When Did India Become Modern

[Guest]

The fundamental, and perhaps a truer basis of unity (identity) than any modern definitions such as a national, political, linguistic, race/ethnicity based sentiment was always there In India. It is to be found in a common intellectual heritage, having ebbs and flows, yet persisting through an unbroken tradition thats moulds even when modified, permeating India's whole social life to the minutest detail. It is the sanatana dharma which lies at the root of all the various forms of expressions of Indians and it is all inclusive.

For thousands of years India has been one, not merely in a geographical sense, but in religion, civilization, and customs. India has always felt herself to be an integral whole from the Himalayas to Lanka. The sentiment of unity, consciouness and identity has found expression in ancient songs and traditions - vedas to unpanishads to darsanas to panchatantra to aagamas to bhajans to what not and you get the drift. That has always been the national consciousness, and identity, if one can call that.

As for the modern awakening out of slumber and intellectual & social corruption, and when at the verge of perishing, and I quote Ashok's message

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->"Modernity" in the truest sense of the word, in India's affairs, starts when hindus awoke after a centuries long slumber. This should properly be identified with the so called "Hindu Renaissance of the late 19th century and early 20th century. All other definitions of modernity are non-Indian definitions and to their view of what they consider modern.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

The modern defintions of nation-state and forms of nationalism, ramana and acharya have spoken quite eloquently to those. As far the interpretation and study of Indian history, HH's posting warns of the dangers in it. Hence the framework for such interpretive studies. Otherwise the comparative studies will slide into something else. For ancient democratic traditions of India, I will defer you to read shantiparva of mahabharatha (for example, and off the top of my head about duties of rajan, ganatantra, etc). All in Bhisma's teaching to Yudhishtara. Someone I know may write an article on just that.