Complete Vedic Period UPSC Notes [1500 BCE-500 BCE]
Vedic Period [1500 BCE-500 BCE]
The Vedic Period started with the advent of the Aryans in around 1500 BCE, which coincided with the Late Harappan period (associated with the decline of the Indus valley civilization). Aryans spoke Sanskrit, which is considered the origin of most of the current languages of the Indian subcontinent and is said to be a part of Indo-European languages, which is the origin point of most European languages and Persian.
Early scholars such as Wheeler believed that the Aryan tribes originally came from the steppes and invaded India around 1500 BCE. This was known as the Aryan Invasion theory. However, we have discussed in the previous article why an Aryan Invasion is an unlikely theory. Therefore, it has been rejected in favour of a much more plausible Aryan Migration theory.
Basic of Aryan Migration Theory
Linguistic arguments
Arguments from the Study of Vedas
Arguments from Genetics
Chronology of the Aryan Migration
| Ancient name | Modern rivers associated with |
| Sindhu | Indus – the most mentioned river |
| Vipash | Beas |
| Vitatsa | Jhelum |
| Parushini | Ravi |
| Askini | Chenab |
| Shutudri | Satluj |
| Saraswati | Possibly Ghaggar-Hakra channel |
