The history of Indian sub-continent can
be traced back to the Homo Erectus from about 500,000 years. More significantly
it can be traced to anatomically modern humans about 75,000 years ago. As
regards the documented history is concerned, the Indus Valley Civilisation
flourished between 3300 to 1300 BCE and was the first major human civilisation in
South Asia.
During the Iron Age, the Vedic
Civilisation extended over the Indo-Gangetic Plains. During this period, the
great Mahajanpadas were established. One of the major Mahajanapadas was the
Kingdom of Magadh.
The first foreign invasions into India
began in 530 BCE when Cyrus, the King of Persian Achaemenid Empire crossed the
Hindukush mountains. By 520 BCE, much of the north-western subcontinent came
under the rule of the Persians.
By 326 BCE, Alexander the Great
conquered Asia Minor and the Achaemenid Empire. He conquered most of Punjab. He
stopped at the prospect of facing the Nanda Army and also when his army
mutinied against the prospect of facing armies of the Nanda, Magadh and
Gangaridai Empires.
The Persian culture was absorbed into
the fabric of India and impact of Persian ideas was felt in many areas of
Indian life. Persian coinage and rock inscriptions were adopted by India. The Persian
political system influenced the administration of the Mauryan dynasty. In addition,
the region of Gandhara became a melting pot of Indian, Persian, Central Asian,
and Greek cultures. It gave rise to a hybrid culture known as Greco-Buddhism
which lasted until the 5th century CE.
During the period 200 BCE to 650 CE three
Indo-Greek kingdoms flourished in North West Indian sub-continent, these were:-
Indo-Greek
Kingdom established by Menander-I. The Kingdom covered Afghanistan, Punjab and
spread up to Mathura in present day Uttar Pradesh province. The kingdom lasted almost
two centuries and was ruled by a succession of more than 30 Greek kings.
Indo-Scythian
Kingdom displaced the Indo-Greeks. The Indo-Scythians descended from the Scythians
who had migrated from southern Siberia to Pakistan and from Arachosia to India
from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century BCE.
Indo-Parthian
Kingdom was founded by a local Parthian leader, Gondophares in the 1st century
CE. Its capital was Taxila and it covered most parts of modern southeast
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northern India.
In the 5th century, the Huns
invaded India and overran the northern region of Pakistan and North India. In
the 6th century they were
defeated by the Indian kings Yasodharman of Malwa and Narasimhagupta. Some of
the Huns were driven out of India while others were assimilated in the Indian
society.
The next round of foreign invasions
began when Muhammad bin Qasim conquered most of the Indus region for the
Umayyad empire in 712 CE. Muslim trading communities also flourished throughout
coastal south India, where Muslim traders from the Arabian peninsula arrived
in small numbers. Thereafter in the 11th century Mahmud of Ghazni of
Afghanistan raided the north-western parts of the Indian sub-continent 17 times.
However, he did not seek to establish permanent dominion in those areas.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, Turks
and Afghans invaded parts of northern India and established the Delhi Sultanate.
This was followed by the Slave Dynasty and the Khilji Dynasty which conquered
most of central India. They, however, could not conquer and unite the entire subcontinent.
All these rulers and their followers were assimilated into India.
Then in 1526, Babur invaded India and
established the Mughal Empire. During this period, the British East India
Company was given permission by Mughal Emperor Jahangir to trade in India in
1617. Clive was appointed by the company as its first 'Governor of Bengal' in
1757. Taking advantage of the weak Mughal Empire and the rifts among various
rulers of India, the British spread their influence in India. 100 years later, the
remnants of the Mughal dynasty were finally defeated by the British in 1857. In
the aftermath of the war of 1857, all power was transferred to the British
Crown, which began to administer most of India as a number of provinces. The
Mughal culture was also assimilated into India.
So what am I coming to?
We have assimilated the cultures and
religions of all the people who invaded India whether from the Mediterranean,
Arabia, Central Asia or even Siberia. We have accepted all the systems,
political, land management, revenue etc that they brought with them. We are proud
of the forts built at Delhi, Agra, Aurangabad etc. We are justly proud of Taj
Mahal and the various mausoleums. These invaders are part of the Indian history
and we have correctly accepted them as such.
However, I have seen a strong aberration
in this acceptance as far the British part of the history is concerned. The
British invaded and controlled India, like any other invader, they established systems
and procedures and were able to unite India like no other invaders before
could. Because of their influence railways, modern industry, modern irrigation
systems etc were developed. They brought in modern education system and a
number of social reforms. Most importantly they gave us the concept of
parliamentary democracy, thanks to which we live in a free modern society.
I believe, that the credit for any work
should be given to the person who did it. If the railways was established under
the British, give the credit to them and let Victoria Terminus remain so. If
New Delhi was established by the British, where we can have a road by the name
of Humanyun Road or Aurangzeb Road, then let Connaught Place be not renamed
Rajiv Gandhi Chowk.
My request is, that it has been 67 year
since the British left. Let us please reconcile and accept the British part of
the Indian history also and stop renaming anything that the British built. Because
people after whom these places/ buildings are being renamed made no
contribution to building them.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_India
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