Ancient African Kings Of India - By Dr. Clyde Winters
Ancient African Kings Of India
By
Dr. Clyde Winters
Ethiopians have had very intimate relations with Indians. In fact, in antiquity the Ethiopians ruled much of India. These Ethiopians were called the Naga. It was the Naga who created Sanskrit.
A reading of ancient Dravidian literature which dates back to 500 BC, gives us considerable information on the Naga. In Indian tradition the Naga won central India from the Villavar (bowmen) and Minavar (fishermen).
The Naga were great seamen who ruled much of India, Sri Lanka and Burma. To the Aryans they described as half man and snake. The Tamil knew them as warlike people who used the bow and noose.
The earliest mention of the Naga, appear in the Ramayana , they are also mentioned in the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata we discover that the
Naga had the capital city in the Dekkan, and other cities spread between the Jumna and Ganges as early as 1300 BC. The Dravidian classic, the Chilappathikaran made it clear that the first great kingdom of India was
Naganadu.
The Naga probably came from Kush-Punt/Ethiopia. The Puntites were the greatest sailors of the ancient world. In the Egyptian inscriptions there is mention of the Puntite ports of Outculit, Hamesu and Tekaru, which corresponds to Adulis, Hamasen and Tigre.
In Sumerian text, it is claimed that the Puntites traded with the people of the Indus Valley or Dilmun. According to S.N. Kramer in The Sumerians, part of Punt was probably called Meluhha, and Dilmun was probably the ancient name of the Indus Valley. (Today some scholars maintain that Oman, where we find no ancient cities was Dilmun and the Indus Valley may have been Meluhha).
Ancient Ethiopian traditions support the rule of Puntites or Ethiopians of India. In the Kebra Nagast, we find mention of the Arwe kings who ruled India. The founder of the dynasty was Za Besi Angabo. This dynasty according to the Kebra Nagast began around 1370 BC. These rulers of India and Ethiopia were called Nagas. The Kebra Nagast claims that ” Queen Makeda “had servants and merchants; they traded for her at sea and on land in the Indies and Aswan”. It also says that her son Ebna Hakim or Menelik I, made a campaign in the Indian Sea; the king of India made gifts and donations and prostrated himself before him”. It is also said that Menalik ruled an empire that extended from the rivers of Egypt (Blue Nile) to the west and from the south Shoa to eastern India”, according to the Kebra
Nagast. The Kebra Nagast identification of an eastern Indian empre ruled by
the Naga, corresponds to the Naga colonies in the Dekkan, and on the East
coast between the Kaviri and Vaigai rivers.
The presence of Meluhhaites/ Puntites in India may expain the Greek tradition of Kusites ruling India up to the Ganges. It would also explain the Aryan traditions of Mlechchas ( Sanskrit name for some of the non-Aryan people) as one of the aboriginal groups of India. Many scholars associate the name Mlechchas with Meluhha.
The major Naga tribes were the Maravar, Eyinar, Oliyar, Oviyar, Aru-Valur and Parathavar. The Nagas resisted the invansion of the Cholas. In the Kalittokai IV,1-5, the Naga are described as being “of strong limbs and hardy frames and fierce looking tigers wearing long and curled locks of hair.” The Naga kings of Sri Lanka are mentioned in the: Mahawanso, and are said to have later become Dravidians, as testified to by the names of these people: Naganathan, Nagaratnam, Nagaraja and etc.
The major gift of the Naga to India was the writing system: Nagari. Nagari is the name for the Sanskrit script. Over a hundred years ago Sir William Jones, pointed out that the ancient Ethiopic and Sanskrit writing are one and the same.
William Jones, explained that the Ethiopian origin of Sanskrit was supported by the fact that both writing systems the writing went from left to right and the vowels
were annexed to the consonants. Today Eurocentric scholars teach that Indians taught writing to the Ethiopians, yet the name Nagari for Sanskrit betrays the Ethiopia origin of this form of writing. Moreover, it is interesting to note that Sanskrit vowels: a,aa,’,I,u,e,o, virama etc., are in the same order as Geez.
The Ethiopian script has influenced many other writing systems. Y.M. Kobishnor, in the Unesco History of Africa, maintains that Ethiopic was used as the model for Armenian writing, as was many of the Transcaucasian scripts. Dravidian literature indicate that the Naga may have introduced worship of Kali, the Serpent, Murugan and the Sun or Krishna. It is interesting to note that a god called Murugan is worshipped by many people in East Africa.
It is interesting that Krishna, who was associated with the Sun, means Black, this is analogous to the meaning of Khons of the Kushites. Homer, described Hercules as follows: “Black he stood as night his bow uncased, his arrow string for flight”. This mention of arrows identifies the Kushites as warriors who
used the bow, a common weapon of the Kushites and the Naga.
Kumarinadu
The Naga or Ethiopians were defeated by Dravidian speaking people from Kumarinadu. Kamarinadu is suppose to have formerly existed as a large Island in the India ocean which connected India with East Africa. This landmass is mentioned in the Silappadikaram, which said that Kamarinadu was made up of seven nadus or regions. The Dravidian scholars Adiyarkunallar and Nachinaar wrote about the ancient principalities of Tamilaham, which existed on Kamarinadu.
Kumarinadu was ruled by the Pandyans/Pandians at Madurai before it
sunk beneath the sea. The greatest king of Kumarinadu was Sengoon.
According to Dravidian scholars the Pandyans worshipped the goddess Kumari Amman. This Amman, probably corresponds to the ancient god Amon of the Kushites.
The Kalittokai 104, makes it clear that after the Pandyans were forced to migrate off their Island home into South India, “to compensate for the area lost to the great waves of the sea, King Pandia without tiresome moved to the other countries and won them. Removing the emblems of tiger (Cholas) and bow (Cheras) he, in their place inscribed his reputed emblem fish (Pandia’s) and valiantly made his enemies bow to him”.
October 16th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
Some think it very likely that India’s Sadhus inspired the Rastas. The Sadhus give up all worldly posessions, grow their hair in dreads (the hair of Shiva) smoke ganga, shun alcohol and devote themselves to spiritual realisation. They’ve lived like this for millenia and they’re very healthy people.
December 4th, 2006 at 1:17 am
I really respect you.
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:15 pm
I find it the other way around. The ancient indians influence was far spread, and africa had several indian trade posts along its cost and near egypt. The rastas were and are inspired by the sadhus of india. There was no such aryan invasion in india. India is a melting pot, I am northern indian and my grandmother is dark and I her daughter my mother is very fair skin. Color has nothing to so with orientation of a people. India is a vast nation with as many different creatures as people and as the mango.
February 26th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Hello Dear
Is there any name i Indian language pronounced as SERAYE/SERAIE word …?
If so , please drop me a line?
March 6th, 2007 at 1:37 am
VINAY’s reply is typical of most modern thinking racially, culturally, and historically ignorant Northern Indians. To deny or say that there was no “Aryan invasion” in India (against India’s Aboriginal Dravidian Races), and that pigment (skin colour) has nothing to do with the (Indian) orientation of a people; is shamefully ridiculous and is completely negated by India’s still existent and predominate “Varna”- Caste System.
This has become an organized and propagated false doctrine in an effort of covering over and denying the extreme racist and sexist history of India, The Great Classic and Epic Battles (Mahabhrata, Ramayana, and Bhagavad-gita were each and all conflicts between the invading Aryans and the Indigenous Dravidian Peoples.
I would suggest that my Brother do a lot more (unbiased) research and study of Indian Vedic and (especially) pre-Vedic history.
OM Hreem Namaha Sivaya
March 6th, 2007 at 1:41 am
VINAY’s reply is typical of most modern thinking racially, culturally, and historically ignorant Northern Indians. To deny or say that there was no “Aryan invasion” in India (against India’s Aboriginal Dravidian Races), and that pigment (skin colour) has nothing to do with the (Indian) orientation of a people; is shamefully ridiculous and is completely negated by India’s still existent and predominate “Varna”- Caste System.
This has become an organized and propagated false doctrine in an effort of covering over and denying the extreme racist and sexist history of India, The Great Classic and Epic Battles (Mahabhrata, Ramayana, and Bhagavad-gita were each and all conflicts between the invading Aryans and the Indigenous Dravidian Peoples.
I would suggest that my Brother/Sister do a lot more (unbiased) research and study of Indian Vedic and (especially) pre-Vedic history.
OM Hreem Namaha Sivaya
March 14th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
You might want to check out the association between Queen Makeda and the phenomenon of “Makara” which is a sea creature similar to half man-half fish, and associated with crocodile.
http://www.khandro.net/mysterious_makaras1.htm
Bernard Sergent in various places has also verified the link between East Africa and Dravidian.
http://www.svabhinava.org/AITvsOIT/Sergent-AfroDravidian.htm
And as far as the two-headed snake symbolism of Murukan, the ear rings of the Swahili speaking peoples has had two headed animals since ancient times (but sorry don’t have time to look up date at moment).
There is a definite link between East Africa and Dravidian/Tamil indiginous peoples of India, but the question is how far back in time, certainly the possibility of of ancient TWO WAY trade DRAVID/EAST AFRICA is likely. Though everywhere was essentially colonized by Africa, the argument that East Africans were at the kickoff of technological colonialism (writing being the first important technology) needs to be thoroughly investigated.
It is also possible that early scripts were developed in South East Asia by Austronesians who used solely perishable materials like palm leave and bamboo by Black Asiatic Austronesian types.
We’re all getting closer to the truth, but can we not ask the question that the so called “Northern” Indians (Arya were never ONE ethnicity) have stolen DALIT history, must East Africans now colonize the Dalits all over again?
Just a question.
And there is no denying huge foreign influences coming into India, but there is also an argument that the so called Arya were from as close as Pakistan.
The DNA and linguistics will vette some of this, but I agree that the Eurocentric viewpoint has to be challenged for its various garbage and baggage.
And as far as Vedic, pre-Vedic, much original philosophy has always survived in India, and much of it is actually Dravidian poking through. Although the WHITE view needs to be overturned, as well as the evil of untouchable status, Hinduism itself is largely African though, and deeper than that all tantra (shamanic realization of nondual mind) and vedic thought is based on the essential component and blueprint of all humanity, and cannot be patented by any one people.
Enlightenment can happen spontaneously in the remotest jungle, far from the reaches of so called “civilization” (i.e. Pratekya Buddha).
March 14th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Though it is interesting that Nagas are associated with Mount SUmeru (or Mount Meru, su meaning excellent), and of course I’ve communicated with Clyde about SHU being the oldest linguistic philological archetype for conveying “Truth”, as well as the origin of the Sacrificial King Cult of Heracles (Glory of black Hera). Whether the Egytpian deity Shu, or Zulu (sky or heaven), the Sulu Sea in Southeast Asia, or the various cognate words for SHU in Swahili (which match both breath, meditation, perception, orgasm and sewing) (Sutra SKT SIV to sew).
And what does SHU mean in Chinese?
SHU means Dragon.
Thus is the Sutra of Shu, and why Akhenaten had both Nubians in his family as well as SUrya worshipping Mitanni).
Did y’all know that the supposed monotheistic Akhenaten thought of himself as an incarnation of SHU and his wife TEFNUT. SHU and SHAKTI.
- Bill
Om Mani Peme Hung
(P.S. Zeus was a Zulu)
March 16th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Nevertheless, in support of Clyde Winters, there is a connection between River/Coastal Cultures of India and Africa.
And for Rastafarian’s one of the companions of Thoth (tounge of Ra) was Sheshat…
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g233/mogrhod/seshat1.jpg
Who had the seven leaf above her head.
And the Rishis and Shivites and Swamis occassionaly smoke Ganja before reading scriptures, not just at festivals, though not all of them.
I don’t know too much about Ethiopian history, or it’s link with the smoking of Ganja with Jamacain Rastafari, but my belief is that if anyone meditates long enough outside and reads scripture (with or without aid of ganja) they’ll soon realize the wisdom of growing matted un-captilized hair, or shave it off completely (like Buddhists/Krishnas & Egyptian Priests).
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g233/mogrhod/3944.jpg
Also in support of the defence of original African/Tamil/Dravidian wisdom, there is a crazy white guy in Sri Lanka who found the Lingam of Ravana and restored it to a temple.
http://www.kataragama.org/sivakalki.htm
He is also a defender of Murugan and usage of Kansa (Ganja).
http://www.kataragama.org/curse_sivakalki.htm
In support of the reality of the global African presence, In truth…
Om Mani Peme Hung
March 27th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
OM Kali Baaba, you are attacking Vinay but I think you should perhaps do some unbiased research yourself. There is a myth bieng promoted that Shivaism is a native religion of Dravidians and the rest is not. I am assuming that you are one that subsribes to this belief.
There is absolutely no ividence that there was an Aryan Invasion. However, there were a series of migrations from Aryans as well as Arabs and Greeks. Aryans only added certain elemnet to Hinduism, they did not create it nor invent it. It has been a largely proven fact that the religion of Hinduism is majority of African inspiration with an Aryan dominance. All of the Gods and Goddess’s such as Kali, Durga, Shiva, Vishnu,Krishna, Ganesh were all indeginous as clear evidence shows them all in ancient sculptures with African features. Perhaps you should read African Presence in early Asia by Mr. Rashidi and the book Dravidian India.
I do not know much about the Ramayana but Mahabharata and Gita were NOT based off Aryan-Non-Aryan war. Please do your research. The Mahabharata has been rewritten with changes made to it. It was originally written in Prakrit. The Pandavas and Lord Krishna (Black saviour God) were the saviours of the Black race. Krishna tried to show respect and love towards all but he clearly was a warrior and saviour of Blacks. The Gita is a gospel given by Lord Krishna that covers various topics in Yoga.
Hinduism is practiced differently from place to place and varies from village all the way down to individuals. Hinduism is rather amorphous. The Northern Hindus portray the Gods and traditions with more Aryan influence and the south with more non aryan influence.
The varna system and it’s role in society is rather complex. However, it has been a well contested fact that pre aryan civilization had a social order in which the Aryans only took over.
Hinduism has existed since time immemorial. The Aryans only added elements to it but majority of it remains untouched and of indeginous origin.
Praise the Gita.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
To be perfectly honest, although I am quite unfamiliar of the topic of this article reading the previous posts did not surprise me. One person says something that is stereotypical of modern society while someone else bashes modern society and opposes it. When will people have a civilized informed conversation as opposed to attacking one another?
April 24th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
this article is showing how people are able to have different thoughts about the same thing. but at the same time have some of the same ideas and oppose other ideas some one has.
April 25th, 2007 at 9:14 am
All of these articles on Ethiopia have really made me realize that we are not giving Ethiopians enough credit for developing civilization. They have had a lot of important contributions, such as creating Sanskrit, which they are not recognized for.
April 25th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
I had no idea that Ethiopians had any ties to India. It is to no surprise that the Ethiopians created sanskrit, but the Indians are the ones who are given credit for it!
April 25th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Everytime I read these articles informing me about unfamiliar topics, I am amazed. Time and time again Africans, in this case Ethiopians are not given the credit they deserve. I think that creating the language of another country deserves recognition and Ethiopians are not acknowledged for their contribution.
April 25th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
I think that although these articles are informative it is also diffcult to know what to consider credible and what not to because of the oppostition each provides to the other.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:51 am
Its interesting to find out that ethiopians arent given credit for the things they do so just imagine the other countries that are possibly in this same predicament
April 26th, 2007 at 5:22 am
I always thought that Sanskrit was a writing that was developed in ancient Mesopotamia. But, to find out that the Ethiopians were really the ones to develop this writing is quite amazing to read about.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:47 am
I’m really not sure what to say about this article because I know absolutely nothing about this topic.I tried looking up information about the Naga people and had little luck. But, I do think that these essays on these topics are something that the world needs because it offers information that people like me would otherwise not know about.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:00 am
This article was very interesting because it shed a great deal of light on a topic that many people do not think about often. The connections between the Ethiopian and Indians. I feel that migration has played the largest role when it comes to making connections about linkages such as that stated in this article.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:06 am
Ethiopians have had a significant impact on modern society. I think that they do not get the credit that they deserve because of the current state of Ethiopia. This proves that they are very capable but they have not yet established their own country and this is why they are not credited with these advancements.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:09 am
~
April 26th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Where has this history been? That is the question and like we mentioned in class it was “hidden” so to say. The most important part in this article is how people migrated. I think all of us need to take a second thought about who we are before we consider ourselves to be from one nation or ethnic group. I find that hard to believe when migration was huge back then. I feel that they only began talking about interacial sex when slaves were being raped but I feel like this has been going on for ages. Longer than we will ever realize.
May 31st, 2007 at 7:51 am
Hai hallo how are you
June 1st, 2007 at 7:22 am
Ganges-Ganga-Ganja….Aithiopic
June 9th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
The connection between Africa and India is accepted.
Sunit Kumar Chatterji’s book, “India and Ethiopia from the Seventh Century BC”, published by The Asiatic Society, Calcutta, 2004 has been very illustrative.
Dr. Clyde Winters has not given any evidence, but just made many hypothesized statements.
Perhaps, he has to substantiate each sentence, what he has written.
In historical perspectives, historians do not accept such hyptheses. Anyway, I would be glad, if he could throw more light on it.
June 9th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
By the way, why he uses “the Aryan-Dravidian” divide in dealing with such interconnected issues?
June 12th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
It doean’t surprise me at all, all over the world, indiginous people are forgotten. the black falacia jews were also from ethiopia, but only recently there were accepted. Anyway Krsna was so black that he reflected a bluish hue, this is more common in the African people than any other. I believe He was more like an African, Dravidian or Cushite, although Indian people refuse to see these facts more and more it will eventually surface. I noticed in India especially north, that as the trends of light skin indians rise to power so the deities, like Krsna also begin taking on the lighter complexion. this already happened to Jesus, till now he has blonde hair and blue eyes. i have personally seen white Krsna dieties in india, even though the Name Krsna means Black. By the way the battle of kuruksetra was made up of many different types of races but Indians think it was only their people. The maya continues to warp the truth until Krsna himself comes to re-establish it millenium after millenium. Jaya Sri Krsna
June 24th, 2007 at 4:25 am
Dr. Winter’s photo looks like mine (except for the bald-head).
So he is my cousin and all my cousins here in India are his cousins too. That settles the controversy once for all!
March 2nd, 2008 at 12:23 am
Exactly what is the authors explanation of how an entire population of Ethiopians was established in central India? Ships of in the 2nd millennium BC were hardly the type to transport large numbers of people. The Naga’s never ruled on the coastal regions which would be their first stepping stone if they invaded by sea. Overall the author has made a pretty thin argument much like the thinking of the six degree’s of separation.
March 16th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
The connections he seems to make are very tenous especially with respect to names. It’s true that humanity originated in India but the indigenous population was there for thousands of years before the Indus Valley Civilization. And trying to divide Indians based on Aryan vs. Dravidian is also erroneous as they are both considered caucasian by renowned geneticist Luca Cavalli-Sforza. Politicians in India are using the controversial Aryan Invasion Theory to create enimity and is a cynical ploy at the very least. Most of India’s population is pretty homogenous.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Everyone knows blacks are the father of all fathers.We are all created equal.
April 9th, 2008 at 6:39 am
you stupid worthless nigger lover madhu.
krishna means black yes, but he wasn’t so black that he “looked bluish” you dumb broad. portraying deities as blue is a way of signifying their divinity. anyway, krishna might have been dark, but he sure as hell wasn’t a worthless nigger.
stop appropriating the cultures of other people as your own you worthless nigger bastards. its not our fault that you have the IQ of the trees and air around you and couldn’t even produce a single civilization thats worth being talked about. its amazing how these niggers claim civilizations everywhere from india to ireland as theirs.
not to mention the cliche - WE BEZ GIPSHUN N SHEET.
sanskrit wasn’t created by ethiopians you tree swinging bottlipped cunts. its an indo-european language, go look up what that means. neither were the nagas a bunch of niggers, they were from north east india. not niggerland.
you stupid niggers cant even manage a fucking stolen farm in zimbabwe and you talk about making sanskrit. fucking niggers have the nerve alright. how the fuck do you bastards invent this drivel with no reservations?
i blame the white man for you niggers. they’ve given you too much leeway. you better hope chinese and indians dont become more prominent in the world, you’ll find yourself becoming the best nigger.
which is a dead one.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Peace, may the Ape Hunter, If Allah wills, accept Islam. I find you to be hostile and jealous. Please do not get it twisted or conflicted when you talk about killing blacks you better dame well come ready to deliver. The KKK are no longer intimidating. The reality is clear you hate yourself and your own culture because you know u came from Africa. The only hope for you is to hope and pray that Allah makes you muslim and if he chooses not to rest assured you will be as black as coal in the depthness of the Hell Fire. U seem to be educated but the reality is you are blind and deaf having eyes you do not see, having ears but you do not hear. You and I both know the truth so get on the right side and stop being full of hate u my friend are a disgrace to the human race. Find yourself and be free because you are worst then cattle, deaf dumb and blind.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Demetrius
That Ape-man is one wretched neurotic. Not worth even condescending with a reply to his unsound and polluted mind.
He is a self-hating piece of vomit!
Jahdey
April 9th, 2008 at 8:57 am
typical niggers. get off your lazy asses, that cotton ain’t gonna pick itself.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Apeboy
You really do credit to your pedigree. You trying to copy the pink boyz racism .. well what would one expect from an ape? Pink boy jumps, apeman jumps, pink boy curses Dark Brown Africans apeboy joins the chorus…
Apeboy, you are just a wretched soul… a wanna be racist…but just try hang out with your racist types and they would kick your black Indian arse back to your land of nativity.
Apeboy, there is no fool more wretched than a self-despising ape. Such a thing is not worthy of its existence!
April 30th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Om Kali, What you say is absolute nonsense. Mahabharata & Ramayana has nothing to do with battle between Aryans and Dravidians. If you’ve read them, you would know that Mahabharatha was Lord Krishna’s discourse to Arjuna and Ramayana was the story of Lord Rama & his consort Sita. There are so many errors in this article, I wouldn’t know where to begin. For one thing, Nagas are of a mongoloid race. Secondly, there was trade between Ethiopia & India but India was never ruled by Ethiopians except for Malik Ambar who was sold as a slave and came to India and ruled a portion of India for a short time but this was not until 1600’s AD. As for Sanskrit originating in Ethiopia, it’s ludicrous and there’s absolutely no historical data to buttress this. If this were true, why are there no Sanskrit literatures in Ethiopia or the rest of that region. Why do Sankrit and all it’s related languages such as Persian, Farsi, Avesta, Hindi, Kashmiri, etc. exist only in the region between Iran and India. Sanskrit is related to other Indo European languages such as Greek & Latin. There are tons of Sanskrit literature in India. And Jayshan, sculptures of Gods of India do not exhibit “African” features. I’m Indian, lived in India for decades and have visited many ancient temples. Krishna is not black in color but rather dark blue which signifies the infinity of the sky and the ocean. Finally, there was no Aryan Invasion, just several Aryan migrations. Today, most Indians are varying mixtures of Aryan and Dravidian and this attempt by Afrocentric scholars to divide India between Aryan and Dravidian will not work. Take a look at the Y-chromosome haplogroups and mtDNA of India and you’ll find our mtDNA is of indigenous origin or related to Asia and Y haplogroups are West Eurasian and Central Asian. And, the river Ganges was named by the British. The Indian name for it is Ganga. I’m sure Ethiopia has contributed a lot to humanity. In fact, humanity originated there but to say that Indian culture and religion is Ethiopian in origin is insulting and offensive to most Indians. Most of our culture and history is the result of both Dravidians and Aryans.