Aryan race facts for kids
The Aryan race was an idea that became popular in the 1800s and early 1900s. It was based on a misunderstanding of an ancient word. The term "Aryan" originally came from the name of a group of people who lived in ancient Persia and India. These people spoke an early form of an Indo-European language.
At first, the term was used to describe people from Iran, India, and Europe. However, it was later mainly used to describe Germanic peoples. This happened because of new ideas about who the "Aryans" were.
The word "Aryan" comes from the ancient Sanskrit word ārya. This word was used by Sanskrit-speaking people to show they were different from other groups. People in Iran also used similar terms. In fact, the name Iran means "land of the Aryans."
The idea of an Aryan race started as a way to group people. But over time, it was used by different groups, including some occult movements. Sadly, it was also used by Nazism and other groups to support racist ideas.
Contents
What is the Aryan Race Idea?
The idea of the Aryan race is not based on science. It was a concept created in the 19th century. It suggested that there was a special group of people called "Aryans." These people were thought to be superior to others.
Where Did the Idea Come From?
The term "Aryan" has roots in ancient languages. It was used by some ancient groups to describe themselves. However, the idea of an "Aryan race" as a superior group of people was a new invention. It was developed by thinkers in the 1800s. They wrongly connected language groups with specific races.
How Was the Term Misused?
The idea of an Aryan race became very harmful. It was used to justify discrimination and violence. Different groups twisted the original meaning of the word. They used it to promote their own beliefs about race.
The Nazis and the "Master Race"
The most famous and terrible misuse of the Aryan race idea was by Nazism. The Nazi party believed that Germanic peoples were the true "Aryan race." They thought these people were a "master race." This meant they believed Germans were better than everyone else.
The Nazis used this false idea to justify their terrible actions. They believed they had the right to control or even harm other groups. This included Jewish people, Romani people, and many others. The Nazi view of the Aryan race came from earlier thinkers who had similar racist ideas.
Images for kids
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A nineteenth-century edition of the Meyers Konversations-Lexikon shows the Caucasian race (in shades of grayish blue-green) as comprising Aryans, Semites, and Hamites. Aryans are subdivided into European Aryans and Indo-Aryans (for those now called Indo-Iranians). Encyclopedias from this era reinforced European racial constructions.
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See also
In Spanish: Raza aria para niños
