Vedic Literature and Times The settlements of the Indus Civilization were either destroyed or abandoned around 1750 BC only to be rediscovered only three thousand years later. What happened after the collapse of this rich civilization is one of the most intriguing questions in human history and centers on the Aryan problem. Who were the Aryans, where did they come from, what was their original language – these are questions about which there has been much debate and much written. But the more the debate intensifies, the more the mystery seems to deepen. One of the major questions regarding the Aryans in India revolves around whether they arrived from outside or were indigenous people. According to some scholars, we need not look for their origin outside India and the Aryans preceded and did not succeed the people of the Indus Civilization. For others, including Max Muller, the Aryans had their original home in Central Asia from which they migrated for climatic and other reasons. In support of their theory, they point out the similarity between the language of Rig veda. On the other hand, Bai Gangadhar Tilak, based on astronomical evidence, came to the conclusion that the Aryans had their original home in the Arctic. region or somewhere around the North Pole. Whatever the truth, it is questionable whether it will ever be authoritatively established, it seems almost certain that the Aryans had established themselves in India around 1500 BC and that their first Rig Vedia had been composed somewhere. between 1500 and 1200 BC. VEDIC LITERATURE As we saw earlier, the Indus civilization developed a kind of writing as we see on their seals, but there is no evidence of any literary development on the part of these people. On the other hand, writing was a much later development among the Aryans while their literature flourished very early. The Vedas from which this civilization takes its name are the first literary compositions of all humanity. There are basically four: the Rig Veda, the Samaveda, the Yajurveda and the Atharvaveda. The Rig Veda is not only the oldest but also the most important source to describe the life and struggle of the people of the time. It is essentially a collection of hymns addressed to various objects of worship – the sun, moon, fire, wind, rain, dawn and other deities seeking their aid or praising them. These hymns (suktas) numbering 1028 (1017 according to some scholars) are grouped into ten books (mandalas) of unequal size.