relations between Indo-Iranian and Uralic peoples in prehistoric
times.[42][43][44]
The stem is also found in the Indo-Iranian god Aryaman , translated as
'Arya-spirited', 'Aryanness', or 'Aryanhood'; he was known in Vedic
Sanskrit as Aryaman and in Avestan as Airyaman .[45][46][47] The deity was
in charge of welfare and the community, and connected with the
institution of marriage.[48][47] Through marital ceremonies, one of the
functions of Aryaman was to assimilate women from other tribes to the
host community.[49] If the Irish heroes Érimón and Airem and the
Gaulish personal name Ariomanus are also cognates (i.e. linguistic
siblings sharing a common origin), a deity of Proto-Indo-European
origin named h₂eryo-men may also be posited.[48][35][47]
Ancient India
The approximate extent of Āryāvarta during
the late Vedic period (ca. 1100-500 BCE). Aryavarta was limited to
northwest India and the western Ganges plain, while Greater
Magadha in the east was habitated by non-Vedic Indo-Aryans, who
gave rise to Jainism and Buddhism.[50][51]
Vedic Sanskrit speakers viewed the term ā́rya as a religious–linguistic
category, referring to those who spoke the Sanskrit language and
adhered to Vedic cultural norms, especially those who worshipped the
Vedic gods (Indra and Agni in particular), took part in the yajna and
festivals, and practiced the art of poetry.[52]