Aryans, AIR ee uhnz, is a term used both for a group of Asian languages and for certain Asian peoples. Indo-Aryan is a group of languages spoken mainly on the Indian subcontinent. Some of these languages date back to as long ago as about 1500 B.C. Indo-Aryan includes the ancient Sanskrit language and the modern Hindi. In Sanskrit, the term arya referred to a group of people in ancient India. These Aryans were Brahmans, members of the highest Hindu caste, who followed the traditionally accepted religious practices and used Sanskrit. In Sanskrit, arya means kinsmen or nobles.