11-30-2006, 01:30 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-digvijay+Nov 29 2006, 12:04 AM-->QUOTE(digvijay @ Nov 29 2006, 12:04 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kartiksri,
 Your claim that British rule in India was beneficial is just plain wrong. Sine there is no way you can judge the alternative i.e what would have happened had India not been under British please analyse why is that all contributions of India to science/maths/literature stopped after the arrival of muslims and British.
-Digvijay
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My basic belief, you can never be sure 100% to assert clearly on such issues, you can only debate, especially with people having contrarian positions and see if there is any substance to what they say.
My present position very clearly on this issue
1. British had only their interests in their mind, which off course we all know and all their claims about White Man's burden etc. are just weak moralistic attempts to justify their colonial exploitation. So British had no benevolent attitude to Indians, it would be naive to expect anything like that.
2. British occupation affected us in many negative ways, one thing it ruined our economy. But I would like to point out that even during Mughal rule was the economy equitable. just bcos Shahjahan made Taj Mahal doesn't mean that all was well with the peasantry. Though very frankly I can't make assertions on any of the above as I have to go thru the data. Thanks for giving some links. I'll also go thru the relevant thread in this forum.
3. My assertion is that the colonialism of Britishers pushed us together, we got the convenient other to come together against and helped form the modern concept of nationalism in Indians and also allowed for a democratic India to emerge. The modern concept of nationalism is different from earlier conceptions of national consciousness. Though on the last sentence my thoughts are yet to form and are open for review.
P.S.: Pls check on contributions to Maths/Science/Philosophy etc. after the advent of muslim rule in India. Muslim rule definitely affected it negatively, but it was not altogether stopped. Please check on the advances on Kerala mathematicians in 14-16th centuries. It's amazing, though I don't understand much of it (sad bcos coming from an engineering background, I'm supposed to understand it) There are some claims that the invention of Calculus in 17th century has some link with the Keralites. Also I think the branch of philosphy called "Navya Nyaya" (a varaint of the Nyaya philosophy) also came in the medieval age. Though I accept your point that the contributions did become less after the advent of Muslim rule in India.
 Your claim that British rule in India was beneficial is just plain wrong. Sine there is no way you can judge the alternative i.e what would have happened had India not been under British please analyse why is that all contributions of India to science/maths/literature stopped after the arrival of muslims and British.
-Digvijay
[right][snapback]61471[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
My basic belief, you can never be sure 100% to assert clearly on such issues, you can only debate, especially with people having contrarian positions and see if there is any substance to what they say.
My present position very clearly on this issue
1. British had only their interests in their mind, which off course we all know and all their claims about White Man's burden etc. are just weak moralistic attempts to justify their colonial exploitation. So British had no benevolent attitude to Indians, it would be naive to expect anything like that.
2. British occupation affected us in many negative ways, one thing it ruined our economy. But I would like to point out that even during Mughal rule was the economy equitable. just bcos Shahjahan made Taj Mahal doesn't mean that all was well with the peasantry. Though very frankly I can't make assertions on any of the above as I have to go thru the data. Thanks for giving some links. I'll also go thru the relevant thread in this forum.
3. My assertion is that the colonialism of Britishers pushed us together, we got the convenient other to come together against and helped form the modern concept of nationalism in Indians and also allowed for a democratic India to emerge. The modern concept of nationalism is different from earlier conceptions of national consciousness. Though on the last sentence my thoughts are yet to form and are open for review.
P.S.: Pls check on contributions to Maths/Science/Philosophy etc. after the advent of muslim rule in India. Muslim rule definitely affected it negatively, but it was not altogether stopped. Please check on the advances on Kerala mathematicians in 14-16th centuries. It's amazing, though I don't understand much of it (sad bcos coming from an engineering background, I'm supposed to understand it) There are some claims that the invention of Calculus in 17th century has some link with the Keralites. Also I think the branch of philosphy called "Navya Nyaya" (a varaint of the Nyaya philosophy) also came in the medieval age. Though I accept your point that the contributions did become less after the advent of Muslim rule in India.