Since the past few years, a narrow segment of society has been raising questions and has expressed ambiguity regarding the origin of the Indo-Pak region or the source that provoked the evolution of life in the area....
COVER STORY
Since the past few years, a narrow segment of society has been raising questions and has expressed ambiguity regarding the origin of the Indo-Pak region or the source that provoked the evolution of life in the area. Primarily, the source of life on this planet and the chain reaction that triggered the mutation of different species that manifested into homo sapiens remain the center of controversy and heated arguments up to this day. Though numerous theories have been proposed by world-renowned scientists who carried out pioneering work in the field of evolution, these theories, however, foster the tendency of humans to raise more questions rather than accepting them wholeheartedly.
BIG LIZARDS
Myriad experts harbour the belief that the barren region of Baluchistan was once roamed and inhabited by the mighty reptile species known as dinosaurs. You will be astounded to know that remnants and fossils of dinosaurs were discovered in Baluchistan, the remote province situated in the southwestern region of Pakistan that borders modern-day Iran and Afghanistan.
Detailed analysis of the remnants provided experts valuable insights. The fossils unearthed belonged to a specific species of reptile, Baluchitherium, named after the region where the skeletal remains were excavated. The remnants of this mighty species are fragmented across the area that stretches from central Asia up to China, and came to light in 1864, when a soldier deputed by the Royal British armed forces in Baluchistan lurched upon fragmented remains of a reptile.
The source of the fossils remained an enigma for the next few decades. The first official excavation carried out by the British geological or archaeological departments, according to the records and logbooks, date back to 1907 when a British Geological expert undertook the treacherous assignment to identify the reliquiae of the class of mighty reptile that thrived in this region millions of years ago. This specific species of dinosaur was officially proclaimed as Paraceratherium, a class of dinosaurs that co-existed with other species 30 million years ago.
A trip down memory lane or brief insight into history reveals that the dinosaurs were wiped off the face of this planet when an asteroid rained down with all its might onto the mighty reptile species 66 million years ago, and ironically paved the path for homo sapiens to occupy the centre of attention and the world stage.
As time progressed, so did the evolution of the human race. The seven continents remained intertwined with one another and aided the migration of species that evolved during that specific age for millions of years before the tectonic plates displayed their might and led to the partition of the continents.
The first hint of the possibility of humans occupying residence within this region can be attributed to settlers who descended upon the western region of the country at around 100,000 B.C., according to Ansar Hussain Khan, author of The Rediscovery of India. The plausibility of the inhabitants migrating from one polar segment of the region to another ultimately manifested into an insurmountable expedition, as this era coincided and alternated with the Ice Age.
Life remained stagnated in the northern region as it succumbed to the full-fledged wrath unleashed by the glacial period and suffered from the haunting effects of the Ice Age. The south, on the contrary, bolstered life, as the region promptly recovered from the daunting implications of the Ice Age. The inhabitants of this region utilised trivial tools and were primarily hunters who were an embodiment of Darwin’s golden rule of “survival of the fittest”.
LOST CITIES
As time progressed so did the intellect of the civilians. At around 3000 B.C., tribes began to flourish across the region. The Indus, which is considered to be one of the most ancient water bodies of the region, offered respite to hunters and immigrants and showcased bright future prospects. Sparsely populated villages began to spur up across the banks of the river, and as time progressed, the occupants of these villages forged a ferocious bond based on cohesion.
Eventually, villages morphed into towns and cities. The most renowned cities that were established during this era were Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, which were an integral component of the Indus Valley civilization. Mohenjo-daro is by no means the legitimate or original name of the city that now lies in a dilapidated condition – the name was, in fact, given to the city after it was discovered in 1920. Mohenjo-daro is situated near Larkana, a town in Sindh.
A primitive excavation campaign undertaken by the Archaeological Department of India, headed by John Marshall, an English archaeologist who carried out pioneering research work, bound to the excavation of the city. Marshall and his associates apprised the globe about the top-notch and grandiose infrastructure of the vibrant city that is deemed by many experts to be way more advanced than the era in which it thrived.
The city was developed by experts and the infrastructure was laid out in a perfect grid system that is nowadays considered a cornerstone in the fields of architecture and regional planning.
Experts were baffled to stumble upon the fact that an orderly civic life prevailed across the city, with drainage pipes installed to transport solid waste away from the residential regions. The city housed magnificent landmarks that include a central pool that was probably utilised by the inhabitants for leisure purposes, a central town hall, and a large-scale accommodation to cater to the needs of the religious figureheads of the city.
The dissection of the magnificent city, carried out by experts, raises multiple questions rather than answering the basic queries. Principally, the religious affinity of the occupants of the city is unknown.
The Indus Valley civilization paralleled with the ancient Egyptian civilization as the origins of the two mighty kingdoms could be traced back to 3300 B.C.E. The relics unearthed by archaeologists validate the fact that the occupants possessed the intellectual ability to master the skill of writing, but the language developed by the inhabitants fails to answer the queries of the experts. The symbols and other alien letters engraved into the tablets exhumed from the ancient site pose a challenge to the experts, as the language could not be deciphered even after the passage of several decades. The writing scheme decreed by the scholars of the ancient Egyptian civilization, on the contrary, was to some extent comprehendible and was deciphered in 1822 by a French philologist.
Unlike other civilizations, whose legacy continued to inspire the subsequent generations, the cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa faded away in the 19th century B.C.E., without leaving evidence of their existence behind. The circumstances under which the civilization lost its very identity are uncertain. Some experts impute the demise of the civilization to natural factors like flooding or drought. Experts reckon that during one stage, the river Indus amended its course and subsequently exposed the inhabitants of the region to periods of severe droughts that forced them to migrate from the region.
The downfall of the city, according to some experts, was gradual, and the city, or in fact, the network of cities was compromised over a few years. However, Ansar Hussain Khan is adamant that the city encountered an abrupt conclusion at the hands of foreign invaders, presumably Aryans.
The Aryans had embarked upon various notable expeditions and unleashed their wave of terror. This theory does hold water to some extent, as the cities that encompassed the Indus civilization lacked formidable and substantial fortification to petrify the perpetrators and force the intruding armies to mend their ways and spare the cities.
It seems like the inhabitants were peaceful citizens who lacked the sophisticated weapons that could be harnessed to safeguard the region when the need arose. The recent excavations also brought to light mass graves which contained the mortal remains of humans belonging to both genders. If the city perished under natural or normal circumstances, the emergence of mass graves would have been highly unlikely. It could also be deduced that a universal calamity struck the occupants of the city and the remaining inhabitants decided to bury the victims in collective graves to save time and land. However telltale signs of violence are embedded into the mortal residues of the victims, thus giving more weight to the theory.
Ansar Khan is also of the view that Aryans carried out volumes of acts of mass murder correlating to a time frame that comprises many decades. Those who survived the barbaric acts committed by the invading foreign force resorted to escaping the conflict-torn regions and establishing villages and colonies, virtually cut off from the rest of the world. Thus, according to Ansar Khan, the Indus Valley civilization wandered off into oblivion and the descendants of the region gradually lost their connection with the revered civilization, ultimately leaving behind mere traces of their existence on the land that would eventually become our home.
