When Did India Become Modern

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<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Can you think about Maratha rise without the catalyst called Sant Ramdas, Tukaram, Gyaneshwar and Namdev? 
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Without Shivaji there would have been no Marathas as we know them. A leader (who is born BTW and cannot be manufactured) gave confidence to the marathas that they can move mountains and rest is history.

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Can you think of Sikh resistance without the spiritual strength of Gurus? 
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Without Guru Gobind Singh the Sikh Khalsa would not have been as powerful and as succesful as it was. Please research how Guruji transformed the farmers into a fighting force. Secondly Banda Bhadur, by creating an independent sikh kingdom at a stone's throw from Delhi showed the sikhs that they can measure swords with muslims and still come on top.

You can read about Banda Bhadur here:
http://hindurajput.blogspot.com/#Banda_Bhadur

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Can you think of the rise of Gorkhas without thinking about Guru Gorakshnath?
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Would you know when Guru Gorakhnath lived? Do you know the entire make up of Gurkhas?

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->  Read about the life of Tulsidas and how he inspired Hindus in North India by giving them Ram's story in common man's language.  He so much frustated Akbar that he was arrested and put in jail.  (Akbar had to release him, as thisstarted to become a revolting point - Todar and Man Singh were shishya of Tulsidas). 

Why did shudra Hindus not convert to Islam readily? What was their attachment to Hindu soceity? 
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Shudras converted in big droves to Islam becaue Jiziya was a tax which accounted for 1.5 months of there salary. It was impossible for them to pay this tax and hence the lowest most on Hindu totem pole had to convert to save there family and themselves from hunger

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Can we really answer this without mentioning Sant Ravidas, Sant Kabirdas and countless other saints who were born within shudras?
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Yes we can.

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Why did Bengal not get completely converted? Were there Rajputs who fought muslims off or was it Chaitanya's influence? 
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Same thing there were hindus fighting muslims all over India and this includes modern Orissa/Bihar/Assam and Bengal i.e what you call Bengal today was an admixture of these modern Indian states.

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Just read about Chaitanya's life.  He stirred a Hindu revival in 15th century of Bengal, Orissa and Assam, that became the backbone of resistance against Islamism - both by providing a new religious reassurance for common public, and an inspired zeal to the Hindu Kings.  But for Chaitanya, whole of Bengal would have been lost much earlier.
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You are wrong. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu tried and succesfully to some extent to convert muslims to the fold of Hinduism.

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Dec 9 2006, 03:14 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Hindu sword was and is the arm of Hindu resistance, but spiritual movement is its Atma.  There would not have been a sustained armed resistance had there not been a strong religious soul keeping it alive.  That soul was nourished and nurtured by the Sant-Bhakti revival.  Not meaning that armed strength is less important, but strong connection to faith is and has been the root.
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Nobody is arguing Hinduism. The key is a religion cannot save itself. It needs people to defend it and that is how hinduism was saved in India. i.e there was no magic. It was grit and courage of our ancestors on account of whom we are all hindus today.

-Digvijay