In his Return of the Aryans Gidwani proposes a theory that seeks to describe how a set of warring tribes began to co-exist in peace.
In his Return of the Aryans Gidwani paints a plausible picture of the Indus Valley civilization at about 5000 BCE. The Indus valley was a fertile land and the tribes settled there squabbled for space for their increasing numbers. War between tribes was common with losses of life on both sides. This necessitated a way of life in which preparation for war preceded all other activity. Tired by this thoroughly unproductive and undesirable state of affairs some learned men sought to find a way out.
One of the first approaches to resolution was to permit inter-tribe marriages. The resulting blood ties put an end to the desire to fight. Religion has been a strong force throughout time and was so then. The second step was to start worshipping each other’s deities. In the beginning this took the form of two different tasks but over generations the deities were fused into a common thread and into a common mythology. As more and more tribes integrated into one common civilization the number of Gods kept on increasing. It is interesting to note that the dominant tribe did not force its Gods onto the weaker tribes that sought integration but assimilated that tribe’s beliefs into its own.
This theory put forward by Gidwani in the form of a fictional history explains some aspects of Hinduism. First it explains the multitude of Gods that Hindus worship. As explained in The Pagan Origins of Hinduism, when Vedic thought evolved to the realization of one Supreme God these ancient deities were still worshipped and remained a part of the Hindu tradition. Simultaneously the theory explains the Hindu tolerance and even acceptance of other religions. Hindus are comfortable with any other religion because they see Hinduism itself as a fusion of diverse ideas.
