Front cover image for The roots of Hinduism : the early Aryans and the Indus civilization

The roots of Hinduism : the early Aryans and the Indus civilization

Asko Parpola (Author)
This pioneering book traces the Aryan migrations from their original homeland north of the Black Sea through the Eurasian steppes to Central, West, and South Asia. Among many other things, it discusses the profound impact of the invention of the horse-drawn chariot on Indo-Aryan religion, and presents new ideas on the origin and formation of Vedic literature and rites, and the great epics
eBook, English, 2015
Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2015
History
1 online resource (385 pages)
9780190226916, 9780190226909, 9780190226923, 9780190226947, 0190226919, 0190226900, 0190226927, 0190226943
912325631
Introduction
1. Defining 'Hindu' and 'Hinduism'
2. The early Aryans
3. Indo-European linguistics
4. The Indus civilization
5. The Indus religion and the Indus script
Part I: The Early Aryans
6. Proto-Indo-European homelands
7. Early Indo-Iranians on the Eurasian steppes
8. The BMAC of Central Asia and the Mitanni of Syria
9. The Rigvedic Indo-Aryans and the Dasas
10. The Asvins and Mitra-Varuna
11. The Asvins as funerary gods
12. The Atharvaveda and the Vrātyas
13. The Megalithic Culture and the Great Epics
Part II: The Indus Civilization
14. The language of the Indus civilization
15. Fertility cults in folk religion
16. Astronomy, time-reckoning and cosmology
17. Dilmun, Magan and Meluhha
18. Royal symbols from West Asia
19. The Goddess and the buffalo
20. Early Iranians and 'left-hand' Tantrism
21. Religion in the Indus script
Conclusion
22. Prehistory of Indo-Aryan Language and Religion
23. Harappan Religion in Relation to West and South Asia
24. Retrospect and prospect