Why "From Volga to Ganga" is a must read

After my graduation, I started my civil services preparation to achieve my life ambition. It consisted of three stages - Preliminary which is of MCQ type, Mains being descriptive type and personality test being the last stage. So for Preliminary and Mains examination, it was mandatory to select two subjects as optional. Twenty plus subjects were listed out along with the unit portions so that it will be easier for the candidates to select their desired subjects.

I was from an engineering background but computer science which was my major was not available. So I preferred to select from an Arts background. As I went through the units of various subjects one optional seemed to be so interesting, that is Sociology. The units were about human relationship patterns and societal setups which seemed to be so familiar and easier to learn for a fresher like me. Not only that but I always had an interest in the evolution of man and society. This basic interest also attracted to me towards Sociology.


Maybe the same liking took me towards the book “From Volga to Ganga” authored by Rahul Sankrityayan. As I indulged myself in the book I had the feeling of reading a book on Sociology because it was so relevant to what I have studied for my optional. The book starts around 6000 B.C in the dense forest near the Volga river of Russia where the author plants the starting point of evolution of human civilizations which was initially nomadic, hunting-gathering lifestyle with matriarchal setup.

Matriarchy - a system dominated by women which is unheard and intolerable to many people now was the actual family pattern that was present centuries ago among our ancestors. We now talk much about the chastity of women and easily accuse their characters most of the time but one should know what sexual pattern really existed among early humans. It was Promiscuity where the sexual activity took place casually among different partners without any predefined rules. Most of them must be shocked to know that a woman partnered with different males like her biological father, partner, biological son, and the same with the men.

The first two chapters revolve around this communal setup because the family setup is not so well defined during those earlier days. The author slowly explains how the matriarchal setup changed into a patriarchal set up along with the rise of possessiveness, physical might, and, the evolution of conditional love. From then till the end of the last chapter which is the twentieth one the book follows the patriarchal setup which is continuing forever. The consecutive chapters explain the usage of various metals that are deployed in daily utensils and the arms thus revealing how the human civilization was toning up.

Here what I mean the humans are none but the Aryans who are the central theme planted by the author. The book is the trace of the migration and settlement of the Aryans over Eurasia. Slowly the book enters India and realms around Buddhism showing the affinity of the author towards it. It also explains the evolution of Vedas subsequently the evolution of Varnashrama Dharma which actually intended for a division of labor for the welfare of the society but ended up in racial and caste disparity which has become a social evil in the future.


Interestingly I found the title of the Eleventh story ‘PRABHA’, my name, is the lover of great Indian dramatist Ashvagosha. I have never heard about such a character in history but was happy that an entire chapter is dedicated to her. It depicts how she became the spark for the literary masterpieces by Ashvagosha later how the crazy love towards her was resisting him to pursue his passion and finally how she sacrificed her life only to make him move on in his passion who ended up creating marvelous pieces of art.

The book vividly explains how a minority group of Brahmanism took the Kshatriya kings under their influence by praising and writing poetic lines about them in order to secure their position at the top in the society and safeguard their subsistence. It will be shocking to know how a minor group was capable enough to do this transformation which is the actual trigger behind the present-day caste wars. It also explains how this few in number went one step above forming an affectionate relationship with the gods treating them par with humans which resulted in the evolution of new religion with various sects.

Later part of the book explains how racism and intention of various races to prove superiority over other races ended up in invasions and conquest of kingdoms. This is how Sultanate and Mughals entered India later followed by the European East Indian companies. The book ends up in the backdrop of Indian freedom struggle in the year 1942 during which even Mahatma Gandhi turned up militant in nature proclaiming his famous quote ‘Do or Die’. The story ends up as a person who believes in Russia to help India to escape this struggle thus connecting with the starting point of the book.

I would really suggest that everyone should read this book to know our past and how humans transformed from an emotionless communal life to conditional private life. Generally, there is a connotation that early humans were barbaric and we the present group of people is well advanced and civilized people but one after reading this book will really understand how women were occupying the authoritative position secured with all rights and power and later on how men occupied those positions literally pushing the women into cages.


Also will come to witness a striking reality of how the early humans led an egalitarian communal life who on the name of civilization later turned to be selfish, coward, and, possessive destroying the basic meaning of humanity. We need to learn a lot from our ancestors because they have more to feel proud of than Us. I could not believe that I will be so deeply attracted to a book which got published in 1943 but the journey from the Volga to Ganga is really a million dollars worth.



Disclaimer: The pictures are used for only reference. I do not own the copyrights.