List of ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes

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This is a list of ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes that are mentioned in the literature of Indic religions.

Contents

From the second or first millennium BCE, ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes turned into most of the population in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent – Indus Valley (roughly today's Punjab), Western India, Northern India, Central India, and also in areas of the southern part like Sri Lanka and the Maldives through and after a complex process of migration, assimilation of other peoples and language shift. [1] [2] [3]

Ancestors

Map 1: Indo-European migrations as described in The Horse, the Wheel, and Language by David W. Anthony Indo-European Migrations. Source David Anthony (2007), The Horse, The Wheel and Language.jpg
Map 1: Indo-European migrations as described in The Horse, the Wheel, and Language by David W. Anthony
Map 2: Sintashta-Petrovka culture (red), its expansion into the Andronovo culture (orange) during the 2nd millennium BC, showing the overlap with the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (chartreuse green) in the south and also with the Afanasievo culture in the east. The location of the earliest chariots is shown in magenta. Several scholars associate Proto-Indo-Iranians with Sintashta-Petrovka culture. These scholars also may associate some mentions in the Avesta (sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism), like the Airyan@m Vaejo - "Aryans' Expanse", as distant memories that were retained by oral tradition of this old land of origin. There are also mentions of Aryavarta - "Aryans Abode" (in sacred Hindu scriptures such as Dharmashastras and Sutras), the Hindu counterpart of Airyan@m Vaejo, although it refers to Northern India and they are later. Andronovo culture.png
Map 2: Sintashta-Petrovka culture (red), its expansion into the Andronovo culture (orange) during the 2nd millennium BC, showing the overlap with the Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex (chartreuse green) in the south and also with the Afanasievo culture in the east. The location of the earliest chariots is shown in magenta. Several scholars associate Proto-Indo-Iranians with Sintashta-Petrovka culture . These scholars also may associate some mentions in the Avesta (sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism), like the Airyanəm Vaēǰō – "Aryans' Expanse", as distant memories that were retained by oral tradition of this old land of origin. There are also mentions of Āryāvarta – "Aryans Abode" (in sacred Hindu scriptures such as Dharmashastras and Sutras), the Hindu counterpart of Airyanəm Vaēǰō , although it refers to Northern India and they are later.
Map 3: The extent of the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), according to the Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. The BMAC culture and peoples influenced migrating Indo-Iranians that came from the north. BMAC.png
Map 3: The extent of the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), according to the Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture . The BMAC culture and peoples influenced migrating Indo-Iranians that came from the north.
Map 4: The approximate extent of the Vedic period Aryavarta is highlighted in pale yellow Map of Vedic India.png
Map 4: The approximate extent of the Vedic period Āryāvarta is highlighted in pale yellow
Map 5: This detailed map shows the locations of kingdoms and republics mentioned in the Indian epics or Bharata Khanda. EpicIndia.jpg
Map 5: This detailed map shows the locations of kingdoms and republics mentioned in the Indian epics or Bharata Khanda.

Vedic tribes

Pancha Jana (Five tribes)

(पञ्च जना – Páñca Jánāḥ / Pancha-janah ) The pancha Jana are five tribes inexplicitly listed together during the (Āryāvarta of this time, c. 1700–1500 BCE, roughly corresponds with the Punjab and closer regions) (see the map of Early Vedic Period)

Janapadas

Early Janapadas (peoples / tribes) (c. 1700–1100 BCE)

Map 6: Early Vedic Culture (1700-1100 BCE) and location of early Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes Early Vedic Culture (1700-1100 BCE).png
Map 6: Early Vedic Culture (1700–1100 BCE) and location of early Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes

After roughly 1700 BCE Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes were swiftly expanding through ancient northern India, therefore the number of peoples, tribes and clans was increasing (as well as the number of Indo-Aryan language speakers) and Āryāvarta was becoming a very large area (see the map on the right side).

  1. Guṅgu [39]
  2. Iksvaku [40] (Pratichya Āryāvarta – Western Āryāvarta)

Late Janapadas (peoples / tribes) (c. 1100–500 BCE)

Map 7: Late Vedic era map showing the boundaries of Aryavarta with Janapadas in northern India. Beginning of Iron Age kingdoms in India-- Kuru, Panchala, Kosala, Videha. Late Vedic Culture (1100-500 BCE).png
Map 7: Late Vedic era map showing the boundaries of Āryāvarta with Janapadas in northern India. Beginning of Iron Age kingdoms in India— Kuru, Panchala, Kosala, Videha.

From roughly 1100 to 500 BCE Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes expanded even further throughout ancient northern India (see the map 6).

According to political scientist Sudama Misra, the Kalinga janapada originally comprised the area covered by the Puri and Ganjam districts.reference-Sudama Misra (1973). Janapada state in ancient India. Bhāratīya Vidyā Prakāśana. p. 78.

Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE)

Map 8: Mahajanapadas roughly in 500 BCE. Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png
Map 8: Mahajanapadas roughly in 500 BCE.

महाजनपद – Mahajanapada Shodasa Mahajanapadas (Sixteen Mahajanapadas) The Mahajanapadas were sixteen great kingdoms and republics that emerged after the more powerful political entities (initially based on the territories of peoples and tribes) had conquered many others. According to the Anguttara Nikaya , Digha Nikaya , Chulla-Niddesa (Buddhist Canon)

According to the Vyākhyāprajñapti / Bhagavati Sutra (Jain text)

Mentions by Ancient Greek authors (Classical Age)

Map 9: Ancient regions of Iranian Plateau and part of South Central Asia showing ancient Iranian peoples and tribes; this map also shows ancient peoples of the Indus Valley in Northwest Ancient India. The Atlas of Ancient and Classical Geography by Samuel Butler, Ernest Rhys, ed. (1907, 1908).jpg
Map 9: Ancient regions of Iranian Plateau and part of South Central Asia showing ancient Iranian peoples and tribes; this map also shows ancient peoples of the Indus Valley in Northwest Ancient India.

Northwest Ancient India – Indus River Basin

Other regions of Ancient India (India Intra Gangem)

Possible Indo-Aryan or other peoples / tribes / clans

Hypothetical Indo-Aryans

See also


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References

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  2. 1 2 Mallory, J.P.; Douglas Q. Adams (1997). Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. London: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN   978-1-884964-98-5.
  3. ↑ Parpola, Asko (2015), The Roots of Hinduism. The Early Aryans and the Indus Civilization, Oxford University Press
  4. ↑ Anthony, David W. (2007). The Horse, the Wheel, and Language. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN   978-0-691-05887-0
  5. ↑ Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Delhi: Pearson Education. p. 187. ISBN   978-81-317-1120-0.
  6. ↑ Jamison, Stephanie; Brereton, Joel (2014). The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India. Oxford University Press. p. 54. ISBN   9780199370184.
  7. 1 2 Witzel, Michael (1999). "Substrate Languages in Old Indo-Aryan: (Ṛgvedic, Middle and Late Vedic)". Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies. 5: 3, 33. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.411.6137 .
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  9. ↑ Erdosy, George; Witzel, Michael (1995). Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity. The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Rgvedic history: poets, chieftains and politics. De Gruyter. p. 204.
  10. ↑ Erdosy & Witzel 1995, p. 262.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Erdosy & Witzel 1995, p. 235.
  12. 1 2 Jamison & Brereton 2014, p. 605, 695.
  13. 1 2 Erdosy & Witzel 1995, p. 222, 262.
  14. 1 2 Jamison & Brereton 2014, p. 829.
  15. 1 2 Erdosy & Witzel 1995, p. 237.
  16. ↑ Erdosy & Witzel 1995, p. 239.
  17. ↑ Jamison & Brereton 2014, p. 54.
  18. ↑ Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Delhi: Pearson Education. p. 187. ISBN   978-81-317-1120-0.
  19. ↑ Witzel, Michael (2001). "Autochthonous Aryans?: The Evidence from Old Indian and Iranian Texts" (PDF). Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies. 7: 7.
  20. ↑ Erdosy & Witzel 1995 , p. 204
  21. ↑ Witzel, Michael (1999). "Substrate Languages in Old Indo-Aryan: (Ṛgvedic, Middle and Late Vedic)". Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies. 5: 3, 33. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.411.6137 .
  22. 1 2 Erdosy & Witzel 1995, p. 236.
  23. ↑ "Early Indian history: Linguistic and textual parametres." in The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia, edited by G. Erdosy (1995), p. 136
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  26. ↑ Erdosy & Witzel 1995 , p. 234
  27. 1 2 Talageri, S. G. (2005). The Rigveda as a source of Indo-European history. The Indo-Aryan Controversy: Evidence and Inference in Indian History, 332.
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  30. ↑ Zimmer, S. (1986). On a special meaning of jána- in the Rgveda. Indo-Iranian Journal, 29(2), 109–115.
  31. 1 2 3 4 A. A. Macdonell and A. B. Keith (1912). Vedic Index of Names and Subjects.
  32. ↑ Weller, H. (1937). WHO WERE THE BHRIGUIDS?. Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 18(3), 296–302.
  33. ↑ e.g. RV 1.108.8; 7.18; 8.10.5; 6.46.8
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  37. ↑ Sanskrit in English
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  46. ↑ Witzel, M. (1999). Aryan and Non-Aryan names in Vedic India. Data for the linguistic situation, c. 1900–500 BC. Aryan and Non-Aryan in South Asia, Evidence, Interpretation and Ideology. Cambridge Mass.: Harvard University (Harvard Oriental Series: Opera Minora III).
  47. 1 2 Frawley, D. (2001). The Rig Veda and the History of India: Rig Veda Bharata Itihasa. Aditya Prakashan.
  48. 1 2 Ian Worthington 2014, p. 219.
  49. 1 2 Peter Green 2013, p. 418.
  50. ↑ The Rigveda: A Historical Analysis, Aditya Prakashan, New Delhi 2000
  51. ↑ Jayarava Attwood, Possible Iranian Origins for the Śākyas and Aspects of Buddhism. Journal of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies 2012 (3): 47–69
  52. ↑ Christopher I. Beckwith, "Greek Buddha: Pyrrho's Encounter with Early Buddhism in Central Asia", 2016, pp 1–21

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