Letter 9: The Races And Languages Of Mankind (In English) | Letters From a Father to His Daughter

Thursday, October 24, 2024

In this letter, Nehru provides an overview of the origins and development of human races and languages. He explains that early humans likely lived in warmer regions during the Ice Age and were nomads, moving in search of food and grasslands. Eventually, people settled near rivers, leading to the formation of civilizations in places like India, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China.

Nehru identifies the Dravidians as the earliest known race in India, followed by the Aryans, who came from Central Asia and spread across Europe and Asia. He explains that the Aryans, despite their cultural differences today, share a common ancestry with people of Europe, Persia, and Mesopotamia. Over time, these races mixed, and their languages evolved.

He categorizes the world's races into the Aryans, Mongolians (East Asians), Africans, and Semitic peoples (Arabs and Hebrews). Nehru emphasizes the significance of language in understanding racial distinctions. The Aryan languages, such as Sanskrit, Latin, and Greek, gave rise to modern languages like English, Hindi, and Bengali. Similarly, other languages belong to distinct families, like the Chinese, Semitic, and Dravidian languages. Nehru concludes by highlighting that, despite their diversity, most languages trace back to a few common ancestors.



0 COMMENTS:

Post a Comment