Aryan Origins | Migration Theory and Etymological History

Aryan is a designation originally meaning “civilized”, “noble”, or “free” without reference to any ethnicity. It was first applied as a self-identifying term by a migratory group of people from Central Asia later known as Indo-Iranians (who settled on the Iranian Plateau) and, later, applied to Indo-Aryans (who traveled south to settle northern India).

The word had no widespread ethnic connotation prior to the 19th century CE other than its usage by the Persians (known as 'Iranians' from 'Aryans') to distinguish themselves from their Muslim Arab conquerors in the 7th century CE, and even then (it could be argued) it was not so much an ethnic distinction as one of class and personhood. Prior to the conquest, Persia had been “the land of the Aryans” and, afterwards, a term was coined for non-Aryans.

'Aryan' became associated with ethnicity and, especially, with light-skinned (Caucasian) superiority, only after Western European scholars began translating, and often misinterpreting, Sanskrit texts in the 18th and more extensively in the 19th centuries CE. Theories had been advanced earlier regarding a correlation between Sanskrit and European languages, but this concept was popularized by the Anglo-Welsh philologist Sir William Jones (l. 1746-1794 CE) in 1786 CE who claimed there was a common source for these languages which he called Proto-Indo-European.

Jones' claim inspired later writers to identify this “common source” and encouraged the French elitist Joseph Arthur de Gobineau (l. 1816-1882 CE) to develop the racist theories concerning “Aryan Blood” and White Supremacy which would become popularized in Germany through the works of Houston Stewart Chamberlain (l. 1855-1927 CE), the British-born political philosopher who would become Adolf Hitler's mentor and inspiration as well as informing the ideology and work of Alfred Rosenberg (l. 1893-1946 CE) which empowered the Nazi Party in Germany c. 1930-1945 CE.

Jones' claim would also influence the work of the German philologist Max Muller (l. 1823-1900 CE) who, in attempting to identify this “common source” via the Rig Veda and the history of the Indus Valley Civilization, created the myth of an Aryan Invasion of the region which claimed light-skinned Aryans conquered darker-skinned indigenous people and established high civilization; an interpretation of his work which Muller himself never intended and, in fact, repudiated.

The work of Gobineau, Chamberlain, and the Aryan Invasion claim would be embraced by the British throughout the 19th and 20th centuries CE to justify their control of India as they were the “Aryans” – a superior race – who were bringing culture and civilization to the less fortunate. This view was encouraged and popularized by the work of the British archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler (l. 1890-1976 CE) who excavated the ancient Indus Valley Civilization cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro and claimed his finds supported Muller's Aryan Invasion theory. Just as the fair-skinned Aryans of old had brought civilization to India, Wheeler claimed, so now had the British.

Most of Wheeler's work has been discredited in the modern day, as has Muller's invasion theory, and the works of every contributor to a definition of Aryan as referencing Caucasian have equally been dismissed as either misguided, misinterpretations, or intentionally racist. In the present day, the term is understood to properly refer to the early Indo-Iranian and Indo-Aryan migratory group, possibly originally from the region of the Ural River or, according to some scholars, to the Indo-Iranians only based on the continued usage of the term by the great Persian Empires of the Near East.

Link to original article titled Aryan by Joshua J. Mark

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[mehryaarvid]

In 3000 years of Iran history, it was always used as “aryan people” or “aryan lineage” and other ethnic groups like Turks are referred to as “Aniran” meaning non-aryan, but now these guys claim it has nothing to do with race….

[curtisthomas]

Irony: one of the ethnic groups persecuted, and murdered by the supposedly "pure Aryan" Natzis were the Romani aka "Gypsies", who were actually an lndo-Aryan group.

[human]

The word āryan is often found in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain texts. In the Indian spiritual context, it can be applied to Rishis or to someone who has mastered the four noble truths and entered upon the spiritual path.

[artinrahideh]

Ancient Iranians( Persians) also called their language( Old Persian) "Arya"

[StephiSensei]

This is precisely why I believe Ancient history is so vital in our elementary schools, and should be presented in depth, and not simply skipped over in one or two chapters (paragraphs). Young people want and need to know who they are, and where they came from, and, that they all have value. And "Value" is not dictated by skin color.

[MackerelCat]

The title of the video is a little misleading, it was more about the debunking of aryan invasion and the unfortunate marring of the study of aryans by 20th C race politics. There is however a lot that wasn’t discussed, like the actual evidence of Aryan origins and migration, since they did actually exist. Didn’t talk about linguistic origins and data. And then at the end made the suggestion that everyone can be aryan regardless of skin colour. That seems silly to me, why do people need to be called aryan to be considered noble or civilised or cultured? I got so confused at that point and started to think this was actually more a polemic in favour of a certain political position, especially given the misleading title. Bit of a shame because the aryans are such an interesting and influential group.

[bishopbling]

Seems like almost everyone here in the comments is an "expert" on Aryans.

[voiceofthefriend]

Modern day historical revisionism. The Aryan invasion is not a "theory" and is written of in old Indian texts and understood by Northern Indians to this day.

[rebelxyz]

I'm a proud indo-aryan Hindu following Aryan religion Hinduism and praying in Aryan language Sanskrit hymns.
🙂🙂🙂🙂

[largelester]

Hate to tell you but the truth is racist. Yes, a lighter more advanced class of people invaded northern India and ruled as the elite members of a caste system; and the majority of northern India's upper classes are lighter than the lower classes unto this very day.

[danielgordon]

Ethnic empowerment is a strange subject. Its seen as good when the subject ethnicity is on the bottom of the social hierarchy, but bad when the subject is at the top.

[dennisswift]

Learning all this later in life, would have been very nice to have learned this earlier when I was younger and teach others to get along with each other.We are more related than we think we are.

[TheMAHoGOL]

Indo-European aren't Aryan but Aryan peaple are Indo-European.
Aryan or Arya/Aria(Iranain version) is self identity and nationality of Iranian peaple.
Iran/Eran=ir/er+an (plural suffix)
Aniran( a persian word )means non- Iranian(non-arya ).this word used for other non- iranian people included Greek, Roman, turk, Arab...
Even ancient Europeans didn't self identify themselves as arya/aria or aryan, eg, greek.
Herodotus wrote:
Persian people self identified as aria/aryan and also others identified persian as aria /arya peaple.
He was greek and he didn't use aria/arya for greek or other European.

[garlandstrife]

Perhaps Aryans were the friends we made along the way.

[MayankYadavdivine]

The word Arya is used in Vasistha Dharma Sutras as follows:

The country of the Âryas (Âryâvarta) lies to the east of the region where (the river Sarasvatî) disappears, to the west of the Black-forest, to the north of the Pâripâtra (mountains), to the south of the Himâlaya. 8

(According to others it lies to the south of the Himâlaya) and to the north of the Vindhya range (being limited east and west by the two oceans). 9

Acts productive of spiritual merit, and customs which (are approved of) in that country, must be everywhere acknowledged (as authoritative);

But not different ones, (i.e. those) of (countries where) laws opposed (to those of Âryâvarta prevail).

Some (declare the country of the Âryas to be situated) between the (rivers) Gaṅgâ and Yamunâ.

These texts clearly indicates that the Aryavarta exist in only in India between the Himalayas and Vindhyachal mountains and they no where mentions about facial features or anything whether they rely on the fact Arya is a person of high spiritual merit pure who performs certain rituals which other people don't as u can see
2.103. But he who does not (worship) standing in the morning, nor sitting in the evening, shall be excluded, just like a Sudra, from all the duties and rights of an Aryan

[stormshadow]

It is always funny to me when Europeans claim that they are "Aryans".

Secondly, Iranians specifically "Persians" or "Parsa" called themselves "Airya" since they believed their religion Zoroastrianism, a corruption of the original Vedic religion was "Aryan". Medes never called themselves as Aryans, neither did Sogdians or Parthians. Only Persians did. So, it was not an ethnic term.

In sanskrit, Europeans are considered as mlecchas or ritually impure and not Arya. So, I always find it funny when the former claim such Arya status as Savarna Hindus.

The Greeks and Romans generally referred to as "Yavanas" fell under the category of mlecchas. Interestingly enough, while the Iranians called themselves "Airya", in Sanskrit records Parasikas or Persians along with Valhika or Bactrian were also lobbed with mlecchas or people who were ritually impure.

[vikkiwilson]

Migration of Indo-Europeans entirely replaced the population in Britain. But definitely not conquest!

[alejandromadrid]

History is being re-written to accomodate American Imperial Ideology of egalitarianism. Aryan meant both "noble" and ethnicity. Its preposterous to believe the learned British were racist but the war like ancient Aryans were color blind Americans, that somehow paradoxically established the caste system. Indians, up to this day, are very ethnocentric and racist. When it is pointed out that the narratives of history are established to serve political objectives the present is no exception, and in the present, it is American ideology that is dominant. Thank America too, for flooding Europe with immigrants, under the cover of UN refugee programs.

[ceoofthebaseddepartment]

Aryan was used to refer to Sanskrit speaking upper-caste Hindu and Buddhists in India
There certainly was some ethnic implications however later the term was used to imply Indianized people as civilized as opposed to Mlecchas the barbarians