The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c15.157

v1.c15.157

By routes passing through Baluchistān on the west and Afghānistān on the north-west, the country of the Indus has been repeatedly invaded by peoples belonging to the Caucasian race from Western Asia, and by peoples belonging to the Northern or Mongolo-Altaic group of the Mongolian race from Central Asia. But these immigrations were not all of the same nature, nor did they all produce the same effect on the population of India. In the course of time their character became transformed. At the most remote period they were slow persistent movements of whole tribes, or collections of tribes, with their women and children, their flocks and herds: at a later date they were little more than organised expeditions of armed men. The former exercised a permanent influence on the racial conditions of the country which they invaded: the influence of the latter was political or social rather than racial.