New Delhi, Nov. 20 -- The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) has launched a project to publish a composite volume including previous and latest scholarly works on the Aryans, that seeks to move beyond "outdated colonial frameworks" and contribute to an emerging scholarly consensus rather than "merely refuting" various Aryan-related theories and hypotheses. The project, titled 'The Arya: History & Culture', seeks to present a more nuanced, evidence-based understanding of early Indian history, society, and culture. Approved at the ICHR's General Council meeting in October, the volume is expected to be completed within the next six months. ICHR chairperson Prof Raghuvendra Tanwar said one of key roles of the council is to address historical gaps and revisit themes neglected due to earlier approaches, especially those relating to the foundations of Indian civilisation. "Aryan civilisational ideas are central to the Indian context. Our civilisation evolved over centuries, and the Arya tradition played a significant role in that long process. This composite volume is intended to bring that importance into clearer focus," Tanwar told HT. ICHR member secretary (officiating) Om Jee Upadhyay said the volume will comprise three kinds of papers on Aryans-past published works from Indian and international experts over the last 50-60 years; updated versions of earlier papers, revised in light of new research; and entirely new research papers. Upadhyay said the volume will include works of prominent scholars including Kapil Kapoor, an Indian scholar of history, linguistics, and literature; David Frawley, an American writer on Hindu traditions; archaeologists Vasant Shinde and Sanjay Manjul; and Indologist Michel Danino, among others. "This volume aims to collate critical research across disciplines to advance a more nuanced, evidence-based understanding of early Indian history, society, and culture. Rather than merely refuting the Aryan invasion/migration/tourism hypothesis, the volume seeks to move beyond outdated colonial frameworks and contribute to an emerging scholarly consensus," reads the minutes of the ICHR's general council meeting. Upadhyay said there is no need to refute existing theories because many have already been revised by their own authors, shifting from invasion to migration to other models based on limited evidence. "The aim of the project is instead to examine all relevant dimensions of Aryans including archaeology, archaeometry, linguistics, literature, and scientific data and bring together 40-55 solid papers with a foreword to present the full picture in one volume," Upadhyay said....