Most Ancient Aryan Society

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Book Title: Most Ancient Aryan Society Author: Ram Chandra Jain Publisher: Institute of Bharatalogical Research, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan Publication Year: 1964 (First Edition) Dedication: To the eternal stream of Śramanic Way.

Core Argument: The central thesis of Ram Chandra Jain's "Most Ancient Aryan Society" is that the traditional understanding of the "Aryan Way" as the primary civilizing force of humanity is flawed. Through a multidisciplinary approach, combining philology, archaeology, anthropology, geology, and mythology, Jain argues that the pre-Aryan Śramanic society was far more ancient, advanced, and spiritually oriented than the nomadic, materialistic Āryans. He posits that the Āryans, who emerged later and were characterized by a martial and exploitative ethos, significantly influenced and, in some instances, absorbed aspects of the more sophisticated Śramanic culture they encountered.

Key Themes and Chapters:

I. Introduction:

• Genesis of the Ideology: The author's motivation stems from observing the destructive potential of modern civilization, rooted in historical exploitation and violence, which he seeks to understand by tracing its origins.
• Man at the Beginning of History: Jain paints an early picture of man as intellectually and spiritually advanced, peaceful, and cultured, not a savage or barbarian.
• Critique of the "Aryan Supremacy" Theory: He challenges the 19th-century notion of Aryan superiority, fueled by comparative philology and Darwinian evolutionary thought, arguing that modern archaeological and other scientific discoveries contradict this.
• The Śramanic Way: Jain introduces the term "Śramanic" to describe the pre-Aryan civilization, defining "Śrama" as spiritual effort and "Śramana" as one who follows this righteous spiritual path. He emphasizes that this way was fundamentally based on individual and social effort, leading to spiritual progress.
• Organic Critical Method: He advocates for an interdisciplinary research method to synthesize findings from various sciences, moving beyond the one-sided approaches of earlier scholars.
• The Challenge of Total Annihilation: The book aims to provide a new ideology to address the threat of global annihilation, which he links to the historical trajectory of Aryan materialism.
• Rgveda Interpretation: Jain argues that the Rgveda, while containing some historical truths, is often a perverted account by the invading Brahmāryans and needs to be interpreted with caution, especially in light of pre-Aryan evidence.
• Sramanic Ideology as Panacea: He concludes that the Sramanic ideology, with its emphasis on spiritualism and non-violence, offers the only hope for humanity's future.

II. Chapter I: Pre-Aryan Ancient Śramanic Society:

• Imperial Necessity for Research: Early scholarly interest in ancient cultures was driven by imperial needs to understand and govern subject populations.
• Foundations of Comparative Philology and Mythology: Sir William Jones' discovery of the Indo-European language family and Max Müller's work on comparative mythology are discussed.
• Emergence of New Sciences: The rise of Egyptology, Sumerology, Bhāratology (Indianology), and Ægeology through archaeological discoveries is detailed.
• Geographical and Ethnic Unity: Jain asserts that ancient Egypt, Sumer, and Bhārata (Indus Valley) formed a largely homogeneous cultural region due to geographical unity (river valleys) and basic ethnic stock (proto-Australoid).
• Economic Conditions: He describes the agricultural sophistication, well-organized industries, and international trade of these societies, highlighting a blend of individual and communal enterprise. There was no pervasive slavery.
• Social Conditions: Pre-Aryan societies were characterized by simple living, well-planned settlements, the absence of significant social tensions or class disparities, and a high status for women. Peaceful development and monogamy were prevalent.
• Political Institutions: These societies featured republican systems, with assemblies and elected leaders ("Lugal" in Sumer, "Leader of the Land" in Egypt, "Jana republics" and "Pariṣadas" in Bhārata). Sovereignty resided with the people. Horns were an emblem of supreme power.
• Śramanic Way: Jain details the spiritual tenets found in Egyptian, Sumerian, and Bharatiya traditions, emphasizing the belief in the soul, transmigration, final attainment (Siddhi), and the "Effortive Way" (Śramaņa) based on non-violence, truth, non-stealing, continence, and non-possessiveness.
• Origins: He suggests that the origins of Sumerians and Egyptians point towards the Indus Valley civilization in Bhārata, with the "Panis" (a seafaring Indian tribe) playing a crucial role in spreading their culture.
• Pre-Olympian Ægean Society: This culture, likely originating from Western Asia and North Africa, also showed similarities to the Śramanic Way, with elective republics and a significant role for women.
• Pre-Aztec American Society: Jain posits that Phoenicians (identified as Panis of Bhārata) migrated to America around 2000 B.C., bringing with them similar beliefs and practices, including the use of horns as a symbol of authority.
• Resume: The chapter concludes that the pre-Aryan Śramanic society was a unified, peaceful, prosperous civilization based on spiritualism, with Bhārata as its epicenter.

III. Chapter II: Uttarakuru - The Āryan Cradle-Land:

• Nature of Āryology: Jain defines "Āryan" primarily as a "Way" of life, not a race or language, stemming from a distinct culture. He notes that the word "Ārya" predates Vedic Sanskrit and was known to the Hurrians.
• Theories of Aryan Cradle-land: He reviews various theories (German, Western Europe, South Ural, South Russia, Central Asia, Sapta-Sindhu, Arctic) and finds them lacking in a comprehensive approach.
• Linguistic Tests: Analyzing language dispersal, he argues that the archaic nature of Lithuanian and the influences on Greek and Sanskrit suggest an Aryan origin north of the Caspian Sea, in the South Ural region, not in Sapta-Sindhu.
• Archaeological Tests: Archaeological evidence (greyware pottery, warrior graves, horse domestication, battle-axes) points to migrations of a warlike, patriarchal people from north to south, consistent with the "Wiros" or Aryans, and contradicting many home theories. Fire was a significant weapon.
• Geological Tests: Examining geological references in the Rgveda, he critiques Tilak's Arctic Home theory and Das's "Four Seas" theory, concluding that the South Ural region better fits the description of a cold, steppe-and-forest environment suitable for pastoral nomads.
• Anthropological Tests: He contrasts the dark-skinned, proto-Australoid/Mediterranean physical characteristics of the Śramanic peoples with the fair-skinned, taller, round-headed (brachycephalic) physical traits attributed to the Aryans, further supporting a Northern Eurasian origin for the Aryans.
• Flora, Fauna, and Ancillary Tests: Borrowings in Vedic Sanskrit from Austric languages for flora, fauna, and place names indicate a significant cultural influence of the pre-Aryan inhabitants on the Brahmāryans, suggesting the latter were foreign to Bhārata.
• Mythological Tests: Jain interprets myths regarding Mount Sumeru, Uttarakuru, and figures like Purūravā and Arjuna as reflecting the Aryans' memory of their northern homeland (possibly the Ural region), a concept echoed in Greek myths of the Hyperboreans.
• Resume: The chapter concludes that the Aryan cradle-land was likely in the region south of the Circumpolar region and north of the Caspian and Aral Seas, encompassing parts of the Eurasian Steppes and Siberian forests, identified as Uttarakuru.

IV. Chapter III: Gaņa - The Basic Āryan Society:

• Separation of Aryans: He traces the migration of Āryan groups to Europe, Asia Minor, Iran, and Bhārata around the 2nd millennium B.C.
• Gaņa as Basic Society: Jain defines "Gaņa" as an "artificial aggregation" of people, initially a collectivity of cattle ("herds") and later applied to human groups organized for common purposes, often under a supreme leader (Ganapati).
• Tribal Nature: The Gaņa was a patriarchal, tribal collective where individual existence was subsumed by the group's needs, characterized by common ownership of resources, communal meals, and promiscuous sex relationships.
• Ganapati: The leader, Ganapati, held supreme authority, often identified with divine figures or natural forces (Devas), symbolizing the concentration of military, economic, and social power.
• Gana in History: He discusses the Gana's presence in both Āryan societies (Greece and Bhārata) and its later transformation due to contact with settled, more sophisticated cultures, leading to borrowed concepts like family, private property, and even elective systems, though often superficially. He critiques both Morgan's and Jayaswal's interpretations of the Gaņa.
• West Asia and Egypt: He notes the Aryan invasions and their impact on these Śramanic societies, leading to the rise of monarchies and the eventual blending of cultures.

V. Chapter IV: Yajña - The Āryan Tribal Activity:

• Yajña as Foundation: Jain asserts that Yajña, centered around fire (Agni), was the fundamental activity of Aryan culture, encompassing military, economic, and social spheres.
• Birth of Agni and Yajña: The discovery of fire, linked to Angiras, was a social revolution that evolved into the institution of Yajña.
• Military Activity: Yajña was intertwined with military prowess, signifying organized tribal warfare, the production of weapons, and the collective effort of an armed militia (Gaņa). Agni was both a weapon and a commander.
• Economic Activity: Yajña represented the collective economic activities of the Gaņa, characterized by communal ownership of produce, plundering the wealth of adversaries, and a "contract of thousandfold return" from leaders (Ganapatis) to members, reflecting a primitive mode of exploitation.
• Social Activity: This chapter delves into the promiscuous sex relations within the Gaņa, communal festivities (Samana), and the concept of "Jara" (lover). It discusses the practice of "Puruṣamedha" (human sacrifice), particularly of the Ganapati, as a means to transfer power and stimulate the collective, a practice also found in Greek society.

VI. Chapter V: The Gaņa in History:

• Main Characteristics: Jain reiterates the key features of the Gaņa: tribal collectivism, communal ownership, a focus on military and economic strength, absence of family and marriage in the early stages, and the absolute authority of the Ganapati.
• Morgan on Gaņa: He analyzes Lewis H. Morgan's work on gentile societies, finding it influential but limited by its lack of access to Vedic and Indic archaeological evidence and its imposition of later concepts onto earlier ones.
• Jayaswal on Gaņa: He critiques K. P. Jayaswal's theory of early monarchy in India, arguing that the Gaņa was fundamentally republican and that the introduction of "Rājan" was a later development, often a borrowed concept.
• West Asia and Egypt: He recounts the impact of Aryan invasions on these regions, the rise of monarchies, and the eventual assimilation or destruction of Śramanic cultures. He notes the internal conflicts among Āryan groups and the eventual rise of Assyria, which ultimately suppressed Āryan influence.

VII. Chapter VI: Vrāta - Confederation of Gaņas:

• Confederation of Gaņas: Jain explains that "Vrāta" represented a confederation or federation of Gaņas, formed for mutual protection and common military objectives.
• Vrātaspati: The leader of a Vrāta was the Vrātaspati, the supreme war-lord of the combined Gaņas.
• Comparison with Greek Phratry: He draws parallels between the Āryan Vrāta and the Greek Phratry, both representing intermediate tribal associations, with their leaders (Vrātaspati and Phratriarch) having roles comparable to Gaņapati.

VIII. Chapter VII: Brahma - The Āryan Universal Tribal Society:

• Śramanic-Materialistic Contacts: The Āryan materialist invasions initiated a historical pattern of materialistic northern cultures overpowering spiritual southern cultures.
• Separation of Brahmās: Jain suggests a schism within the Irānāryans, with Indra-led factions moving towards Bhārata (Brahmāryans) and Varuņa-led factions remaining in West Asia.
• Growth of Brahma: The coalescing of numerous Gaņas led to the formation of "Brahma," a larger universal tribal collective presided over by Brahmanaspati.
• Spiritual Reaction and Ritualisation: In Bhārata, the Brahmāryans, influenced by the superior Śramanic culture, underwent a "spiritual reaction," leading to the celestialisation of their leaders (Devas) and the ritualisation of their practices (Yajña). This process, however, was seen as a perversion of true spiritualism, a "myth" born from materialistic influences.
• Method of Analysis: He emphasizes dissecting Vedic texts to uncover the underlying historical realities obscured by ritualization.
• Purohita: Interpreting "Purohita" as the foremost leader or Ganapati, not necessarily a priest.
• Viswamitra: Citing Viswamitra's surrender to Indra as an example of Brahmāryan pragmatism driven by material gain.
• Meaning of Brahma: While acknowledging the common interpretation of "Brahma" as prayer or wealth, Jain argues it also signified the Universal Tribal Collective.
• Military Brahma: The Brahma collective was inherently militaristic, self-armed, and engaged in constant conflict, with Brahmanaspati as its supreme military commander.
• Economic Brahma: The Brahma was deeply involved in economic activities, focused on augmenting wealth through production, plunder, and the management of resources like cattle ("Brahma" as cattle).
• Social Brahma: The Brahma society, though unitary in its early stages, later divided into Brahma, Kșatra, and Viś. It was characterized by communal living and, initially, promiscuous sex relationships, as reflected in various myths and rituals.
• Brahmanaspati: He is identified as the supreme leader of Brahma, surpassing Bṛhaspati and Indra, and comparable to the Greek Basileus, holding military, judicial, and priestly authority.

VIII. Chapter VIII: The Āryan Way:

• Material Conditioning: Jain reiterates that material environment shaped the Aryan way of life.
• Importance of Cattle: Cattle were central to the early Aryan economy and way of life.
• Phenomena of Nature: Aryans interacted with natural phenomena (Sky, Sun, Dawn, Fire, Waters) not through religion but through a desire to control and benefit from their powers.
• Name = Thing (Morphomotheism): He introduces "Morphomotheism" – the belief that leaders took the names of natural phenomena to absorb their powers, contrasting it with anthropomorphism.
• Theory of Descent: Leaders were identified with natural forces, embodying their powers.
• Bhaga - The Sun: The Sun's association with cattle and wealth led to the term "Bhaga" for cattle, representing material prosperity.
• Havism: The art of "calling" (Hava) leaders and natural forces to gain material benefits.
• Chhandopathy: The scientific organization of Hava, leading to the belief in the power of words (hymns) to influence reality, which is seen as the parent of magic.
• Ritualisation and Celestialisation: The process by which tribal activities (Yajña) and human leaders (Devas, Ganapati) were transformed into rituals and celestial deities, a consequence of Āryan contact with Śramanic cultures.
• The Aryan Way as Materialism: Jain concludes that this foundational Aryan thought, rooted in Havism, Morphomotheism, and Chhandopathy, represented a form of "naked Materialism."

IX. Chapter IX: The March of Mankind:

• Aryan Society Circa 1000 B.C.: The Śramanic culture was largely annihilated, replaced by Āryan tribalism, patriarchy, and materialism.
• Age of Tribalism (1000-300 B.C.): This period saw the coalescence of Śramanic and Āryan elements, leading to the rise of monarchies in Greece and Bhārata, the Etruscan revivalism (representing Śramanic traditions), the Roman gentile system, and the birth of world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Brahmanism) as societal adhesives and controllers.
• Age of Feudalism (300 B.C.-1500 A.D.): Monarchy solidified, supported by feudal nobility and priesthood. This era witnessed the spread of Christianity and Islam, often intertwined with military conquest and exploitation. Brahmanism in Bhārata also consolidated its power.
• Age of Capitalism (1500 A.D.-1962 A.D.): Money transformed into capital, driving industrialization, imperialism, and monopolism. Jain sees this as a highly developed form of Āryan tribalism, a more ruthless exploitation. Communism is presented as the ultimate stage of Āryan tribalism, characterized by communalism and self-sacrifice, though with a nascent spiritual undertone.
• Role of Religion: Religion is portrayed not as a spiritual force but as a "materialist institution" and the "greatest weapon in the armoury of materialism," used by ruling classes for social control and the maintenance of exploitative systems.
• Epilogue: Jain foresees a future society based on spiritualism, equality, freedom, and universalism, culminating in "spiritual communism" or Śramaņism, where matter is subordinate to spirit.

Overall Significance: "Most Ancient Aryan Society" is a provocative work that challenges established Indo-European linguistic and historical paradigms. Jain argues for the primacy of a pre-Āryan, spiritually advanced Śramanic civilization that originated in India and spread globally, influencing even the later Āryan cultures. He critiques the materialistic and exploitative nature of the Āryan Way, tracing its evolution through various socio-political forms (Gaņa, Vrāta, Brahma, Monarchy, Feudalism, Capitalism, Communism) and highlighting the pervasive role of religion as a tool of control. The book emphasizes the need to re-evaluate history from a Śramanic perspective to understand humanity's true trajectory and to find a path toward a more spiritual future.