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India: A Country of Beggars
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To: soc-religion-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: India: A Country of Beggars
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From: l23@hopi.dtcc.edu (GERALD J. LA CORTE)
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Date: 20 Jun 1996 11:18:01 GMT
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Newsgroups: soc.religion.hindu
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Organization: Delaware Technical & Community College
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References: <4kks8b$kam@babbage.ece.uc.edu> <4kt6sd$jdb@babbage.ece.uc.edu> <4plu3i$hma@babbage.ece.uc.edu> <ghenDsxEC9.2qG@netcom.com> <ghenDt5MG2.ABq@netcom.com>
Greetings,
: >It is ridiculous to blame the western thoughts for every damn
: >thing happening in India. In fact, but for the western developement
: >and opening its own eyes to have economic development, India
: >would still have remained as a country of beggars.
: I suggest that without Western ideas of colonialism, capitalism and
: socialism India would not have developed into a country of beggars, if
: that's what you claim it was at some time.
I don't like getting into the middle of these arguements because there are
usually too many emotions involved; but usually end up putting my head on
the chopping block where it is quickly severed.
As I recall, India was mostly free from outside intervention until about
1050 when the Moghuls came. Most of India then paid taxes to Ifshaham (I
think) until 1200 ot 1300 when the central states regained nominal
autonomy, while the south remained mostly free. Then sometime during the
eighteenth century the British came who "conquered" or super-dominated
most of India until some fourty-odd years ago.
The British domination was assisted and aided by rivalry between
Indian states. (This also draws to the caste system, although not very
well.)
As I recall, when the Moghuls came, India was having its Tantric period,
which started four-hundred years previously. And, during the
one-thousand years before that, the Puranic and Buddhist periods.
At the start of the Buddhist era, India already had steel, the wheel, use
of animals, streets, houses, sewage systems, writing, and quite a few
discoveries and inventions. I'm uncertain if most of the population was
literate or illiterate. Did India have the steam engine? Did India
actually use the steam engine or was is mostly a toy (like with the Greeks)?
As far as I know, India made no significant technological or
developmental changes without outside influence. Gunpowder didn't leave
China until the thirteenth century when they were conquered by the Mongols.
: Now it seems as if Western societies are thirsting for spiritual
: enlightenment, and age-old Oriental practices are rising again.
With Christianity being as deep as it is, what do you expect?
That's the three intellectual developments that India I think lacked:
literacy, gunpower, and the steam engine, after which electricity would
have been necessary (coupled with magnetism, which they had).
Bests,
Jay
