To the question of historicity of Ancient Indian texts (the case of Rigveda)

Authors

  • Aleh V. Perzashkevich Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

Keywords:

Rigveda, chronology, localization, recorded monument, material culture, data of different sciences

Abstract

The present paper touches one of the most ancient of all known for today (at least, what one can read) Indian monuments – the Rigveda. Its historicity is one of the fundamental problems of modern science, and it is the subject to consideration. The research revises: a) the existing text of a monument (first of all, its indications on geographical, material and astronomical objects), b) comments to the text (including Vedic and later traditions), c) earliest records of Rigveda, and also 4) the corresponding contemporary data received by archeology, linguistics, geology, cultural studies, astronomy, genetics. To define historicity of the monument, the author offers a special algorithm. Its includes: a) the description of the monument external view (as it is known to us, with the place and time of its finding), b) the research of the monument external view and analysis of the data received, c) the analysis of the monument content towards its indications on the time and space; 4) conclusions on each previous point, and also the general conclusion. Our contemporary knowledge on chronology and geographical localization of Rigveda allows to conclude, that the monument contains realities of the Northern part of Indian subcontinent, and the described took place, at least, in III–II millennium BC, and, what is most likely, also in IV millennium BC, and, probably, even in V one.

Author Biography

  • Aleh V. Perzashkevich, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

    PhD (history), docent; associate professor at the department of Ancient and Medieval history, faculty of history

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Published

2018-07-27

Issue

No. 3 (2018): Journal of the Belarusian State University. History

Section

World History

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How to Cite

[1]
Perzashkevich, A.V. 2018. To the question of historicity of Ancient Indian texts (the case of Rigveda). Journal of the Belarusian State University. History. 3 (Jul. 2018), 64–71.