Roots Of Sindhi Civilization- It’s Glory & Greatness by G.T. Shahani RESEARCH & REFERENCE CENTER (Historical Division) President: G.T. Shahani A-18, Mayfair Gardens New Delhi-110016. Naturally, much of the effort of Sindhi organizations has been directed to advancement of Sindhi community in various economic and educational fields. However, very little has been said of ancient Sindhi culture, traditions and heritage. The few references to Sindhi culture revolve largely around some great and celebrated poets of recent past, such as Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast , Sami and Kanwar Bhagat; but there, unfortunately, our cultural reference rests. This is so because no serious effort has been made to discover and analyze the roots of Sindhi civilization. It gives me pleasure therefore to invite attention to Bhagwan S. Gidwani’s Return of the Aryans - published in India and Canada by Penguin Books (book number: 0-14-024053-5). This highly researched book, written in form of a novel, brings out the glory and greatness of Sindhi culture and heritage from pre-ancient times, even before the advent of the Vedic era. Mainly, Return of the Aryans is concerned with telling the story of the birth & beginning of Hinduism, along with the dramatic account of how Aryans originated from India (and from nowhere else); their exploits and adventures in West Asia and Europe, including Iran, Eygpt, Mesopotamia, Russian lands, Finland, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania & Baltic States and Germany; and finally their triumphal return to India. Even so, here are some of the main facts about ancient Sind, emerging from the book. 1. BIRTH & beginning of Hinduism took place in Sind, along Sindhu river, prior to 8,000 BC. 2. It was a man from Sind who first uttered the auspicious ‘OM’ Mantra, and devised the salutation of NAMASTE, (to highlight TAT TVAM ASI - THAT THOU ART - or to acknowledge that there is God in you, and to Him and to you we salute). 3. Similarly, the ‘SWASTIKA’ seal & symbol was originated in Sind to spread the message of ‘Daya, Dana & Dharma’ (Later, after the Aryan migration to Europe, ‘SWASTIKA’ came to be adopted in Europe, initially for auspicious purposes, though in the modern era, in the Nazi period, it was used for inauspicious, corrupt practices and racial hatred). 4. It was SINDHIS from SIND who discovered the routes to Ganga, Dravidian, Bangla, and other regions in 5,000 BC; and civilizations of all these regions, then, came under spiritual guidance of SIND, in a spirit of equality and mutual respect. All these regions joined together to form Bharat Varsha. 5. It was a Sindhi - he was known as Sindhu Putra – who, 7,000 years ago, was acknowledged as MAHAPATI in GANGA region to indicate his spiritual supremacy over GANGAPATI (ruler of GANGA region). Sindhu Putra was also recognized as the PERIYAR (Supreme authority) in Dravidian regions. Everywhere else too, he was honored, with highest titles and respectful submission. 6. The ancient name of Bharat Varsha was given to India to honor the memory of Bharat who was the 19th Karkarta (supreme chief) of the Hindu clan in Sind in 5000 BC, long after he retired as a hermit at the age of sixty. 7. Sind had profound influence on RIG VEDA, doctrines of KARMA; MOKSHA, AHIMSA & DHARMA; and also on the pre-ancient roots and lofty ideals of Sanatana Dharma. NOTE: Rig Veda, the first and foremost of our Vedas (and the world’s most ancient literature), hardly mentions Ganga and Yamuna rivers. Only one late hymn mentions Ganga. For Rig Vedic poets, the river par excellence was Sindhu, mentioned repeatedly, respectfully and glowingly, in Rig-Veda. (This, as ‘Return of the Aryans’ explains, is said not in arrogance, for Sindhis worship Ganga, but the fact is that the earliest songs of Hindus were naturally about their home-ground which began with the Sind region, as the birth-place of Hinduism). 8. It was along Sindhu river, that the world’s first written language or the script was evolved. They called it the language that can be seen. Sindhi is today written in the wrong way - in Arabic script. But it is Sanskritic. 72 percent of its words were Sanskritic - till 1947. Since 1947, its Sanskritic content is being eroded by inclusion of Urdu, Persian and Arabic words. 9. Sind was one of the major home-grounds and cradle-grounds of Aryans when they left India in 5000 BC, and returned back to their home-town and heritage of Sind. The exploits and adventures of Aryans of Sind can fill a thousand volumes. Unfortunately, the way our history is written, they occupy only a tiny place in our national memory. Reservations & Explanations: 1. While, research in Return of the Aryans is unassailable on practically all aspects, the author himself points out that his presentation of the journey of Aryans of Sind and India, to distant lands (and their return) should be treated as alternative history, which needs to be researched further in the light of the evidence he, and others, have unearthed.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 11:48:31 +0000
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