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The Lemurian logic here fails..
There aren't that many archeological artifacts even from North India in the Vedic age that "proves the existence of religion" so to speak
Yet we all know that the Gangetic plain circa 7th cen BCE was profoundly religious
There aren't that many archeological artifacts even from North India in the Vedic age that "proves the existence of religion" so to speak
Yet we all know that the Gangetic plain circa 7th cen BCE was profoundly religious
Whatever we know about civilization in the northern part of the India from 1500 to 500 BCE is for the most part from the literary record
Not as much from the archeological record
It's foolish to infer much about the culture of a certain epoch solely from archeological record
Not as much from the archeological record
It's foolish to infer much about the culture of a certain epoch solely from archeological record
If we were to solely go by the archeological record, what with the preponderance of Buddha images and Buddhist stupas and chaityas across Northern India, you might be inclined to think India was a predominantly Buddhist country 2000 years ago!
But we all know that's a load of crap...
The Hindu religion was extremely dominant. And you learn this through the literary sources
The two epics, the numerous purANas, the sutra literature of the various darshanas - all dating to that period of supposed "Buddhist dominance"
The Hindu religion was extremely dominant. And you learn this through the literary sources
The two epics, the numerous purANas, the sutra literature of the various darshanas - all dating to that period of supposed "Buddhist dominance"
In this context, I like to give the example of IVC vs Vedic culture
IVC culture - ample archeological record. Fabulous ruins. Yet no literature that speaks to us. Undeciphered seals
Vedic culture - relatively poor archeological record. yet literature is massive!
IVC culture - ample archeological record. Fabulous ruins. Yet no literature that speaks to us. Undeciphered seals
Vedic culture - relatively poor archeological record. yet literature is massive!
Given how poorly the "Vedic" period fares in terms of archeological record relative to IVC, historians tend to regard it as somehow "inferior" to IVC.
As though the coming of the Aryans was a "backward" step of sorts.
Romila Thapar says in so many words in her book!
As though the coming of the Aryans was a "backward" step of sorts.
Romila Thapar says in so many words in her book!
But the culture to which modern India is beholden is in fact that same Vedic civilization - an epoch with poor material records, yet humongously large literary records
If durability of ideas is the true test of a civilization, then the Vedic epoch beats IVC hands down
If durability of ideas is the true test of a civilization, then the Vedic epoch beats IVC hands down
We need to get out of this habit of grading a culture's influence by getting carried away by that culture's material ruins
Ideas matter more than ruins
Ideas matter more than ruins
The culture signified by the enormous stupas, Buddhist vihAras, Nalanda etc - has little influence in India today
But the culture of the itinerant, materially poor seers of the Vedic period continues to exert an influence
But the culture of the itinerant, materially poor seers of the Vedic period continues to exert an influence
