04-20-2005, 12:33 PM
A few footnotes:
1. The commonly used mercator map projects a eurocentric view of the world in which the northern hemisphere is disproportionately represented. For example, Greenland is represented the same size as Africa, whereas, in reality, Greenland is 14 times smaller than Africa. The Arno Peters map corrects these eurocentic distortions:
<img src='http://www.odt.org/Pictures/PetersOutlSmall640h.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
The so-called eurasian steppe doesn't look so forbidding anymore!! A Banjari gypsi wagoneer knife-thrower in Kashmir is as equidistant from Aral Sea as from Kashi.
2. Also let us remember that, contrary to the usual indologist stereotypes, it is europe which is the cul-de-sac in eurasia. India is the veritable center or heartland of Eurasia. Geographically, the steppe is Greater India's backyard.
3. Population of Greater India dwarfs that of regions north as well as the ME. China and India are the two generative engines in Eurasia.
1. The commonly used mercator map projects a eurocentric view of the world in which the northern hemisphere is disproportionately represented. For example, Greenland is represented the same size as Africa, whereas, in reality, Greenland is 14 times smaller than Africa. The Arno Peters map corrects these eurocentic distortions:
<img src='http://www.odt.org/Pictures/PetersOutlSmall640h.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
The so-called eurasian steppe doesn't look so forbidding anymore!! A Banjari gypsi wagoneer knife-thrower in Kashmir is as equidistant from Aral Sea as from Kashi.
2. Also let us remember that, contrary to the usual indologist stereotypes, it is europe which is the cul-de-sac in eurasia. India is the veritable center or heartland of Eurasia. Geographically, the steppe is Greater India's backyard.
3. Population of Greater India dwarfs that of regions north as well as the ME. China and India are the two generative engines in Eurasia.