Tracing Ancient Indian Influence in Middle East: Unveiling Historical Connections

From ancient times, this region has maintained significant connections with India, extending westward. It is widely believed that this area was originally a part of the greater Bharat Varsha before the historic Kurukshetra war, which occurred approximately 5,000 years ago.

The ancient epic Ramayana mentions that Valmiki described the region known as present-day Afghanistan as Gandharva desh. It was ruled by Pushkal and Taksha, the sons of Bharat, who was the brother of Lord Sri Rama. They defeated the Gandharvas and established their rule in the capital cities of Pushkalavati (known as Pukli in Afghanistan) and Takshashila, which is now located in Pakistan. Over time, Gandharva desh transformed into Gandhar during the era of the Mahabharata. It is interesting to note that a princess from Gandhar named Gandhari married a prince from Hastinapur named Dhritarashtra.

After their defeat, the Gandharvas migrated westward and established republics known as the "Gana Rajya." They continued their westward movement and founded the Avagana Rajyas republics, which eventually came to be known as "Avaganasthan." However, with the advent of Islam, the name of the region changed to Afghanistan. Around 250 BCE, Emperor Ashoka dispatched Buddhist monks to Avaganasthan, leading to the acceptance of Buddhism in the region. This period saw the construction of viharas, stupas, and monumental Buddha statues on the hillsides. However, from the 10th century CE onward, a series of Islamic invasions occurred, resulting in the transformation of the Vedic and Buddhist nation into an Islamic one.

In the Mahabharata, the region of Persia is referred to as the land of Parsikas, believed by some to be a reference to the people wielding the Parshu (Axe) as a defensive weapon. However, it can also signify those who were expelled from Bharat Varsha by Lord Parashurama in ancient times. The name Persia is derived from the Sanskrit name Parashu, which was the battle axe used by Parashurama. Lord Parashurama conducted 21 expeditions worldwide to punish the Kshatriya warriors who had deviated from the Vedic principles and became ruthless and unruly, an era predating Lord Ramachandra. Persia was conquered by Lord Parashurama and his army, who established their rule over the land. E. Pococke, in his book "India in Greece," describes Persia as Paarasika on page 45.

E. Pococke was one of the early observers who recognized the extent of Indian influence spreading across the Middle East. He acknowledges, “I have glanced at the India settlements in Egypt, which will again be noticed, and I will now resume my observation from the lofty frontier, which is the true boundary of the European and Indian races. The parahsoos, the people of Parashuram, those warriors of the axe, have penetrated into and given a name to Persia; they are the people of Bharata; and to the principal stream that pours waters into the Persian Gulf they have given the name of Eu-Bharat-es (Euphrates), the Bharat Chief.”

Parshuram 

The Persians or Parsikas, who were expelled from Bharath Varsha by Parashurama, underwent further religious transformation with the emergence of Zarathustra, who established Zoroastrianism. However, it is believed that the Parsis who settled in India are recognized as the Parsikas, the ancient people of Persia. They are also believed to have ancestral connections with the Koknastha Brahmins of Maharashtra, who worship Parashurama in Chiplun, along the coastal region of Konkan. Another researcher, Dr. Poonai, describes the ancient migrations from Bharat Varsha, India. He explains that several Aryan clans, who spoke Sanskrit, migrated westward beyond the Aegean region. According to him, during the early part of the third millennium BCE, regions such as Caria, Miletus, Lydia, Troy, Phrygia, and their surroundings were inhabited by people who spoke various Sanskrit dialects.

As early as the 6th century BCE, Indian fables, legends, and literature found their way to the West and the Middle East, leaving a significant impact wherever they reached. Among the earliest collections were the Buddhist Jatakas, as well as the Vedic works Panchatantra and Hitopadesha. Additionally, the Shukasaptati was translated multiple times into Persian under the name Tutinamah, and its transmission resulted in many Indian stories reaching Europe. One such example is the story of the two jackals, Karkataka and Damanaka, which was transformed into Pehlavi in the 6th century and then into Arabic in the 7th century, before being translated into Persian, Syriac, Latin, Hebrew, and ultimately Spanish. These fables and stories, most likely all of them, became intertwined with European literature, and Indian motifs continued to be utilized in medieval Europe, regardless of whether people recognized their origins or not.

Mr. Pococke elaborates on his findings, even from the mid-1800s, stating that it is astonishing to think that people from the frozen territories along the Oxus and northern Indus latitudes ventured to colonize the hot climates of Egypt and Palestine. However, this is exactly what happened. These were the Indian tribes known as 'Surya' or 'the Sun,' who bestowed their lasting name upon the vast province now known as Syria. It is in Palestine that this warrior-like race is predominantly settled. This observation highlights how the names of countries may have changed, yet they still retained the essence of their original influence and indicated its source.

Nevertheless, circumstances shifted, and the Vedic influence gradually diminished, as succinctly portrayed by V. Gordon Childe in his book The Aryans: "By 1000 B.C., the Aryan [Mitanni] names had completely vanished from Palestine, leaving hardly a trace even in the Mitanni region. In this area, the Aryan language gave way to Semitic and Asianic dialects, and the small Aryan ruling classes assimilated into the local population."

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