Migrants in the Creation of Cultures

Abstract

Migrations have had a role in forming the economies and cultures of practically all countries. Their nature and effects must be studied objectively. In her lecture delivered in October 2020 in memory of Professor Satish Chandra, Professor Romila Thapar discusses the nature and effects of three migrations, distant from each other in time, viz. the Aryan, (second millennium BC), the Kuṣāṇa (early centuries AD) and Arab (tenth century onward). These migrations contributed to both economic change and cultural evolution. These were fundamentally different in nature from migrations accompanying colonial conquests and the forced shifting of people in the colonial era. The current prejudice against migrants, by those who claim this to be an expression of nationalism, should not cloud our judgement of earlier migrations into India and their role in our history and culture