CONFLICTS OF THE ARYANS

CONFLICTS OF THE ARYANS

At this time the Aryans had not wholly subjugated the indigenous inhabitants. Though many hymns refer to battles between one Aryan tribe and another, the main conflict was between the Aryans and the indigenous dasas and dasyus. The dasas are described as dark and ill-favoured, bull­lipped, snub-nosed, worshippers of the phallus, and of hostile speech. They were rich in cattle, and dwelt in fortified places called 'pur', of which the Aryan war-god Indra had destroyed hundreds.

Since the dasas are also mentioned in the ancient Iranian literature, they also seem to have been a branch of the early Aryans. The Rigveda mentions the defeat of Sambara by a chief called Divodasa, who belonged to the Bharata clan. In this case the term 'dasa' appears in the name of Divodasa. Possibly, the dasyus were the original inhabitants of the country, and an Aryan chief who overpowered them was called trasadasyu. The Aryan chief was soft'towards the dasas, but strongly hostile to the dasyus. The term dasyuhatya, slaughter of the dasyus, is repeatedly mentioned in the Rigveda. The dasyus possibly worshipped the phallus and did not keep cattle for dairy products.

Other enemies of the Aryans were the panis. Panis were wealthy people who refused to patronise the Vedic priests, and who stole the cattle of the Aryans. They were not so strongly hated as the dasyus, and their settlements were left unmolested. Probably, the panis were Semitic traders.

Though many of the vanquished dasas must have been enslaved, some seem to have come to terms with the 'conquerors, and one dasa chief is mentioned as following Aryan ways and patronising the brahmins. The Rigvedic language, even in the earliest stratum, was appreciably affected by non-Aryan influences.

The military technique of the early Aryans was much advanced. The Aryans succeeded everywhere because they possessed chariots driven by horses. They introduced the horse and chariot into West Asia and India. The Aryan soldiers were probably equipped also with coats of mail (varman) and better arms.

The Aryan priestly schools had raised the tribal sac­rifice to a fine art,. and their poetry was elaborate and formalised. But they had not developed a city civilisation. The complete absence of any words connected with or connoting writing in the Rigveda, despite its size and the many contexts in which such words might be expected to occur, is almost certain proof that the Aryans were illiterate. They were a people of warlike stockbreeders, organised in tribes rather than in kingdoms.