From Attributes to Ancestry: The Linguistic and Social Transformation of Shraman Roles into Hereditary Castes
Compiled by Chuppala Nagesh Bhushan Rajiv Patel critically examines how historical and archaeological discoveries from the Stone Age and Indus Valley Civilisation to the Mauryan and Satavahana periods have been manipulated to fabricate ancient Hindu mythologies. The author argues that religious groups systematically altered the interpretation of ancient Pali scripts, rock art, and artifacts to insert characters from epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata into earlier historical timelines. Furthermore, the source highlights a lack of archaeological evidence for early Sanskrit literature, asserting that historical records were actually inscribed in Brahmi script rather than created during the mythical Vedic ages. Ultimately, the work challenges contemporary religious narratives by contrasting them with tangible historical artefacts and excavated evidence to expose manufactured historical claims. 1. Introduction: The Philological Foundations of Shraman Social Structure In the rigo...