Their legacy is the retroflex sounds () that is part of the Indian language. The immigrant men came much later.

Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik

Manusmriti, dated to 300 AD, refers to eight ways in which a bride has to be secured. The forms not recommended are those where a father’s control is missing. This involves involve buying a wife (like an asura), abducting a wife (like a rakshasa), using rape (like piscacha), and even using love (like a gandharva). The forms recommended are those where the father is involved, offering the daughter to worthy grooms either one who serves (like a deva), who is educated (like a rishi), who is creative (like brahma) or impressive (like prajapati). Women seem to have little say in these matters. The swayam-vara ceremony seems to be a distant memory in both Mahabharata and Ramayana (composed roughly 2,000 years ago). Fidelity is a great concern.

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