Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c30.78

c30.78

Thus the political account as tradition reveals it accords precisely with Sir G. Grierson’s linguistic exposition, and explains the linguistic facts simply and fully. Current opinion, in order to explain those facts, postulates not only an invasion of Aryans from the north-west, but even a double invasion, and the theory is that ‘the inhabitants of the Midland represent the latest stage of Indo-Aryan immigration’, and that the latest invaders entered ‘into the heart of the country already occupied by the first immigrants, forcing the latter outwards in three directions, to the east, to the south and to the west’. ⁵ This theory is improbable in itself, and certainly implies a severe and bitter struggle between the second and the first immigrants, of which one would expect to find some echo in tradition, for it concerned the very heart of India, yet there is absolutely none. It is wholly unnecessary according to tradition.