The term "Aryan Race" historically referred to a group of people who spoke Indo-European languages and were believed to have originated in ancient India and Iran. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some scholars misused this concept to promote ideas of racial superiority, linking it to notions of a "master race." This misuse culminated in the ideology of Nazi Germany, which falsely claimed that the Aryan Race was superior to others. This led to widespread discrimination and violence, particularly against Jewish people and other minority groups during the Holocaust. Today, the term is largely discredited and associated with these harmful ideologies.