Shri Yamaka,
I have some serious disagreement with the aryan invasion theory.
On my part i agree with research by Frits Staal.
In the pre-vedic period there were very many tribes of various lingusitic origins (sino-tibetan, austro-asiatic, dravidian, indo-european, etc). People entered layer by layer into India.
To get a foothold, these groups fought. Obviously post-fight mergers cud not have been avoided. So these groups merged as well.
Some of these were matrilineal, some were patrilienal. Depending on which group won, the culture of the winning tribe was followed after assimilation.
The vedas were composed after this period. Which is why even rigveda has words of dravidian origin, sino-tibetan origin, etc.
What we call as the 'vedic period" is a period of composition, which reflects the continuation of tribal fights. Even the "oldest" of all vedas portrays a fight in its early part, that is, the battle of the ten kings (dasarajna).
Cattle-raids between aryas and dasyus is a recurring theme. I suppose these were tribal fights for cattle, arable land, water, etc.
I seriously doubt if the aryas were fair, light-skinned siberians, or some such thing. If they had already merged in part with various other tribes before the dasarajna, we cannot assume them to be looking like present-day europeans.
The dasyus have been desribed as noseless, dark-skinned, and bull-lipped (thick lips). The description wud fit a farmer in thailand or in java even today.
Am not sure why the dasyu description is taken by commentators to refer to dravidian speakers. I feel it applies to the austroasiatic (mundari) speakers instead of dravidian speakers. Or a mixed group of dravidian-austroasiatic people.
I feel the gradation of skin pigmentation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari merely reflects the climate of the sub-continent. People in Kanyakumari receive a lot-lot-lot more sun than their counterparts in Kashmir. South receives a particular type of sweltering heat that can cook the brain into scrambled egg on a hot afternoon.
Kashmiris can shed off melanin content in snowy winters. Something that people of kanyakumari can never experience. Obviously people of kashmir will be light-skinned and Kanyakumari will be the darkest. Am thinking its a reflection of the climate, from the Himalayan region all across to the near-tropical hot coastal region.
I managed to locate a particualr thread. Please do confirm for me if this the thread you are speaking of : http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/general-discussions/6498-aryan-invasion-confusion.html (Also , please give me some time. I need time to go thru the posts in that thread to respond).
Regards.
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