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Ancient Civilizations: Extensions of Hindustan Vedic Buddhist Age, Aryan Theory
From 3rd Jan 2001, History discussions are moved to indiaculture.net - where we can dedicate more space to these important discussions.
| By Neanderthal facts on Saturday, September 23, 2006 - 11:01 am: |
The nearest thing to a neanderthall is an Australoid, in other words, a dravidian.
neanderthalls are possibly recorded in Norse (Germanic) mythology under the name of 'dwarf' or 'dwarves'.
Some people think this could have been the eskimo people to the north as they were alot shorter people than the Germanic race, although according to myth, the dwarves apparently lived under ground which fits better with the neanderthall race. The desciption of the dwalf according to myth also aligns better with the Neanderthall.
Neanderthal valley in which the first Neanderthal man was found is in Germany and it is now proven that both Neanderthal and human coexisted.
| By Anonymous on Thursday, August 31, 2006 - 03:55 pm: |
To Ahura Mazda: you people are a bunch of mongrels, mixed with Arabs.Even your language contains 46 % Arab words. By the way : How can anyone fancy youw women? They look like pinguins in their chadors.
| By Ahura Mazda on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 - 11:09 pm: |
"The word Aryan is Indian and the Aryans originated in India. "
are you f*uck*ing kidding me?? what do you just make up history to your liking!
no a*ss they originated from the cauccus and migrated to the Indo-Iranian Plateau...only parts of India...and all of Iran! you better go back to the ghadi school of learning!
just like in another thread I read where "Germans mated with neaderthals"...you know why the neaderthals died out right!! because they werent genetically compatiable with homosapians and hence died out! there is not one recorded evidence of a neaderthal mating with ANY homosapian! thats science fact! and whoever wrote that siad that it was a new theory!! LOOL! what a joke...
not only dont you a*sses know about history, you dont have a f*uckin clue on science either! persian history is rich with science, math, art and poerty! what good has come out of india in the last 2000 years?? you f*uckers wanted to adopt all the cows from england who they were going to slaughter because of mad cow disease! bunch of f**uckin dirt farming peasants! futhermore you guys are blacker than black, smell like some one took a s*hit all over you and your woman are nasty as f*uck! persian women won 5 out of 6 last miss universes. we are are genetically more superior than you are, and far better looking! about the only thing you have going right now is american corporations are fueling your economy and you guys have the audacity to take western names! yeah punjab, your name really isnt mark, everyone in the US knows that!
the last time I checked...Iran means the "Land of the Aryans" look it up yourself! what does India mean?? "Land of the Cow lover"
| By M. Kalia on Saturday, August 26, 2006 - 11:59 pm: |
WHY ARE SOME PUNJABIS VERY VERY DARK
I study anthropology. Forget all what foreigners tell you they have political motives. Many Punjabis are very very dark, while most Coorgis and Brahmins etc., of South India very white. Even other castes. See Aiswarya Rai from South very light and Devgan from Punjab who is dark. No Darvidian Race exists and this North South divide is political. Most Indians in every corner of India are Aryans. There are some other races in the Bushes etc., in every region of India of Australoid stock.
The colour variability in India like other parts is due to climate. Many workers of Punjab had to take a lot of warm climate for thousands of years and thus are dark. though their features are purely Aryan. The Rajputs, Jats Brahmins, Lavanas, Sainis, Ramgargiyas etc., of Punjab are in general on the lighter side as most of them did not work for long in the open. Sardar Boota Singh etc., are very dark, though Aryans as their ancestors toiled all day in the open.
In general Indians a part of ancient civilization have no superiority or inferiority complex. Please do not go by foreigners or some naive or corrupt journalists in India.
| By pragya on Saturday, May 13, 2006 - 08:25 am: |
language and literature in ancient and medieval time in india
1.scripts and their evolution
2.evolution of scripts till today
3.alhabets in different languages in ancient and medieval time
4.drawing of the manuscripts - their decoration etc.
5.life sketches of authors
please reply soon
| By khiizar niazi on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 05:12 am: |
i need some books fram india can any one help me
for this, these are older books, and printed before partion,
i need these book plese help me.
| By Prateek on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 06:27 pm: |
"Music and Art in amcient and medivial time"(India)
#1 Themes and samples of music
#2 materials,style and color used
#3 Information infered frm pic. of jewelery,activity,belief,clothes
#4 continous style in music and art today
****-- 1,2,3 should be of ancient and medivial time in INDIA.
Please help for giving this information as soon as possible as I need it soon.
I will be glad if u responce.
| By xxx on Friday, August 26, 2005 - 02:27 pm: |
Central Asia is considered Iran by Wikipedia. History of guitar:
Instruments almost identical to what we know as the "guitar" have been popular for at least 5,000 years. The "guitar" that is so popular in the Western World has derived from ancient mother instruments, which were invented in Iran, Central Asia. Earliest evidence of instruments very similar to the Westernized guitar appear in ancient Susa carvings and statues recovered from the Iranian Plateau. The name, guitar, is a combination of two words. "Guit" comes from the Sanskrit word "Sangeeta" meaning "music." The second half of the word "tar" is purely Persian and means "c hord" or "string." Sanskrit itself was primarily the official language of the Aryans of Central Asia, that is, Iran, and was spread along the east, as far as present Bihar by about 600 BC where it was later to be established as classical Sanskrit of India. So the word "guitar" is Iranian in Origin, and so are the ancestral instruments from which the Westernized guitar derrived. The word qitara is a word in the Arabic given to those ancestoral lutes of the Westernized guitar. The Arabic name for these lutes, that is, qitara, is obviously rooted in Persian. The name "guitar" was first introduced to the Western World when guitars were brought into Spain by the Moors after the 10th century. (See related article).
The notion that the name "guitar" also may have been derived from the word sitar, is therefore unlikely. The word sitar is also purely Persian, meaning "three-strings." There are two theories on the creation of the sitar. One theory states that it evolved from a purely Indian instrument called the Chitra Veena. The other theory is that the instrument was created by a Persian musician named Khosro Parviz of the Persian court in India. The various components of the "sitar" also bear Persian names. The name "sitar" is actually the name of a Persian lute which indeed had three strings but today has four. The Chitra Veena is depicted in Indian artwork as the official instrument of the Hindu goddess Saraswati.
The idea that the guitar's name (along with those listed above) may be derived ultimately from the kithara, an instrument from classical times used in Ancient Greece and later throughout the Roman Empire, is also unlikely. Kithara is also the Greek version of the Persian word, guitar. The name was first introduced to Greek through the Persian language when the two cultures came into contact. Henceforth, the guitar and its name were both introduced to other European nations, such as Spain. Through the course of time, the name moved into the English language, and today the guitar, or what it has evolved into, is used throughout the world.
The Spanish vihuela appears to be an intermediate form between the ancestral guitar and the modern guitar, with lute-style tuning and a small guitar-style body, but it is not clear whether this represents a transitional form or simply a design that combined features from the two families of instruments.
The electric guitar was invented by Adolf Rickenbacker, with the help of George Beauchamp and Paul Berth, in 1931. Rickenbacker was the inventor of the horseshoe-magnet pickup. However, it was Danelectro that first produced electric guitars for the wider public. Danelectro also pioneered Tube Amp technology.
| By K.S.Gokulanathan, MD,FAAP,FRCPC,FAAA on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 - 03:23 am: |
Indic Wisdom And Western Materialism*
K.S.Gokulanathan, MD, FRCP(C), FAAP, FAAA
Through millennia B.C.E, indigenous Indian wisdom extensively spread to other countries. During this period, in India, the influx and interaction of different political, religious, ethnic, and linguistic people built a colorful mosaic of culture and tradition on its foundation.
Incidentally, the luster of Indian wisdom got tarnished, occluded, and destroyed in this process of acculturation. I think that the globally expanding Indic Diaspora should know their magnificent heritage and the greatness of Indic wisdom. This will enable them to herald this Indic perspective of peace, love, and non-violence that is decisive to enhance the benefits of modern world and to mollify the baneful effects of materialism.
Through millennia, accumulated Indic wisdom is a complex vast repository of knowledge that has its sway on every facet of human thinking and activities through the human history. I will outline it under the following headings:
Ø Enumerate the various aspects of Indic wisdom through the ages in a graphic manner.
Ø To highlight the hegemony of Euro-centric history and erase its fallacies and bias regarding the inception of Indic Wisdom.
Ø Describe specific areas of inception of original concepts and the geo-historical, economical, ecological, political, and epistemological aspects of the spread to Western Hemisphere.
Ø The role of ancient Indic wisdom in modern materialistic context and future survival of humans.
Indic wisdom is enshrined in Veda which means “ wisdom” from Sanskrit root Vidyia. Veda comprises the section on knowledge and rituals. Its rituals form the prototype of all rituals that humans offer to the unknown Power under different names. The knowledge section deals with the following universally applicable eternal principles that form the basis of all human intellectual and intuitive knowledge without any religious connotation.
The repeated onslaught by innumerable outside forces tried to destroy the Indic wisdom and/or claim of its origin outside India. The Muslim conquerors adopted the slash and burn technique to destroy Indian heritage. British strategy of divide and rule was to distort and destroy Indic wisdom, create Aryan-Dravidian racial split, and introduce an educational system to brainwash Indians into their servile status. Among them, the most prejudiced one is the ridiculous Aryan Migration Theory. This extols that light-skinned Aryans from Central Asia, migrated west to Europe and South to India (1500 BCE) who conquered local primitive people and founded the world’s great civilizations!
The British employed Euro-centric historians like Max Muller, the German Ideologist and Sir William Jones who were like wolf in sheep’s skin. While making important facets of Indic wisdom to the West, their covert intention was to destroy them as a religious phenomenon. Max Muller’s letter to his wife in 1888 echoes: “ The translation of Veda will tell . . .the fate of India, . . .It is the root of their religion, and to show them what the root is the only way up rooting all that sprung up in the past 3000 years.”
The recent data show that Aryan Invasion Theory is a preposterous fabrication:
v The satellite mapping of Saraswathi River that dried up before 3000BCE is mentioned in Rig Veda.
v Mohenjodaro and Harappa civilization were along this river that produced the Vedas
v The Rig Veda mentions winter solstice at Aires that correlates to 6500 BCE.
v There is no Aryan-Dravidian divide in scriptures, cultures and historic traditions of North and South.
v The discovery of submerged cities off the coast of Gujarat (Bay of Cambay) corroborates with historical facts of events before 3000 BCE
v The Aryan Invasion Theory argues that the Aryans brought horses and chariots to India. The European and Central Asian horses have 18 ribs whereas Indian horses have only 17. No skeletal evidence of 18 ribbed “Aryan” horses are seen anywhere in Harappan excavations with their spoke wheel chariot symbol dating far before 2000 BCE.
Moreover, the review of the appended Time lines show that the few of the following tract record of these European “Aryans” involves abominable actions and anthology inconsistent with the Vedic injunctions:
Ø The building of pyramids by Jewish slaves
Ø Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil’s Aneid and Dante’s Divine Comedy immortalize a warring and plundering state.
Ø Roman conquests and their gory amusements in the coliseums.
Ø The human torches of the Inquisition
Ø Annihilation of Inca and Aztecs by Spanish Conquistadors.
Ø The smoking chimneys of the holocaust
Ø Supply of smallpox infested blankets to American Indians.
Sir William Jones, posing as a “friend and well-wisher” of India, popularized the origin of Sanskrit along with Greek, and Latin from a common Indo-European Language.
Scholars now realize that there was no Aryan-Dravidian differentiation in Vedic times and that the Indian languages share a common ancestry of Tamil and Sanskrit. Interestingly, many words in European languages can be traced to ancient Indian root words. Its phonetic link to Latin urbs is seen in the English word “urban.” The language of Australian Aborigines who emigrated from India during the prehistoric times, still have many words of Tamil origin like Olloru, Kata and Jathi.
Recent evidence points to the migration of the pre-Vedic Indians towards west and the establishment of Sumerian civilization with the cities named Ur and Nippur by third millennium BCE. The clay tablets reveal a very well educated, literate, musical, and mathematically competent society. Their polytheistic religion and moon worship echoes Vedic influence. Many Indian and Western Indologists believe that the Biblical Abraham’s family was Indic traders who resettled in the ancient city of Ur (Joshua 24.2). Abraham who was wise and influential for practical reasons consolidated Indic polytheistic worship into monolatry and then monotheism (Genesis 14.21). The flood described in Sathapatha Brahmana of Yajur Veda and Matysa Purana is the prototype of flood in Assyrian Epic of Gilgemish and the Nova’s Arc in Biblical flood.
The Indian tradition is not a religion but a unified Vedic concept: “The World is one family” ( Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam) and the Puranic adage: "the world of mortals is an interdependent organism" (The Mahabharata: 11:298.17). Recently, DNA studies have proved “that we are all clearly, very closely related, one human family with a common genetic ancestor . . . that we are all Africans under the skin" (Spencer Wells). The Indian legacy belongs not to Indians but to all humans. It is a legacy that combines the consciousness of the self with the cosmic, the time with space, matter with energy, and the spiritual with the temporal. The modern physicists have realized that quantum mechanics and theory of relativity cannot be formulated without reference to consciousness of the observer. When they integrate all these variables, the universe appears as a hologram and all phenomena an illusion! This is Maya of Indic seers that explained the reality underlying phenomena to be formless, empty, or void:
Brahman is life, Brahman is joy.
Brahman is the void . . .
Joy, verily, that is same as the void.
The void, verily, that is same as joy.” ( Chandogya Upanishad,4-10-4)
The Indian mystic exploring the inner realm and the physicist the outer world realize the essential unity of all things and events that Upanishad asserts in refrain: “ That art thou” ( Tat thom asi ) ( Chandogya Upanishad, 8-6,9-4,10-4,11-3,12-3,13-3,14-3,15-3,16-3 ). This confirms the ancient Indian wisdom that the ultimate reality (Brahman) is identical to reality within (Atman).
The Indic endeavor was to conquer oneself, to build, to love and to enrich humans in their quest for eternal Truth. The later Indic seers like Gouthma Buddha and Mahavir reinforced these concepts by incorporating ahimsa (not harming), and aghnya (not killing) and also egalitarian and ecological dimensions to Indic wisdom. These elements that were consolidated in India was the proto-type of all later philosophical, ecological, economical, epistemological, religious, technological and materialistic progress that is termed CIVILIZATION: “If there is one place on . . .Earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days. . .it is India” (Romain Rolland-French Philosopher (1886-1944).
Ancient Indians blended mystic supernaturalism and rational pragmatism in all aspects of human endeavors. This process involved deep meditation and abstraction to explore the subtle nature of inner recess of mind and consciousness and to formulate their practical applications. In this process, they developed the early Indian mathematics, which dates back to Sulbasutras (800BCE) relating to geometric patterns, value of B, and square root. Between 400 and 600 CE, notable mathematicians like Aryabhata I from Kerala, Brahmagupta, and Bhaskara I introduced the concept of Shunyam, indicated by a dot or Pujyam or “Zero.” and formulated rules of operation zero that foreshadowed the decimal system numeration. They introduced numbers and symbolism, the classification of mathematics, the names and solution methods of equations of the first degree, quadratic equations, cubic equations and equations with more than one unknown, symbolic algebra, and algorithm methods. By 14th century CE, the original contributions of Kerala mathematicians like Madhava, Pameswara, Nilakantha, and Jyesthadeva included trignometric functions, analytical series, integral calculus and advanced astronomy computations ahead of the Europeans by two to three centuries! Isn’t it fascinating that the zero concepts based binary code and algorithm technique gives us the all-modern computer software! The importance of this discovery is explicit in Albert Einstein’s comments: “We owe a lot to Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.”
The Indian mathematicians were astute astronomers. Aryabhata I presented the heliocentric planetary system, correct explanation for eclipses and calculated the circumference of earth. He was ahead of Copernicus and Galileo by a millennium! In 7th century CE, Indian astronomers propounded the theory of gravitation (Gurutvaakarshan). Mathematical geniuses continued to appear in South India like Ramanujan followed by Nobel Laureates in physics C.V. Raman and S.Chandrasekar. In 1975, the first Indian satellite named Aryabhata and in 1999, United States space X-ray observatory labeled Chandra symbolize the two millennia old Indian luminaries in mathematics and astronomy of the earth’s orb.
Between 6th and 4th centuries BCE, Greek intellectuals laid the Western philosophy, and science on the foundation of centuries old Indic wisdom. Indic philosophy formed the basic of most traditional African religions that perpetuate the "fundamental principles of harmony between humans, humans and the environment, and humans and the spirit world" The Aborigines of Australia follow the same trend. The Indic influence was intimate since Greek intellectuals like Plato and Democritus conferred with sages in India. Pythagoras studied in the Vedic school in Egypt under Indian teachers. “ Almost all the theories, religious, philosophical, and mathematical, taught by the Pythagoreans were known in India in the sixth century BCE.” (R.G.Rawlinson). Boudhayana in 700 B.C.E. enunciated that “areas produced separately by the length and breadth of rectangle together equal to the area of the (square) produced by the diagonal” ( Sulbasutra). The Theorem of Pythagoras is a misnomer since like “Arabic numerals” and “Cartesian Coordinates”, they are all of Vedic origin like the zero concept. The Neoplatonism of the Renaissance in Europe was actually Neovedism! (Table2)
The Hindu numerals reached Europe through the Arabic route. Though the Hindu numerals were developed in 3rd century BCE (Chanda Sastra), only in 770 CE it was brought to the learning centers in Baghdad. The oldest European manuscript with these numerals is seen from Moorish Spain in 976 CE.(The American Peoples Encyclopedia).
Discovery India Known inEurope
Zero (Sooniya) Pingalacharya-Chanda Sastra- 200 B.C.E 900 C.E
“Pythagorus Theorem”. Boudhayana Sulbasutra 700 B.C.E 500 B.C.E.
“Taylor Series ofSine and cosine” Nilakanta-Tantra Sangraha 1444 C.E 1685 C.E.
InterpolationFormula Govindaswami- Mahabhaskareya 800 C.E Newton- Gauss-1670 C.E
Power Series Somayaji-Karanapaddhati1450 C.E. Newton-1660 C.E.
“Lhuiler’s Formula” Patameswara-commentary on Lilavathi-1360 C.E. Lhuiler- 1782 C.E.
“Gregory’s Series” for Inverse Tangents Madhava- Yukti Bhaha1350 C.E. 1632 C.E.
“Lebnitz Power Series” Somayaji- Karanapaddhati –1450 C.E. 1673 C.E.
Earth’s Gravity Bhaskara-Siddhanta Siromany-1114 C.E Newton- 1666 C.E.
Heliocentric system Aryabhata- 520 C.E. Copernicus- 1520 C.E.
Backward Interpolation Vateswara 904 C.E. Newton-Gauss-1670 C.E.
Table 2. N.Gopalakrishnan. We Claim These Are Indian Discoveries. Thiruvananthapuram: Heritage Publication Series-66. 2000
.
The application of mathematical concepts in different fields made ancient India an important industrial and commercial center. This attracted and enamored both traders and invaders who got assimilated to Indian society. During this period, the West was the under-developed world while India excelled in material culture that spread and established as other civilizations of Sumeru, Egypt and Mesopotamia by 3000BCE.
This is true since two to three millennia ago, the rudiments of today’s “ mechanical engineering” existed for Indians to develop the manufacture and export sugar, palm oil, cotton cloth, metal works, pigments, perfumes, and crude glass crockery. The earliest use of copperware in Harappa dates to around 3000 BCE. The Greek and Roman texts indicate that iron, tin, copper and brass were Indian imports. Greek chemical treatise notes the excellence of Indian steel. For the Greeks sugar was “honey from the reed” called saccharin derived from Sacchari in Prakrit. The linguistic cascade from Sanskrit Sharkara to Arabic Sukkar, Spanish Azucar, French Sucre and English sugar is interesting.
India had a highly developed system of cultivation and processing of spices especially in the present Kerala state that was the center of the great Tamil Chera dynasty. There are records of cinnamon export from here to Middle East in 1500 BCE.
The port of Muzirus (Kodungalur) was the center of spice trade till 13th Century CE when it moved to present Kochi.
To promote the flourishing trade to foreign nations, ancient Indians build different types of seagoing vessels and also the first mariner’s compass. British Naval historian Mr.J.L.Reid attests: “ The Hindu compass was an iron fish that floated in a vessel of oil and pointed to the North. . . the Sanskrit word Maccha Yantra or fish machine. . .” Being astute astronomers, Indians developed astrolabe and later the sextant known as Vruttashanga Bhaga. The Arabs utilized these instruments and became expert navigators and expanded their maritime horizons and trade. They influenced the ideas and activities of the Spanish explorers.
Like shipbuilding, the ancient India had remarkable contribution to architecture and Civil engineering. The Harappa and Mohen-jodaro civilization displays well-developed techniques of architecture and construction almost 7000 years back! The roof of the underground tunnels was a cantilever arch. The technique of stone fixation without mortar enabled the construction of huge temples. The inter-locking dome of the Stupa became the prototype for the domes over mosques and churches built by Byzantines, Romans and Arabs.
Indic seers concept of physical reality was an offshoot of philosophy and theology. For them, the material world consisted of five elements or Pancha Mahabhootas-- Earth, Fire, Air, Water, and Akasha. Kashyapa in 6th Century BCE formulated the idea of atom or Paramanu. The Indian concept of atomic physics spread to Greece by 300 BCE after the invasion of Alexander and the trade and diplomatic relations that ensued. Similarly, there was advancement in the area of Chemistry of metals, alloys, distillation of perfumes, making of dyes etc. The 1500 years old unrusted Iron Pillar In Delhi is an example of the advanced processing at that time. The Arabs learned techniques of making gold-like metals from India and called it Al Kimia. By 13th.century CE, in the western hands it became Alchemy!
The rational application of Indic wisdom to life in health and sickness blossomed as Ayurveda (Science of Life). This is supplementary to Veda (Upaveda) and is a systematized approach to health and disease states. Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas as well as Buddhist and Jain literature contain many references to the physical and psychological characteristics of individuals in health and disease. The earliest recorded treatise in Medicine is the Shushruta Samhita dated c.8th century BCE. This is a documentary evidence of the advances in plastic surgery, cataract extraction, dental surgery as well as detailed anatomical studies. Charaka in 2nd century BCE revised the accumulated medical knowledge of the previous millennia in the treatise known as Charaka-samhita.
Aurveda system incorporates not only methods for treatment of diseases like (Roganashni), restoration of health (Prikrithisthapini), increase of body resistance (Rasayani). This system enshrines the welfare of the physical, mental, intellectual and even the spiritual aspects of the individual in health and sickness. The Indian philosophers studied in depth the socio-somatic and psychosomatic interactions and developed rational and analytic methods to control them. Patanjali in 2nd century BCE complied Yogasutra treatise to elucidate the different types like Raja Yoga (King of Yoga), Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga,. Hata Yoga, and Kriya Yoga. Yoga has become international commodity and an important component of the modern Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
In India millennia before the C.E., the temple therapy is a rational and systematic process to probe the mind and unveil the causative factors and cure of mental illnesses.
The Greeks physician Hippocrates followed Indian’s Aurveda medicine and yogic practices and described and employed Indian medicaments in the treatment of diseases. The Caduceus or coiled serpent symbol of medical profession is the original Indian Naga (Cobra) motif.
Ayurveda influenced the Arab and Persian medicine that formed the basis of Greco-Roman medical practice. By 7th century C.E., with a linguistic cascade of Sanskrit to Arabic-Hebrew, the Vedic wisdom, Indian numerical systems and Aurvedic principles spread along the spice routes from Kerala to Arabic and Jewish scholars. The transfer of this knowledge to Latin by Arabic and Hebrew scholars in Spain initiated inception of European scientific medicine!
India’s scholarly original contributions in the fields of performing arts like music, dances, and theatre, and creative arts like handicraft, weaving, embroidery, painting, wood-work, metal- work, and stone carving dates back to Mohenjodaro-Harappa days. They influenced the Western Materialism as an eclectic commodity with concepts, color, and zest.
In India, Vedic learning through chanting (Udgitha) and hearing (Shruti) emphasized correct phonetics and prosody. These lead to the development of Indian Musical Raga (meter) and Swaras (rhymes). Different musical instruments of varying types like Sarangi, tabla, and sitar originated in India and spread to the East Asian countries and the Arab world. The Moorish-Hispanic music influenced the Renaissance music.
The innumerable varieties of Indian performing arts combine expression, rhyme, and rhythm and dates back to centuries before CE. The Kathk dance of North India and Kathakali of Kerala are unique contribution of dance dramas that involves facial expression ( Mudras) and hand movements ( Hasta) and movements of lips and eyes to express various moods.
The dances of nomadic Gypsies from India in Europe influenced western Waltz and fox tort and their traits are visible in American Break dance and other dances associated with jazz music. The Spanish Flamingo music recalls the Moorish belly-dance melodies and rhythms shifted from belly to foot! Similarly, the influence of Moorish-Hispanic world with the admixture of African rhythms initiated a range of Latin American dances like Samba, Rumba and Tango!
Paintings dating to 5500BCE are the forerunners of the exquisite frescos of Ajantha and Ellora in 400 CE. It is possible to identify some strains of Indian painting in western church paintings and mosaic like Ravenna mosaics in Europe. The Indians and Arabs perfected the creative arts and adorned their temples, mosques and palaces and laid the foundation of Renaissance and Baroque creative arts.
Equally interesting is the contribution of India in the world of sports and games. Kalaripayat originated in Kerala and was transmitted to China by 5th. Century . This is the forerunner of Judo, Karate, Kung Fu and similar martial arts that flourished in the East and became popular in the West.
The Chess ( Chaturanga), Snake and Ladders (Ludo), and Playing cards (Kridapatram) originated in India centuries BCE and spread to Persia and Arab world and transmitted to Greco-Romans. Polo was the royal game and the lawn hockey was the commoners’ version of the same. The Indian soldiers stationed in Canada during the colonial period introduced lawn hockey. During winter they played on skates and started ice hockey.
The outstanding contribution of Indic wisdom to Europe was the stabilization of its bio-supportive resources especially the meat resources. India through the Arab-Hebrew connections reinstated the Vedic wisdom of agri-pastoralism and ecological importance of the cow to sustain humans and civilization. They also introduced the preservation of meat by the use of spices especially black pepper.
Kerala spice nurtured the flowering of the Western Civilization. The lure of the black pepper initiated European explorations and colonization like the voyages of Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Magellan and rewriting of the geo-history of the world. It was a decisive factor for the ecological stability of European communities by establishment of animal husbandry and meat preservation. The black pepper became the currency of Europe for millennia! It provided them with valuable commercial token in economic transactions; English tenants in the Middle Ages paid the rent, taxes, and dowries by this commodity! Annually, at present, about 70,000 tons of the black pepper, the “king of spices” from Kerala, still reigns supreme on the dinning tables around the world!
The spices and the monsoon trade winds were decisive factors in the spread of Indic wisdom to Europe via the Arab- Judiac world. Kerala spice nurtured the flowering of the Western Civilization.
The trade route enabled the different religious groups to seek haven in Kerala. The Jews came to Kerala from the time of King Solomon( 960 B.C.) The apostle St. Thomas arrived in Kerala in 50 A.D. Arabs were there before the time of Mohammed. Kerala still boasts of having the first apostolic church, 400 hundred years old synagogue, older mosques, amidst Hindu temples existing for more than three millennia. The "Kerala Time Line" summarizes its long history.
The lure of the black pepper initiated the futile Crusades of the middle Ages. Interestingly, the long swords of the Templers were no matches for the Arab scimitars made of Indian steel. Interestingly, in 12th Century CE, during crusade, Richard, the Lion-Hearted got the recipe for Indian Currie from Arabs and introduced it in England! Although Crusades was a military failure, the prolonged contact with the East initiated the rudiments of European civilization. The knowledge of seamanship and navigational instruments acquired from the Moors and Jewish scholars, enabled Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Magellan to pursue their explorations to the land of spices and rewriting of the geo-history of the world.
The German scholars of Sanskrit and Indology in 18th Century asserted that the Vedas were evidence of the most ancient human thought. Accordingly, “ancient India became the Urheimat (prototype), the source of not only German, but indeed all European civilization” (Douglas McGetchin).
Germany freed from the religious restraints of the Medieval Europe became the receptacle and propagator of Indic philosophy of the interactions of individual self
(atman) with the ecosystems (Brahman) in human expressions and creations. Romanticism embodied this concept to revolutionize European philosophy, literature, creative art, polity, and scientific empiricism and propel humanity to the space age.
The direct influx of Indic Wisdom along the trade routes between New England and Calcutta, and through European channels initiated the American Renaissance in 1830s. Some Boston scholars presented this as European Romanticism. Ralph Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller popularized the Indic wisdom as the eclectic and organic philosophy of Transcendentalism. This resulted in social reformations like Abolition Movement, educational innovations, religious freedom, humanitarian acts like improvements of working conditions and suffrage for women, and enhancement of environmental planning, architecture and American arts.
Indic wisdom continued to influence American materialism in 1893 when Swami Vivekananda captivated the audience at the World’s Parliament of Religions. In the last century, the steady flow of Indic Scholars continues to enrich American ethos and mellow the materialistic mayhem.
The interplay of Oriental wisdom and Occidental might (Ex Oriente lux, ex occidente Frus) change the ways of life and the face of earth beyond recall. They steep this overcrowded earth in environmental pollution, natural resources depletion, dwindling bio-diversity, religious fundamentalism, and human conflicts on the threshold of a possible nuclear holocaust. What is the role of Indic wisdom in the modern era of globalization of Western Materialism to save this spaceship earth? The Western intellectuals stress this role of the proto-intellectuals of humanity.
Voltaire regarded Indians as the most ancient people on earth and French scholar Jacolliot called the Bharatha Varsha the Cradle of Humanity. J.Z. Howell elaborates that the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman mythology and cosmology derive from the doctrines enshrined in the Vedas. Will Durant the author of History of Civilization reminds us: “India was the mother of our race and Sanskrit the mother of European languages. She was the mother of our philosophy, mother through the Arabs, of much of our mathematic, mother through Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity, mother through village communities of self-government and democracy. Mother India in many ways the mother of us all.”
The Indic philosophy, logic and religions of “Mother India” combine analytical reasoning about the interrelations between God, Humans, and Nature to ensure economic stability within ecological reality. 2500 years back, Emperor Asoka ensured it with charity, piety and goodwill as his only weapon. Asoka Pillar symbolizes these virtues, which India continues to cherish and implement. Of Late, this Indic wisdom is being echoed all over the world as prophesied by the British historian, Arnold Tonyubee,: “It is already becoming clearer that a chapter which has a western beginning will have an Indian ending if it is not to end in self-destruction of human race… At this supremely dangerous moment in history, the only way of salvation for mankind is the Indian way.”
The inter-religious dialogues, World Ecological forums with participation of religious leaders, and United Nations activities are beginning to address bio-ecological crisis of human survival in the Indian way amidst religious fundamentalism and global materialism. The Creative Physics movement in Australia hopes to balance the materialistic science with a new “science of life” based on ethical, humanitarian ends—“Old Eastern brew in a new Western bottle”
Indians, irrespective of the race, religion, caste, social and academic standing who for millennia are nurtured in the philosophy of non-violence and peace are best suited to take up the challenge enshrined in Gita: “ . . . to destroy the evil and establish the righteousness (dharma)” (4.7) Mahatma Gandhi showed us that non-violence and peace movements are the most powerful tools to bring harmony among humans. Indians should follow the Kerala ethos, since for millennia they have been the model of religious tolerance and coexistence as the spicy bio-economic epicenter of civilization. Let Indians propagate the Religion of Love based on Hindu humanism, Judeo-Christian pragmatism, Islamic absolutism, Sikh syncretism, Confucian Realism, Taoist tenacity, Buddhist egalitarianism and Janist ecologism. Let them brighten the way and lead “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high . . . Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit.” (R. Tagore: Gitanjali, 35)
| By rambhakth on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - 03:17 am: |
I am not a person who will take anything anybody dishes out - So I have over the years dabbled about in things that interested me - actually they were all interesting alright but nothing spectacular to devote an entire life.
I chanced upon "dharma" and "sanskrit" and "vedam" about 4 years ago - Now here was something very interesting. These had been all around me almost all my life - like a fog. It was compounded by the mist on my glasses and furthermore I have intrinsic myopia of a pretty high horse power. And then I had my first glimpses of clarity - these were really interesting. So I delved a little more and found something funny - I am Bharathiya by birth - but think mostly in English.... I am comfortable with any Bharathiya language as a sleeping baby is comfortable in its pram being pushed around by all and sundry... until it wakes up and notices "strangeness"....And then there is irritating yowls... and that is what I think I did.
Everything about "dharma" and "sanskrit" and "vedam" - and even religion and stuff about my country, my being itself... not only my life here, but even after life anywhere was being propounded by guys (oops - sages / godmen whoever) who are sometimes here and and there (I mean overseas) Most universities everywhere had departments of sanskrit and study of Indian whatever. And manned by exported Indians. Now my "research?" showed that there is no such thing called "Hindu" - I have no "religion" as understood by me earlier (and most non- Hindus") And realized then that I am "Dharmik" or then "Adharmik" at times too. Now this state is truly beatific clarity. This binary logic "zero" or "one" is understandable to me and I guess is the primal logic circuit of humanity.
Now if you have understood what I have just written (effort is not the issue) - you and I think alike. And that is Good News.
Coming back to reading "stuff"' about my country, my thoughts, my ethics, my way of life, my way in after life, translations of what ought to have been truly my language in English by people who exhibit different grades of "baked" ideas astounded me. These foreigners have problems. But then so do we. Think about it and it truly is a great problem
that can be very very confusing. Here is me the Bharathiya not knowing what is my inheritance and trying to bring in a little bit of clarity in my own vision of it ... And there are these guys who appear to have glimpses of clarity of what is mine and have taken a lot and have left with little sadness. This reminds of the three guys American, English and the Indian who were shipwrecked and floating on a raft for a miserable number of days - until a bottle floats by. They uncork it and out comes a genie that grants each a wish. The American wishes he were back home and disappears. The Englishman does so too but wishes he could stop by in Hawaii and disappears too. The genie waits aeons for the Indian to stop "philosophizing" and make up his mind... the Indian lazily reminisces his ancient past and recent past state in wonderment and then thinks that the the past few days while at sea would have been more miserable were it not for the company of the "now departed" and wishes he could see them some time...
| By shijo on Sunday, July 10, 2005 - 07:58 am: |
hello my dear i am shijo you e_mail my name place add
| By akshay surana y on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 10:58 am: |
hi firends im a 10th student and am have to submit a project of ancient& medivial litirature and languages of india for this i want to know about translation of all ancientlanguages to todays languages. please help me.
| By goergy (220.226.41.234) on Monday, May 9, 2005 - 01:11 pm: |
i'm georgy...from kerala- india i would like to know somebody efficient in teaching Mural painting. i need some Contact telephone Numbers
and address... i hope somebody will help me
thankyou
| By luskil on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 05:03 am: |
i dont understand how things can be led on! please explain the turth about india?
| By malluguy (64.12.117.11) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 06:41 pm: |
kerala good
other parts religous intolerance
very simple
| By awma (61.0.157.168) on Friday, August 20, 2004 - 03:09 pm: |
hi friends where can i get a contributions of suth india to indian culture in precise
| By Nithin (61.1.238.39) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 06:18 am: |
This man xxx is saying these with little knowledge.Not christianity, but only catholic church was bought by the portugese to here as a part of their colonisation. He can see that there are many historical proofs to show that there was an ancient christianity existing in Indiafrom AD 52itself, long before the church was founded in many parts of the world including rome.It was an autonomous church, following many traditional practices of this country and kept close touch with Persia and other middle east churches.Their worship language was syriac as hindus followed sanskrit.The portugese converted many of them to their foreign catholic belief with force and money.That community is the present catholic church of India. The other portion proudly pledged their independence and indian tradition. It is now caled variously as Indian orthodox church, Jacobite syrian church, malankara church etc.
| By xxx (192.87.165.75) on Wednesday, June 23, 2004 - 10:07 am: |
Only fairy tales, just as you Christians madu up Thomas coming to India. Christianity was brought by Portugese.
| By Raghu (202.88.247.142) on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 01:35 pm: |
Christianity older than Hinduism in Kerala
CONTINUED
...03.02
For example, according to the studies published by K.P.Soundrarajan, Directoe, Archaeology Survey of India, 1978 the Vigraha of 1.Aja Eka Pada first appears in Thondamandalam in the 8thC, in Cholamandalam in the 11thC, in Pandimandalam in the 13thC. (2) ArdhaNareeswara appears in S.India only after the 7thC and in Kerala only after the 9thC. (3) AnanthaShayi S.I. 6thC and Kerala 8thC. (4) DakshinaMoorthy Kerala 8thC. (5) Ganesha Kerala 8thC. (6) Harihara Kerala 1 1thC. (7) Jvarahareshvara 13thC. (8) Jeshta 11thC. (9) Lingothbhava post-11thC. (10) SapthaMatha 14thC. (11) TriMoorthy 8thC.15 Oldest Hindu idols of Kerala are found in areas outside our present Kerala, beyond the ghats in Kongunadu from Salem- Dharmapuri or beyond Trivandrum. Thins would mean that in central Kerala the homeland of most of the ancient christians Hindu images appear even later. The oldest Hindu and even Buddhist statues of Kerala are attributed to the 9thC or later by Dr. M.G. S. Narayanan also.16 Hence of all the rock images in existence in Kerala the Pahlavi crosses are much older than any Hindu Vigraha.
03.03
One might here genuinely ask about the existence of innumerable old temples in Kerala, and temple festivals. Most of these temples are Kavus dedicated to Bhagavathy or an ancient mother-goddess. The well-known Trichur Pooram festival, for example, is only a get-together of a dozen Bhagavathies, and Shiva or Vadakkumnathan has nothing whatsoever to do with it, although the festivities rtake place around the Vadakkunnathan or Shiva temple. The Thidambu or image in gold or silver carried by the elephants depict only or chiefly the Bhagavathy of Paramekkavu, Thiruvambady etc. and there is no proper Hindu god or goddess honoured during these festivals.
04.01
Any discussion of Hindu origins and development, especially w.r.t. Kerala, would be quite inadequate without reference to Adi Sankara, the great reformer, teacher, scholar, and author. Sankaracharya flourished ca. 8th C C.E. or in the first century before or after the commencement of the Malayalam or Kollam Era in 825 C.E. The great sage was born at Kalady or at Veliyanadu on the opposite shore of the river in his mother’s house. In either case he was born in the midst of a great christian population affiliated to churches established many centuries before his birth at nearby places like Malayattoor, Angamaly, Parur, Edappally &c. on the river banks or Churni or the Periyar. How far his life and thoughts have been influenced by this strong christian presence around him remains to be explored in full.
04.02
Sankara in his 64 Anacharams or code of conduct for Namboodiris or Malayalee Brahamins specify that only white dress must be worn by members of the community. Now it is well known that Brahmin women in S. India in Karnataka or Tamil Nadu or Andhra wear only dark coloured Chelas from Kancheepuram or elsewhere. The christian women of Kerala are well known for their white dress with the beautiful fan-like arrangement at the back called njori which adds to their beauty and testify their admirable modesty. By adopting the white dress and the njori the Brahmins of Kerala were trying to ensure their aristocracy.
04.03
Sankara further enjoins his community to eschew all nasal ornaments: Nasabharanam Nishidham, although Brahmin women elsewhere in India are addicted to nasal ornaments. It is for the christian community of Kerala alone that Nasabharanam is Nishiddham and nasal ornaments still remain taboo to ancient christian women of Kerala and to the Antharjanams.
04.04
Into the similarity of many other customs of Brahmins and christians it is not necessary to enter here. Although the similarities in the birth ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, and funeral ceremonies of these two communities are quite striking, often indicating that, the Brahmins when they arrived in Kerala borrowed the customs of the then ruling community of Kerala viz. the christians.
05.01
Although many of the matters mentioned in this paper must have been well understood by the Brahmin and upper caste scholars, somehow efforts to make these matters common knowledge were never made or suppressed. One theory that helped keep things hidden was the Lacuna theory or Dark Chapters theory. Those who wrote history said that the second half of the first millennium in Kerala history was a dark age and a lacuna existed in our knowledge of this period. These 500 years between 500 C.E. and 1000 C.E. were precisely the centuries when age-old christian dominance in Kerala declined giving way to Bramin asendency.However there are many documents dealing with this period which are ignored or deliberately overlooked by such historians.
05.02
Many of the earliest existing documents in Kerala history deal with the Christians or Mar Thoma Nazranies of Kerala often called the Syrian Christians. The half a dozen Pahlavi crosses are one set of such records. The kinayi Thoman copper plates, the Thazhekkad Rock inscription, the Tharisappalli copper plates, are another set of records. All these belong, certainly, to the first millennium C.E.
05.03
The oldest places in Kerala are connected with the encient christian community of kerala. Palayoor, Parur,and Kodungalloor are instances of this. It may be remembered that these three places, which occupy a place of pry in the St.Thomas Apostolic stroy are all on the oldest and bigest geoliliogical plate underground, so that generally these places were never affected by earthquekes.
05.04
By the reverse projection of Kerala’s population we may arrive at a figure like 300,000 for the population of Kerala in the Ist century.If the stories of convertion of people by St.Thomas has any credibility the majority of people in Kerala, mostly inhabitting the 7 places where the apostle worked, must have become Christian’s-and the types of political and social systems and institutions of the Sangham age were perhaps very much influence by this huge and powerful Christian Community.
05.05
The large of Ist century BC/AC Roman Gold coins of Agustus, Tiberius and Nero discovered from the Palayoor and Parur belts indicate the close contact these areas had with conuntries and cultures on the western side of the Arabian Sea.
05.06
They are recods from practically every century, every civilisation, every church, and in every language, not only about Kerala and her products but also about the begainings and developments of christianity in Kerala and India.All that can be done here is to give a short list of these writings:
06.01
Just two more paragrphs: One about the status and social possition of the christians in the early centuries. Only hundred and fifty years back when women in Kerala tried to cover the upper part of their body there was a huge commotion which resulted in the Channar Lahala or the mutiny of the Channar caste. But then 1500 years back christians in Kerala were wearing silk gowns, silk turbans, gold ornaments above their head and on their body. Even today the gold business in Kerala is mostly in the hands of Nazranies: Alappatt, Palathingal, Josco, Thottan, Alukkas..etc. The 72 privileges enjoyed by christians even before the different copper plate grants reassured their right to continue to enjoy those privileges indicate that the christians were the predominant and ruling community of Kerala before the Brahmins gained dominance towards the end of the first millennium. The marriage customs of the christians described here yesterday will throw considerable light on the royal privileges and aristocratic status of the christian community in Kerala during the past well-nigh 1900 years.
06.02
The art and architecture of these christians - with their rock work, metal work, wood work, ivory work and artistic creations in every known medium - and with their deepastamba or lampstand, dwajasthamba, or flagstaff, rock crosses inside and ooutside the churches, their baptismal fonts-bear ample testimony to their place in society in bygone centuries. The base or pedestal of the open-air crosses are like the balikkallu or Sacrificial altar stone of the temples. But the bali on the balikkallu in the rock crosses is the supreme bali of jesus symbolises by the cross - the MahaBali. Also it is interesting to note that all the crosses rise up from the lotus. In fact the national flower lotus, the national bird peacock, and perhaps even the nationall an,mal the tiger first appear in kerala art on the rock crosses.Some of these you must have seen yesterday when you visited the Valiyapalli.
07.01
All these facts indicate that Brahmins and Brahminism and Vedic Hinduism arrive in Kerala at a very late date and become powerful only by the end of the first millennium, while christianity was here many centuries prior to that, and was here perhaps a strong presence even in the first centuries.
07.02 These facts are presented here to elicit your valuable opinions and comments. Thank you.
Notes:
1.&2.R. L. Stevenson, “An Apology for Idlers” in “Virginibus Puerisque.”
3. But see: G.K.Chesterton, “George Bernard Shaw,” Bodley Head Library, 1937, chapter one, third paragraph.
4. Swami Siddinadananda, Hinduism, in the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, Vol.III (in the press), Ed. Prof. George Menachery.
5.The Columbia Viking Desk Encyclopedia, Dell, 1964, p.803.
6.Here is an early 20th century definition of Hinduism (The New Standard Encyclopaedia, 1936, p.641): “Social and religious organisation in India. It is a development of Brahmanism and is divided into a number of groups. There were in 1931 altogether 239,195,140 Hindus in India, and they are thus the dominant people in the land. Early Brahmanism was affected by Buddhism and both existed down to about A.D. 800, when the latter disappeared from the peninsula, leaving a new Brahmanism, the product of both philosophies. This modern Hinduism, based on the Puranas, gives less prominence to Brahma than to his associates Vishnu, the preserver, and Siva, the destroyer and reproducer. They are worshipped in innumerable forms, both in their male and female aspects, the latter being emphasised by Saktiism, which derives its teaching from the Tantras.”
7.Pliny described Cranganore (Muziris) in Kerala as primum emporium indiae
8.For a scientific but short discussion and proofs of early Greek and Roman knowledge of India and Kerala nothing better can be suggested than “The Apostles in India, Fact or Fiction ?” by A.C.Perumalil S.J. first published in 1952 (Patna). Also cf. Pliny, 6.23 (26); Schoff, H. Wilfred, The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, Longmans, 1912, p.232; McCrindle J.W, Ancient India as described in Classical Literature, Westminister, 1901,p.111.
9.Swami Siddinadananda, op. cit.
10.The Columbia Viking Desk Encyclopedia, id.,pp.803,804
11. M.G.S. Narayanan, Namboodiris - Background and Early Settlements in Kerala, paper presented at LIREC, Mt. St. Thomas, 4th Sept., 2000.
12.Kesavan Veluthat, The Nambudiri Community: A History, paper for the LIREC seminar, Mt. St.
Thomas, 2000.
13. Emphais by the present writer.
14. Kesavan Veluthat, op. cit.
15. M.G.S. Narayanan, op.cit.
16.Prof.George Menachery, Social Life And Customs Of The St.Thomas Christians In The Pre-Diamper Period, in The Life and Nature of the St.Thomas Christian Church in the Pre-diamper period,
Ed. Bosco Puthur, Kochi, 2000, p.197.
17.Id., Ibid, p. 202, f.n. 27
| By Raghu (202.88.247.142) on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 01:32 pm: |
Christianity Older than Hinduis in Kerala
World Syriac Conference 2002 Paper presented by Prof. George MENACHERY
Ph.: 91 487 352468 / 487 354398 9846033713 487 3100181 web:indianchristianity.com
Christianity Older than Hinduisin Kerala
m 01.01
When it is suggested that, Christianity is older than Hinduism in Kerala it is quite likely that much may be argued in favour of the opposite view, as it has been argued, in place and out of place, by many, down the decades of the past century or two. Only there is something to be said against the stand often taken for granted that Hinduism was here in Kerala from time immemorial, and that Christianity here was the late-comer, “ and that is what, on the present occasion , I have to say”.1 As Stevenson goes on to say, to state one argument is not necessarily to be deaf to all others.2 All the same the title “Christianity Older than Hinduism in Kerala,” even if it appears like an Irish Bull3 or ludicrous inconsistency in speech, in truth only states a fact, a fact often well understood by scholars of Kerala History, but generally not honestly admitted or boldly stated. It may even be that the Syriac script and liturgy - surely the pahlavi script - were in Kerala much before the Devanagari and the Vedas found their foothold here. In spite of the many statements in Keralolpathy most historians today believe that the Parasurama story is only a legend and Brahmins arrive in Kerala for all practical purposes only in the 4th century or later, and the Brahmins or Namboodiris establish dominance only around the end of the first millenium C.E.
In the time available for this paper it will be possible merely to have a passing glance at some facets of the problem, and that too in a most cursory manner.
02.01
To commence with, it may be useful to examine a few definitions / descriptions of the terms Hindu and Hinduism.”Hinduism is the religion of the Hindus, the people of Hindusthan. The land lying to the east of the river Sindhu was called Hindusthan by the Persians, the word Sindhu being pronounced by them Hindu. Thus the name Hinduism is geographical in origin.”4 Even today the river Sindhu for the westerner is the Indus.In this sense ‘Hinduism is a western term for religious beliefs and practices of most of the peoples in India’5 referring to almost everything in the land or lands across the Indus sometimes even up to China.6 In this broad sense Kerala formed a part of India and thus could be considered Hindu from the first century onwa ds (cf.the first century B.C./A.D. writings of Roman authors like Pliny,7 which author calls Muziris primun emporium Indiae). It is possible that many Greek and Roman writers when they spoke of India had mainly Kerala in their mind.8 In this geographical sense of Hinduism, and only in that sense, was Kerala the abode of Hindus and Hinduism from the earliest centuries.
02.02
However there is another definition for Hinduism. ”It (i.e. Hindu) is not a very ancient name, for it is not found in any of the early literatures. The original name for it (Hinduism) was Sanatana- dharma, meaning the Eternal Religion. It is so named because it is based on certain eternal principles, beliefs and practices. Another name for it is Vaidika-dharma, the religion derived from the Vedas. In this sense it is also known as Brahmana-dharma, Brahma here standing for the Vedas.”9 Vedic Hinduism, i.e. the religion now considered Hinduism, does not have a very long history in Kerala. In fact Vedic Hinduism in Kerala is not as old as Christianity in Kerala.
...2
-2-
02.03
Before proceeding further, for a clearer understanding of what is today understood by Hinduism, let us examine the rest of the modern description of Hinduism earlier quoted: [I RUSH THRU THIS PART] For the religious beliefs and practices of most of the people of India the ”Corresponding Indian term is dharma [law]. It has no fixed scriptural canon, but Veda, Brahmanas, and Bhagavad-Gita have elaborate theological commentary. Brahmanism substituted (c.550 B.C.) for Vedic religion a complex system of ritual and theosophy expounded in Brahmanas and Upanishads. Brahmanas regulate sacrifices to gods and personify moral qualities. Upanishads, foundation of modern Hindu philosophy, develop doctrine of a universal soul or being to which individual souls will be reunited after maya (illusion of time and space) is conquered. Buddhism and Jainism, which flourished from c.300 B.C. to A.D. c.400 in India, attacked this complex ritual and theology. However, Brahmanism adopted features of those religions and codified its own ritual in Laws of Manu. Several schools of interpretation of Upanishads appeared and Yoga was developed. A later stage of Hinduism is represented byTantras and Puranas. Tantras are mainly prescriptions for securing divine favor; Puranas comprise poems addressed mainly to Siva (or Shiva) the Destroyer and Vishnu the Preserver. These and Brahma, a remote deity who created the universe and is equated with it, form triad at center of modern Hinduism.”10
02.04
Even much before the nineteen-seventies historians were fully convinced that Vedic Hinduism and the Brahmins must have arrived in Kerala only much later than the first centuries B.C./ A.D. The extensive studies made by Dr. M. G.S. Narayanan, the then head of the department of history at the University of Calicut, and at present the chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) together with Dr. Veluthat Kesavan, now in the department of history, Mangalore University, shed much light on the beginnings of the Brahmin community in Kerala. Here it is important to note what Dr. Narayanan says concerning the new trends in Kerala Historical studies, “Historicalresearch had a delayed start in Kerala in the absence of History Departments in the University until the sixties of the last century. This gave the opportunity for interest groups to popularize their pet ideas and pass them on as authentic hiistory. They had come to associate these myths with their own status and privileges. Once the community leaders and political leaders published their ‘theories’ about ancient history, their followers developed a frame of mind that resisted interpretations based on evidence. With the establishment of History Departments in the Universities it was ...3
-3-
possible for the present writer and his colleagues to build upon the foundations laid by Professor Elamkulam, sometimes extending and modifying the conclusions, sometimes demolishing and re-building too. This introduction becomes necessary because it is often found even today that the discussion of problems in ancient history are cluttered and obstructed or vitiated by earlier legendary notions which have been thrown out and exposed long ago with the availability of contemporary evidence.”11
02.05
To understand the origin and spread of Brahmins or Namboodiris in Kerala let us go through the words of Dr. Kesavan Veluthat in some detail:”The Brahmans of Kerala are known as Nambudiris. Historical evidences as well as their own traditions suggest that they came from North India and settled down in Kerala, migrating along the West Coast. It is clear that they constitute links in a long chain of migration along the West Coast of India, carrying with them the tradition that Parasurama created their land and donated it to them. In fact, one sees this tradition all along the West Coast from Sourashtra on; and the Brahmanical tradition in the Canarese and Malabar Coasts is nearly identical to one another. According to that tradition, Parasurama created the land between Gokarna and Kanyakumari and settled Brahmans there in sixty-four gramas or “villages”. As a result, the Brahmans of Kerala share several common features with the Brahmans of the Canarese coast; this also distinguishes them from their counterparts in the rest of South India. In a historical inquiry, this is extremely important. What is necessary is not to look for the place of their origin or the identity and date of Parasurama but to ascertain the social function of such a tradition and examine the extent of linkages between the two regions and their cultures. It is stated that thirty-two out of the sixty-four gramas are in the Tulu speaking region and the remaining thirty-two in the Malayalam speaking region in Kerala. Recent historical research has identified these settlements on either side of the border. Those in Kerala proper are listed in the Keralopatti, the narrative of Kerala history.They are:
a) Between rivers Perumpuzha and Karumanpuzha:
1. Payyannur, 2. Perumchellur, 3. Alattiyur, 4. Karantola, 5. Cokiram, 6. Panniyur,
7. Karikkatu, 8. Isanamangalam, 9. Trissivaperur, 10. Peruvanam.
b) Between rivers Karumanpuzha and Churni:
11. Chamunda, 12. Irungatikkutal, 13. Avattiputtur, 14. Paravur, 15. Airanikkalam,
16. Muzhikkalam, 17. Kuzhavur, 18. Atavur, 19. Chenganatu, 20. Ilibhyam, 21.
Uliyannur, 22. Kazhutanatu.
c) Between river Churni and Kanya Kumari:
23. Errumanur, 24. Kumaranallur, 25. Katamaruku, 26. Aranmula, 27. Tiruvalla, 28. Kitangur, 29.Chengannur, 30. Kaviyur, 31. Venmani and 32. Nirmanna
Of these,most survive today with the continuing Brahmanical traditions and the structural temples known as gramakshetras. Many find mention in the epigraphical ...4 -4- records dating from the ninth century and a few are mentioned in literature. Moreover, every Nambudiri house claims to belong to one or the other of these thirty-two settlements in Kerala. The historicity of the grama affiliation of the Nambudiris, therefore, cannot be doubted. It is possible that these (Brahman) settlements came up between the third and ninth centuries of the Christian era, i.e., the close of the early historical period in the history of South India, which historians describe as the “Sangam Age”, and the establishment of the Chera kingdom of Mahodayapuram.”12
02.06
And Dr. M. G. S. Narayanan concurs: “This situation helps us to confirm that the ancestors of present day Nambudiris established their temple-centred Gramas in the span of the 8th-9th centuries. As the Brahmins in the historical epochs have always been clan-conscious and conservative, they must have been Brahmins by birth only. They are found to have followed the laws of Dharmasastra texts according to the
internal epigraphic evidence. There is no question of conversion of non-Brahmins or therecruitment of non-Brahmins as Brahmins into the Brahmin fold, as these practices are foreign to Dharmasastra literature. As we know from the contemporary records that these Brahmins had brought all the paraphernalia of the Vedic-Sastric-Puranic Brahminism of the Gangetic valley, they could not have been indigenous to Kerala.15
02.07
The above authorities incontrovertibly establish the fact that Brahmins and Brahminism along with Vedic Hinduism arrive in Kerala only many centuries later than the commencement of the Christian era. The Nairs, who belong to the Chaturvarna or four castes, though they form the lowest rung of the caste system as they are Sudras, appear on the scene even much later than the Brahmins, perhaps as late as the 12th century C.E. Centuries before there is any trace of Vedic Hinduism in Kerala there are many well established evidences for the existence of Christians in Kerala. Christianity would appear to be the oldest existing religion in Kerala, much older than any other organised religion including Islam.
03.01
Vigrahas or images of vedic Hindu gods and goddesses appear in Kerala only after the 11th century, much later than the rock crosses.14 Even at the Salem, Erode portions of the Chera Kingdom and the Venad, Kanyakumari sector they appear only mostly after the 9th century. In fact all the Vigrahas or images of Hindu gods and goddesses appearing anywhere in Kerala are datable to a period much later than the time of the Pahlavi crosses of St. Thomas Mount, Kottayam, Kadamattam, Muttuchira, and Alangad.
CONTINUED>>>>
| By Syed Rashid Ali (149.123.131.82) on Sunday, January 18, 2004 - 01:57 am: |
The word Aryan is Indian and the Aryans originated in India. The purest specimans of the race live in India where racial mixing is a taboo. Every region of India has mostly pure Aryans. All the controversies created are fake and are meant to create a confusion in the Indian society.
| By Jagdeep Singh Saini (149.123.136.117) on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 01:42 am: |
No Aryan theory this race originated in India. No Dravidian race exists nost Indians are pure aryans.
| By vihar (202.4.183.3) on Thursday, February 6, 2003 - 08:42 pm: |
india is not a hinduttva country.
| By Raju on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 10:26 pm: |
For those in search of Christianity in India - its different face!!!
Reviews Page for Kerala Christianity Reference Books
REVIEWS
WORLD RECOGNITION
The St, Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India
THOMAPEDIA
A necessary acquisition for all theological and university libraries - Curtis Bochanyin, Divinity Librarian, University of Chicago
The STCEI, without question, fills a major qap for reference works on Indian Church History. We are eagerly looking forward to the 3rd volume. - Newland F. Smith, Librarian for Collection Development, United Library, lllnois
STCEI is a long awaited and much needed reference title for all libraries of religion and theology. It is thorough in its coverage of Christianity in India. Its articles are autographed and authoritative. Valuable too are the bibliographies accompanying most of the articles .. rich with maps, tables, and plates. A highly recommended reference tool for hard to obtain information - Kenneth OMalley, C.P.,Library Director,Catholic Theological Union, Chicago.
A great and indispensable need of the hour - Valerian Cardinal Gracias
The authoritative articles, reproductions of ancient documents and the colour pictures will make the work very valuable
- Joseph Cardinal Parecattil
I want to commend to you a good reference book on Christianity in India . 1 know nothing better on that subject than the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India .. It is compendious and comprehensive, scholarly and ecumenical. Some of the best scholars in India and abroad have contributed. There are numerous high quality illustrations and maps .. It covers the whole ground - history, culture, customs, divisions, art, architecture, music, parish, life, liturgical vestments, Christian traditional occupations, dance and drama, institutions, statistics - the coverage is remarkable, and the reliability of the information very high ... It is a tool worth having for any library, for any scholar interested in the history of Christianity, for anyone interested in understanding India and its religious heritage - Paulos Mar Gregorios (Dr. Paul Verghese), Orthodox Theo. Coll. Principal and sometime President - the World Council of Churches
Like Veda Vyasa the Editor has brought together almost all the information that exist about Indian Christianity into an ordered whole for the first timeAntony Cardinal Padiara, the First Major-Archbishop
A wealth of essential information difficult if not Impossible to come across else where - Revue DHistoire Eccl., Louvain, Belgium
It is a lavishly produced work, much better produced than what usually comes from India ... The whole approach is ecumenical both in intent and content - Eastern Churches Review. London, U.K.
The work is emphatically recommended - Kyrios Berlin, Germany
Each major article is written by an expert - - R. N. S., New York, N. Y.
An extra ordinary publishing achievement of lndian Christianity - USCC Bullettin. Washington, D.C.
A monumental work containing significant information - Baltimore Review
All the facts about Christian India - The Universe, London
Exhaustive, historical, sociological, liturgical, archaeological and cultural information - Ostkirchlihe Studien.Wiursburg
All these are treated with scholarly serenity by competent contributors - The Hindu. Madras
Authoritative volumes worth possessing - The Journal of Dharma
It is a big mirror in which is seen reflected a panoramic view of the historical, social, cultural and religious facets of the Christian community - All India Radio
...contributions are quite outstanding and even throw new light on well-known subjects - The Clergy Monthly
The most important feature of the Encyclopaedia is its pioneering probe into the antiquities of Christianity - P. Thomas
The best authorities in each denomination were invited to tell their story without the editorial cuts - - Metropolitan Mar Aprem
An exhaustive research tool that can be universally recommended - M. M. Thomas
Where governments and universities have failed the loving labour of a few individuals has triumphed - M. G. S. Narayanan in the Mathrubhoomi Weekly
Authoritative articles by Indian as well as Western authors deal with every aspect of Christianity in India - The Indian Express
It is to be respected as an extraordinary work of great importance - The Malayala Manorama
SARAS (Profile) : South Asia Research Assistance Services provides information, resources, and research here on (esp.)Christianity in India, Malabar Syrian Christians of St. Thomas of Kerala, most North Indian and South Indian Churches, Missions, Missionaries....c.v. of the Editor.
ICHC (Indian Church History Classics) : Ed. by Prof.George Menachery, Ollur. Vol.I the Nazranies, (1998),Vol.II the Catholics, Vol.III the Christians (In the Press). The Nazranies gives exhustive information on the Syrian Christians of Kerala, 100s of Photos, ...Details of the 37 books represented in the Vol.I
STCEI (St.Thomas Christin Encyclopaedia of India) : All about Indian Christianity.Ed. Prof. George Menachery, Vol. I 1982, Vol II 1973. Hundreds of pictures.
Reviews (World Recognition) : Opinions of world authorities and journals including: Paul Verghese Paulose Mar Gregorios, Valerial Cardianl Gracias, Joseph Card.Parecattil, Mar Anthony Padiara Major Archbishop and Cardinal, Mar Aprem, P.Thomas, M.M.Thomas, M.G.S.Narayanan, All India Radio, The Hindu, Indian Express, The Universe, Eastern Churches Review, Eastern review, Revue D' Histire Ecc.,Oost K.Studion, ....
Order Forms for STCEI, ICHC
Feedback for your questions, comments, enquiries...
News Digest on Pope John Paul II, Alan De Lastic Archbishop of Delhi, Varkey Vithayathil Major Archbishop, Thoomkuzhy, Pawathil, Kundukulam,...Seminars, Conferences, Exhibitions, Museums
| By Ishrat Husain on Monday, November 11, 2002 - 05:02 am: |
Dear Friends:
Tell me what good will it do to us now if we establish that our civilisation is older than the birth of the earth itself? We can claim and I really do so that I existed when nothing was there except time. I was immortal and shall remain immortal. If I am 'I' at this point of time I have always been 'I' since the beginning of time. I believe in my destiny to be eternity and infinity. Convince me if you can otherwise. My soul is part of that One Soul whatever name you give it.
The question is can we being in this stratum of time and at this point of time can contribute to the world peace? If we can not volumes upon volumes of writings will be worth less than that of the paper it would be printed upon.
We are wasting the space of this wwwboard by posting irrelevant things. Are we lightening our hearts? If that's what we are doing we can carry on with our pastime.
Imagine I am 70 years of age. I am heart patient. I must rest. This is 0200 hrs local time. Am I doing all this labour for fun? No. I have a mission. That mission needs my total devotion and dedication. I shall not fail in my own self-tests. Each morning brints immense satisfaction to me. When my this manifestation of life shall come to an end at the time of my last breath I shall feel absolutely calm and shall pass out regardless of being praised or with my infamy. I am a soldier of peace. Every soldier does not receive a ceremonial burial or cremation. I expect nothing of the sort. My mortal remains shall be delivered to a Post Medical Research because I have had very serious diseases including Cander for which I received over doses of Cortisone and Antibiotics. I shall allow my precious body to be disposed of in the ordinary fashion with the rituals prevailing in our society. It must a board of medicos who will order my disposal. This is my will.
I am an archaeologist. I wrote articles and editorials in THE ARCHAEOLOGY quarter, which ostensibly carried the name of a person other than myself while all the writting effort, except those articles which carried the name of renowned scholars like M.H. Panhwar, Dr. Ahmed Nabi Khan, Dr. Ashfaque Ahmed, Dr. N.A. Baloch, and others were penned by them. It was I single handed who edited the papers read at the Third Archaological Congress of the SAARC at Islam in the year 1989. I rewrote some defective papers with the permission of the authors. The then Director-General of Archaeology and Museums, Dr. Ahmed Nabi Khan got the papers published through the Departmental funding or funding by the SAARC countries but he did not care to mention my name as the real editor or the co-editor. That's the peak of the meanness of a person in authority. He abused my trust and deprived me of the credit that I deserved. But, there is a saying: THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT A MAN CAN DO IF HE DOES NOT CARE WHO GETS THE CREDIT.
I can pour a whole volume of what I believe to be true about this very cosmos of ours. Will it serve any purpose for those who are living among us going through the mental turmoil in the present day scenario? We are talking about abstractions before a huungry crowd. Let's summon some good sense.
Do something for Global Peace through this machine gifted to us by Bill Gates, the giant of a personality. He envision this project through which we are communicating when usually the youth of his age were chasing fancy targets and nursing ambitions for their own selves. I worship this Mountain in Flesh and Bones, this Bill Gates without caring he is too young.
Uaw rhia machine and its ancillaries for serving the generation that is living and the generations that will come.
Leave a legacy of peace and undestanding.
ISHRAT HUSAIN
email: eyeopener@cyber.net.pk
| By Cassie on Monday, November 4, 2002 - 11:34 pm: |
I'm doing a religion projects on Hinduism. Can anyone tell me the famous dates? Please e-mail me at rocker_baby_18@hotmail.com for any information you can give. Thank you very much.
| By Valluvar on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 09:05 pm: |
Kerala is a good example for religious harmony and interreligious toleration and cooperation in India and is an example for all of India. In spite of the changes now creeping in even into kerala the state continues to maintain its tradition of religious amity. every single village in Kerala has more than one community of Hindus, Christians, Muslims...many areas have also konkanis, Gujaratis, Jains....All live in peace with each other. Except for some recent incidents inspired from elsewhere from India. It would be good for the country if kerala's example is studied in detail and the news about it spread far and wide using every media at one's command. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
| By Radha on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 09:48 pm: |
HINDU CHRISTIANS: Strange and interesting Customs - Practices of HINDU CHRISTIANS:
Vaikurava which is a special sound produced by placing the fingers on the mouth was a special marriage custom during Christian and Hindu Marriages [cf.Menachery, George:TTHOMAPEDIA, 2000, STCEI,1973, 1982, Church History Classics, I, 1998].
There are huge wooden doors and spacious door-ways at the front and side entrances to the naves and in the gate houses. To protect the front and side doors from inclement weather there are pillared porticoes, which have benches inside to sit down. The three sided gabled roof of the portico has a Monthayam in front at the junction of the three sloping sides which often has exquiste wooden carvings. The porch Columns, rafters, and beams display the skill of Kerala’s carpenters. The Mammoth pillar-less roofs of the churches are skillfully crafted from Kerala’s renowned timber varieties like Teak and rosewood.
Many Churches are vertiable museums of old glass lamps, Chandeliers, Candelabras, Colourful mercu
-ry globes and prisms. There are also many varieties of bronze lamps in the churches such as the bird
lamp, the Peacock lamp, the Hanging lamp, the many-storeyed floor lamp, the Kuthuvilaku, the Kolvilakku and the Kindivilakku. The Elephant Lamp of Kanjoor and the hanging lamp of Ramapuram are famous.
The four lions of the Asoka Stampa are to be seen again on the pedestals of the baptismal fonts at Edappally and Kanjoor. The huge stone baptismal fonts of Kaduthuruthy, Changanassery, Kadamattam,
Kalluppara, Kottayam, Chengannoor, Mylakombu and Muthlakodam have depictions of leaves, flowers, creepers and biblical scenes in addition to basket and coir patterns.
The balconies have huge gold coated beams supported by highly realistic wooden Elephants. The
Wooden railing separating men from women in the nave and the Bhandarams in wood, metal or stone
have remarkable artistic distinction.
The wooden pulpit or rostrum is called Puzhpam meaning flower. The wooden stem or Stalk of the flo-
wer-like pulpit proceeds from the mouth of a Lion, an Elephant or a Dragon. There are interesting
Puzhpams at Ollur, Thrissur, Chungam, Palai, and Kanjoor. The 40 foot wooden pulpit of Ollur is perhaps
the tallest in Asia. The Evangelists and Saints carved on the pulpits are both beautiful and inspiring.
Heaven is represented by the chancel or Madbaha where the Altar is located. There are 3 Altars inside the Madbaha in the West Syrian tradition of Kerala while in the East Syrian tradition the 2 side Altars are found outside the Madbaha.
The Altar, the reredos or Altarpiece, and the ceiling of the Madbaha are glorious examples of wooden
Sculpture. To prevent the ceiling panels from bending they are coated with mud and some herbs. The
Mammoth Altar-pieces are made of wooden blocks joined together without the use of metal nails. They have gold encrusted carvings of Flowers, leaves, plants and creepers. There are also apostles and Saints in wooden relief, in addition to pillars, pilasters, and groups of angels.
There are also many tabernacles in Kerala which are remarkable examples of wood carving.
The wooden Candlesticks, Ramshethis or bouquet, and crosses are also excellent achievements of the wood carver. There are many ceilings which illustrate heaven as such.
There is at least one church in Kerala displaying more than 5000 angles in Murals, Frescos, Wood and Plaster.
Hundreds of mural picturers decorate the walls of old Kerala Churches which excel the Rajput and Mughal paintings in artistic merit, Indianess, and antiquity. As the biblical Scenes and the 15 Mysteries
and notable personalities have been painted using basic colours obtained from nature, they have lasted
many centuries and enjoy a high place in the mural tradition of the land. There are famous Altar and
Madhbaha decorations in Ollur, Kanjoor, Kottayam, Alangad, Koratty, Chengannur, Akaparambu, Paliakkara, Pazhuvil, Thumpamon, Palai, Kaduthuruthy and Mulanthuruthy.
The huge Angamaly paintings of Hell and the Last Judgement are incomparable contributions of Kerala to the world mural heritage. The mural paintings of Cheppad, Piravam, Paliakkara, Angamaly,
Akaparambu, Kanjoor, Ollur, Pazhaji and Vechoor deserve world recognition for their artistic excellence and skill of execution. The centuries old jute panels which decorate the ceiling of the Ollur Church are
300 squre feet each in size. The walls and ceillings of the Chancel and the nave of that church are so fully covererd with exquisite frescos and murals that one is reminded of Vatican’s Sistine Chape.l The thousands of Images and statues in wood, metal, stone and ivory are another attraction of Kerala Churches. In many churches there are 25 to 75 wooden statues which are not in daily use.
The gate-house, the priests’ house, the house for explosives, the bell tower, and the Drummers’ hut are the main subsidiary structures. Domes, Outdoor Crosses, 4 & 8 tongued coconut Scrapers made of a single block of wood, granaries, canoes and boats, boxes of different sizes for various uses, lamps, Chinese jars and measuring utensilss made of wood, stone, metal, ivory or ceramics are found in these structures.
A few old books and palmleaf Granthas of Pre-Portuguese origin are to be still seen in some old
churches. There are many old inscriptions yet to be fully deciphered and studied
in many Churches including the Thazhakkat and Edappally rock inscriptions, the Tharissapally and Palayur copper plates, the Kanjoor and Chowara tomb stones, and the Kanjoor and Kundra beam writings. At least from the beginning of the 2nd Millennium a 3 tierd roofing pattern is obtained in churches, the Madbaha or Garbhagriham having the tallest roof and the portico at the other end having the lowest roof. Outside the Church many plaster and rock monuments of a historical nature are seen at Palayur, Ramapuram and Kuravilangad.
Generally the Cemetery is found to the South of the church. The body is buried with the head to the west facing the rising sun sympolising Christ and the hope of resurrection.
From the distance the bell beckons the faithful to the House of God. There are huge bells and tall bell-towers at Muttuchira, Chalakudy, Ollur, Mylakombu, Palayur, Pazhuvil, Changanassery and Kuravilangad .
Thr inspiring call of the bells and the towering belfries announce the presence of the church to the people spread far and wide in all directions.
http://www.indianchristianity.com may help further studies.