Ishwa helper Reged: 03/03/02 Posts: 553

Re: Kushites, Kushan Empire, Hindu Kush mountains> [Re: Americanhindu] #29143 - 04/25/03 06:27 AM Edit Reply Quote

Hmm, AmH. This is a clear case of folk etymology. With this term is meant a kind of etymology which is based on similar sound, without any historical or real etymological base. The word Kushan has totally nothing to do either with African Kushites, or with the Hindu Kush. Kushanas were the dominant clan of the Yuezhi, who were kicked out of Xinjiang, due to the movements of the HsiungNu. The Yuezhi or Guti are also called Tocharians. The Tocharians were actually connected with a kentum speaking people, while the Yuezhi must have absorbed the satem-speaking Khotanese Sakas. I believe the Hindu Kush to be based upon the name Hindu Kash(a) or more completely 'Hindu KavKasha' or the Indian Caucasus (actually it should be translated rather as KavKasha of Hindu.sh = mountainous area of the Indus riverine system) , as it is called so by the classical writers, referring to the times of Alexander's expedition. The African Kushites are totally a different culture. By the way, the Egyptians themselves have mythological stories about their original country somewhere in the east. But that is something else. The Arya coming from West-Asia is never a proved theory. The earliest undisbutably traceable Arya there were only in the second millennium BC. The first were the Kashu or Kassite, who came from the Irani Zagros mountains. The dried-up bed of Sarasvati in India of 1900 BC is mentioned in the Mahabharata: The pilgrimage of Balarama along its course is in a time before 1900 BC, when the Sarasvati was starting to desiccate. We all know that Balarama was only in the Mahabharatan period. Before the Mahabharata were a line of some 20 Kuru kings, who ruled in India. Before these Kuru kings were the many Bharata kings of India, from Bharata Daushyanti to the Somaka-Bharatas going back to the remotest RigVedic time. And no authority places the RigVeda outside the Indian subcontinent! The centre of the Bharatas is almost always along the banks of the Indian Sarasvati. I am really surprised about this sudden AIT support of you, AmH. I hope that you don't read too much rubbish of internet uncritically. Reading and understanding primary sources are more important.