Fwd: Kambojas as Mlecchas (or Glaschas) vs Conservative Brhamnical (Vedic) people

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---------- Forwarded message ----------Sreenadh <sreesogSun, Feb 8, 2009 at 9:36 AM

Kambojas as Mlecchas (or Glaschas) vs Conservative Brhamnical (Vedic) people

 

 

 

 

 

Dear All, The following is from the excellent resource at: http://visualwikipedia.com/en/Scholarship_among_Ancient_Kambojas (Check it)

Love and regards,Sreenadh===================================

Kambojas vs Barbarians & MlechchasIt is surprising that, on the one hand, the ancient literature glorifies the Kambojas as very respectable warriors and a scholarly class while on the other they are also branded as barbaric and mlechcha tribe. The resolution of this problem lies in the fact that there are different layers in the ancient Sanskrit texts which represent different phases of history. The region of ancient Punjab (or Greater Punjab) which, in the Vedic period, was known as Sapta-Sindhu had comprised territories as far as Yamuna on the east and Kabol and Hindukush on the west. During early Vedic times, this region was the center of proto-Indo-Iranian civilization. With time however, a section of this population had outspread to the east into Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Over time, the western branch which continued to stay in Sapta-Sindhu had evolved a liberal and latitudinarian attitude to life due to its constant exposures to nomadic people of Central Asia, while the eastern section had become somewhat conservative and traditional which they believed was the standard Aryan way. This had obviously shifted the center of Aryan (i.e.Indo-Aryan) civilization from Sapta-Sindhu to Gangetic valley. Nestling themselves into a small region variously called Madhyadesha, Aryavarta or Brahmavarta, the puritans shunned all contacts with the liberals of the greater Punjab whose way of life they regarded with disapproval. The varana-asharama-dharama had become a standard way of life for the Indo-Aryans in the east while this social system did not take roots among the frontier people. Buddhist texts like Majjhima Nikaya clearly attest that in the lands of the Yonas, Kambojas, and some other frontier countries, there were only two social classes i.e the Arya and Dasa, and that the change from one into the other was not frowned upon. The exigencies of life on the frontiers had nacessitated its people to primarily follow soldier's life. Further, the ruling class had also started performing the religious ceremonies and sacrifices themselves. This annoyed the priestly class whose own interests were jeopardised in this new scenario. The frontier people had also parted company with the monarchic system and switched to republican constitutions where the role of priestly class was completely eliminated. Mahabharata calls the people of greater Punjab as Rajyayaka while Ashtadhyayi of Panini addresses them as Kshatriyayaka. Accordingly, Brahmanical clergy deplored that the offerings made by these people (of Punjab) to gods go in vain( and that these people knew no Vedas, Vedis and Yajnas . Hence in the eyes of orthodox people from Aryavarta, the frontier clans of north-west had become impure, immoral and irreligious, and the contacts with them were considered a heinous offence and an inexplicable sacrilege. Since the frontiers tribes ceased to avail the professional services of the priestly class which they had started performing themselves, the irate priestly class (from Madhyadesa) started bad-mouthing Punjabis and hurling all kind of malicious words such as Mlechchas, Dasyus or Shudras etc at them. . This may explain as to why the Kambojas in some layers of ancient literature are regarded noble Kshatriyas and learned people while in others are referred to as Barbaric and Mlechcha tribes of north-west .

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