THE GEOGRAPHY OF ARYANA


Literary Evidence

As described in the Vedas and the Avesta, the land of King Yama initially encompassed a small area which was later expanded to accomodate an ever increasing population. Its geographical horizons are described with precision in these scriptures.

1. Description: King Yama is recorded as having spoken with the gods through the divine intercessor Mitra. The initial site of Aryana is named Svaniratha (Veda)/Kvaniratha (Avesta) where the holy messenger Mitra communicated with the King Yama.
Evaluation: Vedic and Avestan commentaries explain that this region is the land between the now-extinct Saraswati River and the Ganga River, namely the contemporary state of Haryana.

2. Description: The region of Aryana is stated to have expanded in a south westerly direction ( Avesta, Vendidad, Fargard 2, "...on the way of the sun...").
Evaluation: The Avesta was compiled in the region of southern Afghanistan as established by linguistic evidence. Moreover, the setting of the Avesta concurs with the geography of southern Afghanistan. The only region lying to the northeast of southern Afghanistan is Punjab/Haryana which therefore is the most plausible cradle of the Arya race.

3. Description: According to the Avesta, after losing the battle against Azi Dahak, King Yima fled to Hapta Hindustan (Punjab/Haryana), where he was murdered.
Evaluation: Hypothetically, it could be reasoned that he fled to his initial homeland as it was sacred having hitherto enjoyed divine protection. He may have believed that he would be safe there, but as a punishment for his sins the gods had deserted Aryana.

4. Description: The hero Tritana resided in Varena (northern Punjab/southern Kashmir). It was here that a residual Arya culture survived the Tazi aggression of Azi Dahak. It was in Varena that Tritana was later to slay the unarya beast and restore Arya dignity.
Evaluation: The power of Azi Dahak waned towards Punjab/Haryana as it was the original centre of Arya culture. Most tyrannies face the stiffest resistance in the land where the culture they oppressoriginated and florished.

5. Description: King Yama was described as fair, but not white. This indicates a tanned hue.
Evaluation: The tanned colour is the result of a warm sunny climate. This points to a climate akin to Punjab/Haryana where the population are neither of white or black skin, but are of tanned complexion.

6. The flora and fauna described in the Veda and Avesta are found, in totality, only within Punjab/Haryana.

7. The name Haryana is a continuum of the ancient Aryana.




Genetic Evidence


Genetic study establishes that north Indian maternal DNA is generally similar throughout the region indicating that the original population has inhabited Bharat Varsha for a long period. Moreover, this indicates that there was no mass immigration from outside.




Linguistic Evidence


The word Arya, from which Aryana is derived, is attested in its oldest source in the Veda and the Avesta. These scriptures were compiled in Punjab/Haryana and southern Afghanistan respectively.
Evidence: The Avesta mentions that the Arya settled in the "var" (fortified enclosure), having travelled to the site of tis var (Afghanistan) from elsewhere. The Veda does not allude to any invasion or migration into the region of Vedic compilation (Punjab/Haryana). Such facts point to the conclusion that the region where the Veda was compiled was the original realm of King Yama.




Archaeological Evidence


The Vedas and Avesta detail the history of Aryana from the creation of the first man in c 40,000 BC to the time of the Prophet Zarathushtra (c10,000 BC). The Vedas make reference to the family of Rishi Vasishtha who flourished in the Haryana region from 10,000 BC. In 1990, the Journal of Indo-European Studies carried an article entitled "Analysis of an Indo-European Vedic Head - Fourth Millenium BC". The life-size head has a hairstyle that the Vedas describe as being unique to the family of Vasishtha, one of the great seers who composed parts of the Rig Veda. The hair is oiled and coiled with a tuft on the right, and their ears are riveted; Carbon 14 tests indicate that it was cast around 3,700 BC.




Anthropological Evidence


Anthropology has established that in c40,000 BC, hominids of various categories existed in but a few specific localities:
1. Africa: Negro.
2. Europe: Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon.
3. Middle East: Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon.
4. South-East Asia: Negro.

The region of Bharat Varsha was unpopulated by these races although skeletal traces of the Arya race have been found in burials within Punjab (these date to 20,000 BC). On the basis of such evidence, Punjab/Haryana is the most plausible cradle of the Arya race.




CONCLUSION


Such abundance of evidence conclusively establishthat Punjab/Haryana was indeed the cradle of the Arya race. The onset of the ice age forced the Arya retreat to a cave that was sufficiently large for a vast population to survive and could sustain agriculture due to the presence of a bright light. Such caves are found only in Afghanistan such as the notorious caves of Tora Bora.

At the close of the ice age the Arya emerged from the cave and brought the light of progressive civilization to the world.