The term ‘Aryan’ means ‘noble’. It was used as a self designation by Indo-Iranian people. It was used in vedic period i India as an ethnic label for themselves as well as to refer noble class.
The Mauryan art is believed to be inspired from Achaemenid or Persian influence. We can find a lot of similarities in terms of form and style in the inscriptions of Ashoka and the Persian king Darius.
Lothal is located between the Sabarmati river and its tributary Bhogavo, in the Saurasthra region of Gujarat. Its dockyard was well connected with the river Bhogavo.