Airyanem Vaejah - Historical Concepts

Historical Concepts

The historical location of Airyanem Vaejah is still uncertain. In the first chapter of the Vendidad is a listing of sixteen countries, and some scholars believe that Airyanem Vaejah lies to the north of all of these. But according to the Harvard University scholar Michael Witzel, Airyanem Vaejah lies at the center of these lands, in the central Afghan highlands. Bahram Farahvashi and Nasser Takmil Homayoun suggest that Airyanem Vaejah was probably centered around Khwarazm, a region that is now split between several Central Asian republics. The University of Hawaii historian Elton L. Daniel likewise believes Khwarazm to be the "most likely locale" corresponding to the original home of the Avestan people, and Dehkhoda once called Khwarazm "the cradle of the Aryan tribe". Talageri, in his book "The Rigveda: A Historical Analysis", proposes Airyam Vaejah to be located in Kashmir.