:
"...Indo-Aryans influence...was from early on powerful enough to replace the local...rive names...One would expect, just as in the Near East or in Europe, a survival of older names and adoption of them by the IA newcomers upon entering the territories of the people(s) of the Induscivilization and its successor cultures..."
To this Bryant counters in the same page:
"Such conservatism is, indeed, extremely surprising, especially since the Indo-Aryans did not enter in sufficient numbers to be perceivable in the skeletal record of the subcontinent...One also wonders how such small numbers of immigration could have eradicated the names of rivers and places in the Northwest of the subcontinent in the few hundred years..."

This book will go down in history as a great contribution to the subject. A must read for anyone who is interested in knowing more about the vedic peple. I won't call them Indo-Aryans. I oppose the word 'Aryan' as after all the abuse it sounds racist. I would just call them "RigVedic people."

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive review of the topic, July 21, 2008

By 

NPM (Washington DC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration Debate (Paperback)

I am not an academic in this specific area but very interested in the subject. With that in mind - I found the book fascinating. Wealth of information, very comprehensive and informative. The language is somewhat dry (which one would anyway expect from an academic publication) but still very readable for non-specialist in the field. If it is substance you are after, this book is excellent and very intellectually stimulating.