Origin and Migration of Proto-Indo-Europeans

Many a theories have been propounded in respect to Aryan’s homeland. These theories are the cumulative efforts of several archaeological, linguistic, anthropological, historical, astronomical, and textual findings.  Both Rigvedic and Avestan texts give us a slight hint about Arctic and Siberian home for Proto-Indo-Europeans. Several Vedic hymns and Avestan passages recorded prevailing conditions of the Arctic region in their different mythological stories. They have mentioned a few unique characteristics that throw some light on the original homeland geography. The Spinning round of the stars in horizontal planes and the horizontal motion of celestial hemisphere are some of the special characteristics of the North Pole.  It happens continuously during the long nights of six months.  This peculiar phenomenon can be identified in Vedic mythologies. The Sun rising and setting once in a year clearly said about Airyana Vaejo in an Avestan text. 

It is not possible to disclose these facts without being the inhabitants of those places for a long period. The person living near the pole or the region between North Pole and Arctic Circle surely knows of the day and night of 6 months each. Vedic, post-vedic, Avestan, and Yasht mention some other facts also--not accurately, though. Some other characteristics of the North Pole-- the six months days and nights each, continuous fortnightly moonlight, 2 months long nights, long mornings and evenings’ twilights, and 40-60 days dawn—can also be drawn from Vedic and Avestan literatures.  

Before the last glacial period, the old Aryans world were enjoying mild and temperate climate at polar region. The land was above the sea level and the depth of Arctic Ocean was less than hundred fathoms to the north of Siberia. Due to climatic changes, harsh winter, poor vegetation, and flooding water (caused by melting of ice), the original homeland was destroyed and people started leaving their homeland.   There are sufficient evidences that suggest that once a land existed around the North pole. Great geographical changes took placed many thousands years before (10,000-8000 yrs) that increased the sea level and, consequently the land submerged due to excess water in Arctic Ocean.

While migrating towards south from the original home, PIE (Proto-Indo-European) people split into two major groups. One group headed westward to Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, Hungry and other Slavic nations (Bulgaria, Romania, Belarus, Bosnia, and Serbia). Another group headed towards Anatolia and Azerbaijan and was known as Proto- Indo-Iranians. The Anatolian branch later bifurcated again: one became Greco-Italo-Celtic and the other Indo-Iranian.

Although, Anatolia had been witnessed to many civilizations, Proto-Indo-Iranians (Kurds probably) were the earliest occupants of Anatolia. Afterwards, Ajerbaijan, Central Asia, Akraim, and Vinca were occupied by Proto-Indo-Iranians. Archaeological findings confirm the similar cultures existence at steppes and southern Siberia also. These cultures were developing around steppes and believed to be Proto-Indo-European.  The kurgan cultures were developing one after another, with the influences of neighboring cultures and expanded to entire pontic steppes region. These people who expanded to entire pontic steppes region (Kurgan cultures) had probably come from Siberia, and not particularly from a polar region.

Probably they migrated late in history, around 5000 to 3000 BC, because Siberian land wouldn’t have badly affected in last glacial period. They expanded beyond steppes and led to hybrid culture by intermixing with local cultures and Indo-Iranians (one of their ancestral branch).  They were definitely not a part of mass exodus from Arctic land.

 The people who came from polar region (PIE) spread widely to Western Europe, Anatolia, and Central Asia, still they were connected through some of their common deities, religious practices, and mythologies. Different memories and versions of their PIE Gods and beliefs have survived in all PIE cultures. Archeological, Anthropological, literature and linguistics evidences shows these people (PIE) have occupied Anatolia very before in history around 12,000-10,000 BC.

Recently discovered Arkaim site (Russia) was the holder of Vinca culture and the oldest settlements at Vinca was supposed to be around 12, 000 years old. Developed streets and building constructions techniques shows a super engineering even at that early period and architectural and technological superiority of Proto-Indo-Europeans as well. Some of the locations had water reservoir, metallurgic furnaces, and mines remnants also. Earliest symbolic writing evidences have found, though it cannot be classified as proper writing. Swastika symbol brings them close to the Aryans (PIE) community: Proto-Indo-Europeans   or Steppes people.  

Bug-Dniester was the first Kurgan culture historically acknowledged around 6,500 BC at Moldovia, Ukraine and around Dniester and Bug river. This led Samara and Vinca cultures-- and the development keep continued, and consequently gave birth to a few more hybrid cultures.  Vinca culture was in the habits to burn the settlement and rebuild another on upper the burned settlement. Vinca culture however, shows close resemblance with PIE culture. Cucutenni (Romania and Russia) culture also had repeating cycle of construction and destruction of the settlements. Samara culture gave rise to Yamna culture and further Yamna culture was succeeded by many other cultures. This subsequent expansion of cultures encompasses the entire pontic steppes. Linguistically they belong to PIE language family.

In every Kurgan culture (Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bosnia, Serbia, and so on), we find early horse remains. Earliest evidences of spoke wheels and chariot models have also been found at some sites.

Intermixing of Indo Iranians and Steppes people with the local culture gave rise to many different cultures: Cimmerians, Sarmatians, Scythians, Tocharians, and many more.  Thus, you can see wide diversity in cultures and languages amongst Western Europeans, Steppes, and Central Asians. Languages vary vastly throughout the area but still having the inevitable facts that all languages must be the off-shoots or dialects of a single primitive language.

 Proto-Indo-Europeans had similar deities, mythologies and religious practices but they would have been addressing them with different names. These deities survived in function but not in name. As the Proto-Indo-Europeans migrated, they would absorb the local cultures and beliefs and leave their previous culture behind or assimilated the local culture with their original culture and reconstructed a new one.   Dyeus Petar, the shinning sky father, survived in almost all Indo-European cultures as the supreme god. Apart from Sky god, there were gods for thunder and lightning, twins god, god for waters or ocean, sun god, moon god, horse goddess and more so existed in PIE people. Proto-Indo-European myths survive amongst all Indo-Europeans (Slavs, Balts, Romans, Albanian, Lithuanians, Anatolians, Armenians, Ireland, Wales, and a few more), Vedic-Aryans, Indo-Iranians, and celts (Greeks/Romans), in their different reconstructed stories. By intermixing with local cultures and languages, PIE people widely diversified in and around Western Europe, Southern Steppes, Central Asia, and Indic region.

Little Hope...............

Little hope come,

Let stay in my heart.

With my inside thundered wave,

Let gradually come down.

With beauty of drizzling rain,

Let boozy fascination be formed.

With singing spring,

Let boogieing around.

With this embracing dusk,

Let unfold the arms around.

With voice of virgin cuckoo,

Let immerse in its melodious sound.

With a pleasant surrounding,

Let celebrate and hang around.

With paradise of verdure,

Let create a charming surround.

With whirlpool of river,

Let merry go round.

With silence of marine,

Let go sleep deep down.

Merchant Banking

Merchant Banking as the term defines itself is involves in business and trading with capital investment. Merchant bank is financial institutions which facilitate/finance companies to raise loans. Merchant bank doesn't provide loan unlike other banking institutions. Instead it forms the share ownership by investing on unregistered securities of either publicly or privately held companies. Today it becomes the growing needs of companies to look for funding and professional assistance in investment banking, professional counseling, determining price of equity, listing on stock exchanges, distributing various securities, and in other probable areas. It involves price determination and marketing of corporate securities, i.e. equity share, preference share, debentures in order to raise loans and investment.

Merchant banking term first introduced in middle age for the Italian grain merchant. It basically works as intermediaries between the companies and investors. It works as an advisory to companies on the financial, legal, marketing and managerial matters that help in raising finance and restructuring business. And, of course advisory renders for some fee. It helps for a new company and promoters, looking for funding and professional assistance, to expand and modernize the business.

Merchant banking was first started in India in 1967 by Grind lays Bank. SEBI (Securities and d Exchange board of India) is the regulatory authority who checks its business and consultancy operations. All merchant banks must be registered under SEBI, 2003 act. SEBI can suspend or cancel the authorization in case of violation of any guidelines and unfairness in conduct of business in professional and ethical manner.

Merchant banking does not provide regular banking services to the public. However, Commercial bank can provide merchant banking services