rvr,
I think many great civilizations have risen and fallen over the course of time. It does not do well to mock at certain folks because they were still living in caves while we were in stone houses or such.
Because they can in turn mock at us for being weak and insecure, for after all, they conquered and ruled over us.
The English, at the height of their glory, while paying lip service to the greatness of Greece & Rome, would have nothing to do with present day Greeks & Italians. Now, they in turn, have had a rather quick fall from an ‘empire where the sun never set’. But should we look down on them?
NO.
If we visit England, we will find the average Englishman, a very pleasant person, with a somewhat apologetic attitude or indifference towards the bygone empire. They are more bothered about current day unemployment, terrorism and illegal mass immigration of non white people.
If we visit Beijing, talking to a few of the common folks as I did, the first caution that they tell me when I admire the huge modern edifice that is Beijing, is that one has to go only a few miles beyond the urban areas and one would find a China atleast 3 centuries behind if not more. This, inspite of manufacturing just about anything in the world, the modern wide roads, huuuge airports and stunning handling of the Olympics (anyone want to talk about the coming Commonwealth games in Delhi and our preparedness?)
Sure there was a glory that was India. But India of who and what? Was it only Harsha Vardhana, Kanishka & Chandragupta II or Ashoka of the north? How come any of the bharat dhal eaters not aware of the cheras, cholas, pandyas, pallavas, chalukyas or even the more recent vijayanagar?
Even a faulty generalization, that tamil Brahmins look to the north, the mythical and mystical north for jingoistic breast beating, appears to me, to have more than traces of truth. Absolute ones at that too!
Recently I was in Agra, and interacted with several muslims. To them the English did not exist. Neither did india before the mughals. While I was impressed by what the mughals left behind, I was perturbed at their vision of history, and ability to wear blinders to the rest of the world beyond islam. To me, a tamil, the caliphate, the Spanish Islamic empire, the Turkish empire, the abbassids are distant happenings, but not to the muslims I met in Agra. They could relate to all of these, but not ashoka or harsha!!
I have come to realize, that every civilization had its ups and downs. What started with 1492 and Columbus, saw the rise of Europe to levels never before achieved. Even if one does not partake of it, one has to admire all the modern instruments, such as the motor car, the i.c. engine, aeroplane, phone, computers, atoms, the scientific method, and endless other stuff – all the product of modern European minds.
Should we feel bad that we did no such thing in the past 500 years?
NO.
history was against us and now it appears that time is on our side. But this is an india, which has never before existed in its current form ever before. We can still screw it up and so let us hold our judgement about our forthcoming greatness. But i think we should not demonize or despise the English or their status 1500 years or so ago. that is more a reflection of our insecurity and weakness. let us not fall into the trap of leaning hard on our long ago greatness, and ignore all the ills of today which are afflicting us to misery and poverty.
Thank you.
