An Aryan Journey

by Harsh Mahaan Cairae

The author has compiled this brilliant, educative work after referring, studying and doing his thorough research about the origin of the Aryans, their arrival to India and the legacy they have supposedly left behind in the form of literature. But unlike most of the theories, the author asserts that the Aryans came into the nation on trade ships and it was the people of the Indus Valley Civilization who even let them to live amongst them. There are many references to Vedas and Zoroastrian epics and scriptures. A source also claims that the Zoroastrianism also belonged to the same ethnic stock as the Aryans. A must have history aficionados.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

460 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

Reviews

[Lakshmisha K S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great attempt to identify the journey of "Aryans" and the history behind them. Book tries to understand the common ancestry between us and Zoroastrians (Persians). The most interesting thing is that it delves into a topic which had personally interested me a lot. That the Devas and Asuras of Hindu religion were polar opposites of Ahuras(Asuras) and Daevas (Devas)of Zoroastrian religion. The book hypothesis what many speculated that we shared a common ancestry and during the course of which tribal rivalry resulted in the creation of two separate religions. The book does a fantastic job of finding out the journey of Aryans and how the rivalry on method of worship resulted in the creation of so much history not only in the sub-continent but influencing movements across central Asia, Persia, Levant and Greece.

This book is one of rare books that tries to delve into the period of Indian history where we have so little information. Separating Mythology to extract historical information from them is difficult task and the author has done a fantastic job of the same.

[Gurnam Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

it is very nice book, which empowered me with some new fact about an aryan journey. This book is also successful to show the common past of Zoroastrian and an aryan. But the author of book has willfully concealed some fact about aryan entry/invasion in India. He said the aryan came in India on the invitation of indus valley civilization, on the other point he says that there is no knowledge how the indus valley civilization was destroyed. He has not also elaborated,why the molnivasi pepole become so poorer and how the aryan people become so powerful and controlled all resources in India. The aryan can be even seen today .They are so strong , powerful and controlling all resources.

[Rajiv Chopra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a most interesting book and one that I will probably have to read again.

Harsh Mahaan does indeed interpret the Vedas in an interesting manner and does provide us with some alternate histories of the Aryans.

He postulates that their story started from the Arctic Circle. While I do not claim to be an expert, I wonder if this interpretation is correct. He postulates that Indra, Manu, Yam(a) etc were kings and warriors of old, who gradually were deified. I do think that this is a possibility. I also think that there is a possibility that they were blonde, as he has suggested.

Since the journeys were, as seen from our times, obscure and sometimes difficult to understand, I would have liked that the chapters were to be broken down into sections. A 'family tree', even as a postulate, and maps, would have helped to make the narrative clear.

It is indeed a book well worth reading. It is a book that needs a second, clearer, edition.