RAS question
Which scholar proposed the 'Aryan Invasion' theory as the cause of decline of the Indus Valley Civilization?
Correct answer: (C) Mortimer Wheeler.
Mortimer Wheeler proposed the Aryan invasion theory to explain the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Explanation
Mortimer Wheeler linked the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization to a foreign or Aryan invasion. In 1947, he first proposed this theory on the basis of the Rigvedic description of fortified cities being destroyed by Aryan gods, especially Indra; the fortifications at Harappa; and skeletons found in the streets of Mohenjo-daro, which he interpreted as evidence of a massacre of defenceless citizens. He also invoked the Rigvedic description of Indra as Purandara, the destroyer of forts. Flooding, environmental deterioration, and changes in river courses have also been offered as explanations for the civilization's decline. The question therefore asks which scholar is associated with the invasion explanation, not whether invasion is the definitive cause of the decline.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Robert Raikes is associated with flood-based explanations of the decline, not with first proposing the Aryan invasion theory.
- (B) M. R. Sahni associated the decline with recurrent flooding at Mohenjo-daro, not with an Aryan invasion.
- (D) Lambrick explained the decline through changes in river courses, so his explanation was hydrological rather than invasion-based.
Concept
This question tests the historiography of Harappan decline: how different scholars explained the end of this urban Bronze Age civilization. RAS repeatedly asks students to match such theories with the scholars associated with them because these questions require both factual recall and an understanding of debates in ancient Indian history.