The following is a short histroy of what India has been since thousands of years till the 18th century. The current times are only a down-phase in India's great story. The world knows it. It is time all of us Indians know about India and pass this turth to younger generations who are begining to beleive the western culture.
The records of history present India, up until the 18th century, as the world's wealthiest nation. Incidentally, nothing in Hindu literature or tradition tends to substantiate the current Western historical theory that the early Aryans "invaded" India from some other part of Asia or from Europe. The scholars are understandably unable to fix the starting point of this imaginary journey.
Professor Abinas Chandra Das (1) claims that emigrants from India settled in various parts of Europe and Asia, spreading the Aryan speech and folklore. The Lithuanian tongue, for example is in many ways strikingly similar to Sanskrit. The philosopher Kant, who knew nothing of Sanskrit, was amazed at the scientific structure of the Lithuanian language.
The Bible refers to riches of India, telling us (II Chronicles 9:21,10) that the "ships of Tarshish" brought King Solomon "gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks" and "algum [sandalwood] trees and precious stones" from Ophir (Sopara on the Mumbai coast). Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador (4th Century B.C.) has left us a detailed picture of India's prosperity. Pliny (1st Century A.D.) tells us the Romans annually spent fifty million sesterces ($ 5,000,000) on imports from India, which was then a vast marine power.
Chinese travelers wrote vividly of the opulent Indian civilization, its widespread education and excellent government. The Chinese priest Fa-Hsien (5th century) tells us the Indian people were very happy, honest and prosperous (2).
Columbus, discovering the New World in the 15th century, was in reality seeking a shorter trade route to India. For centuries Europe was eager to possess Indian exports — silks, fine cloths (called "woven air" and "invisible mist" for their sheerness!), cotton prints, brocades, embroideries, rugs, cutlery, amour, ivory, perfumes, incense, sandalwood, potteries, medicinal drugs, indigo, rice, spices, coral, gold, silver, pearls, rubies, emeralds and diamonds.
Portuguese and Italian merchants have recorded their awe at the fabulous magnificence throughout the empire of Vijayanagar (1336-1565).
In the 16th century, for the first time in her long history, India as a whole fell under non-Hindu rule. The Turkish Baber invaded the country in 1524 and founded a dynasty of Moslem kings. By settling the in ancient land, the new monarchs did not drain India of its riches. Weakened however, by internal dissensions, wealthy India became prey in the 17th century of several European nations; England finally emerged as the ruling power. India peacefully attained her independence on August 15, 1947.
The sad division of the land into India and Pakistan, and the short but bloody interlude that ensued in a few parts of the country, were caused by economic factors, and not essentially by religious fanaticism (a minor reason often erroneously presented as a major one). Countless Hindus and Muslims, now as in the past, have lived side by side in amity (3).
Nor is there today any serious religious disharmony amongst 95% of the simple people. The real India, is found not in large restless cities but in peaceful 700,000 villages. The problems that beset a freed India today will surely be solved in time by those great men whom India has never failed to produce.
-------------- Swami Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), Autobiography of a Yogi
==========================================================================================================
Reference:
- Rig-Vedic India, by Abinas Chandra Das, 1921
- Samuel Beal's Buddhist Records of the Western World. (India was the "Western World" to the Chinese !); Thomas Watter's On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, A.D. 629-45.
- Men of both faiths in immense numbers were followers of Kabir (1450-1518); Under Muslim rule of Akbar, the widest possible freedom of belief prevailed throughout India.
No comments:
Post a Comment