WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/49756
Akbar Bhaiya
1. India has gone through many ups and downs. Fragmented India has been unified many times. Guptas did it, Mauryas did it, Mughals did it, and finally it was done by the British colonial power. You are right when you say that foreign aggression may help tie together fragmented kingdoms. Surely it worked with Mughal aggression and British colonization. Both the Mughals and the British built the largest Indian empire.
2. There are qualitative differences between feudalism and capitalism. No doubt the latter is more progressive than the former, and as such, fall of feudal kings was historically inevitable and followed a dialectical process. All foreign aggressors like Mughals and Pathans came to India to become part of India. But the British came to India to expand its market as well as to ensure new sources of raw materials. Like the Mughals and the others they did not stay here; they went back. Because of the basic motives behind the aggression, nature of relationships between the British and India and between the Mughals and India were totally different. They had their own ways to love their subjects and exploit their subjects.
3. Capitalism is a product of industrial revolution which originated in Europe. Industrial revolution could not happen without advancement of science, technology, and rational thinking. Advancement of technology and science also meant advancement in armament which was necessary to ensure expansion of sources of raw materials and market for the finished products. It is not a question of who is more brutal---the colonial master or the Kings. Both needed to stay in power as long as possible. And in order to stay in power they needed both carrot and stick. British came as a looter to exploit India to the benefit of Britain. But even to loot you need an appropriate infrastructure which they had to build. Infrastructure included roads, schools, etc. They needed man power good enough to serve as clerks. But when they came they brought with them the looting tools as well as enlightenment which the Indians got from them as spill overs.
4. It was the time of the capitalists. It was a time when the Kings had nothing to offer unless they looked forward to the West and and its enlightenment. Most of the Kings suffered from a kind of inertia and did not have time and readiness to be open. It is gathered from history that Tipu Sultan started to engage in fruitful exchanges with Europe. I believe gradually all other kings would start doing that. But it is hard to say now what could really have happened.
5. India has always been a complex land and as such its history is also very complex. Over-simplistic views may not take us anywhere in a good debate.
Regards.
-SC
------------------------------------
*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
*****************************************
MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
*****************************************
Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm
****************************************************
VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
****************************************************
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:mukto-mona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:mukto-mona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
mukto-mona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/