11-22-2006, 08:19 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-kartiksri+Nov 18 2006, 05:46 PM-->QUOTE(kartiksri @ Nov 18 2006, 05:46 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->
One of the posts said, that the British exploited us and we need not be grateful for them for anything. I completely accept what you say. But it would be naive to think that had not the British colonized us and exploited us, we would have been well off or that but for the British, we would still have been "Sone ki chidiya". What I want to say is simply this, if it were not the British, it would have been someone else. Ok so you will say, if nobody colonized us we would have been well off. We'll consider that possibility also.
In the last post I considered a scenario, where assuming no British, French presence in the eighteenth century, what would have happened in the 18th century and thereafter. Lets take it one step further. Lets assume that even in the 19th or 20th century nobody could colonize us, what would have happened. Lets say we would have been fortunate to get away with only mild colonial influence. Even these are possible. Lets say if Napolean would have sustained himself and maintained stranglehold over entire Europe, then English would have been more preoccupied with him and the French also would have been kept busy in the Continent, with the English being en everpresent threat. It is possible, though it is something that would have been beyond Indian control. Now how would India of today be different if this were the scenario. I have my own ideas. But I would like to first hear your inputs and then maybe we can discuss further.
[right][snapback]60985[/snapback][/right]
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ok, so you want to play the counterfactual history game..?? Then we need an interprative grid or a framework, definitions, indicators of a "state" - such as what is "modern" state (not as in nation state) etc within which one can operate. Otherwise there will be no end to speculation.
Am I understanding you correctly?
One of the posts said, that the British exploited us and we need not be grateful for them for anything. I completely accept what you say. But it would be naive to think that had not the British colonized us and exploited us, we would have been well off or that but for the British, we would still have been "Sone ki chidiya". What I want to say is simply this, if it were not the British, it would have been someone else. Ok so you will say, if nobody colonized us we would have been well off. We'll consider that possibility also.
In the last post I considered a scenario, where assuming no British, French presence in the eighteenth century, what would have happened in the 18th century and thereafter. Lets take it one step further. Lets assume that even in the 19th or 20th century nobody could colonize us, what would have happened. Lets say we would have been fortunate to get away with only mild colonial influence. Even these are possible. Lets say if Napolean would have sustained himself and maintained stranglehold over entire Europe, then English would have been more preoccupied with him and the French also would have been kept busy in the Continent, with the English being en everpresent threat. It is possible, though it is something that would have been beyond Indian control. Now how would India of today be different if this were the scenario. I have my own ideas. But I would like to first hear your inputs and then maybe we can discuss further.
[right][snapback]60985[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
ok, so you want to play the counterfactual history game..?? Then we need an interprative grid or a framework, definitions, indicators of a "state" - such as what is "modern" state (not as in nation state) etc within which one can operate. Otherwise there will be no end to speculation.
Am I understanding you correctly?