India: From Indus Valley to the Present | Jitendra Nath Misra | TEDxCaledonian Intl School Youth

07 Oct 2024 (14 days ago)

India's Ancient Economic Power

The Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world's earliest civilizations, was a significant power between 2500 and 2000 BC due to its advanced culture and extensive trade, particularly with the Sumerians and Mesopotamia. (1m7s)
India historically held a substantial share of global trade, exporting goods like teak wood, marble, and lapis lazuli, which contributed to its status as a great power. (1m53s)
During the first millennium, India contributed 32% of the world's GDP, a figure that remained consistent for 1,000 years, highlighting its economic dominance. (3m11s)
Even by 1707, at the death of Aurangzeb, India still accounted for 24% of the world's GDP, despite a gradual decline. (3m51s)

The subsequent two centuries were marked by colonial exploitation, particularly by the British, leading to a period of economic humiliation for India. (4m32s)
Discussions around reparations for colonial exploitation have been raised, with references to Shashi Tharoor's book "An Era of Darkness," which critiques British colonialism. (4m42s)

Despite its historical economic power, contemporary India faces challenges due to its high aggregate GDP but low per capita GDP, reflecting its large population and economic disparities. (5m40s)
India's per capita income is very low, at $2,400, compared to China's $112,000, and even Bangladesh overtook India in 2000, briefly during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (5m47s).
Despite this, India is considered a great power, with the third-largest economy in purchasing power parity and the fifth-largest in aggregate dollars, contributing 24% of the world's production during the Indus Valley Civilization and the Mughal rule (6m22s).

In the first millennium, India made significant contributions to knowledge, including the development of the concept of zero, dental surgery, and the calculation of Pi by mathematicians such as Aryabhata and Brahmagupta (8m15s).
Aryabhata and Brahmagupta also suggested that the Earth is round, rotates around its axis, and revolves around the Sun, ideas that were later developed in Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (8m51s).
The concept of zero, initially developed as a dot, was later adopted by the Arabs and Europeans, becoming a crucial part of the decimal system and mathematical knowledge (9m41s).
Indian literature, such as the writings of Kalidasa, and linguistics, including Panini's grammar, also made significant contributions to knowledge (11m2s).

The development of arts, such as the stupas of Emperor Ashoka, and trade, including the Roman Empire's bankruptcy, were also notable achievements of ancient India (11m19s).
The decline of certain civilizations was not due to Christianity but rather due to trade with India, as evidenced by the large number of Roman gold coins found in India, particularly in the Satavahana Kingdom. (11m38s)

India was an open and significant maritime power in the first millennium, contributing to world civilization through its philosophies, religions, concepts of kingship, literature, and social organization, which spread eastward and westward via the spice route. (11m58s)
The term "Indosphere" is used to describe India's cultural influence, which is considered on par with or greater than China's contribution to world civilization. France is noted for having a better understanding and respect for India compared to other European countries. (12m26s)
The concept of "Greater India" and the "Indosphere" includes the historical trade routes and cultural exchanges between India and regions like the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia. The largest ancient Hindu temple complex is located in Angkor, Cambodia. (13m4s)

In the second millennium, the Mughal Empire played a significant role in reviving the idea of India and its social and political organization, which had existed since the times of the Mauryas and other ancient Indian empires. (13m59s)
The Mughal Empire is recognized for its contributions to Indian civilization, including the merit-based Mansabdari system, which is comparable to the modern Union Public Service Commission. The Taj Mahal is highlighted as a symbol of Indian and Islamic architectural achievement. (15m12s)
The fusion of Indian classical music traditions with influences from the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as the development of miniature paintings, are noted as cultural achievements during the Mughal period. (16m1s)

India's decline began in the 18th century with the onset of British colonial rule, described as the largest example of corporate or imperial theft, particularly through the actions of the East India Company. (16m18s)
In 1858, control of India was transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown. Utsa Patnaik, an economist from Princeton University, estimates that the British owe India $45 trillion due to economic exploitation during colonial rule. (16m48s)
British rule in India is described as predatory, leading to two centuries of humiliation. Contrary to the belief that the British united India, they actually divided it, resulting in the creation of Pakistan and later Bangladesh, which is referred to as the second partition of India. (17m31s)
The concept of a united India existed long before British rule, with historical unification under empires like the Mauryas and the Mughals. The British did contribute to settling chaos through conquest, which revived the idea of India, but they were successors to a unification process that began much earlier. (18m41s)
After India's independence, its contribution to the world's GDP fell from 32% to 3.2%, while Britain's GDP share increased significantly. This economic shift is attributed to the exploitation and resource drain from India to Britain, known as the "drain theory." (19m32s)

The narrative should focus on the restoration of India to its historical status rather than the rise of India, emphasizing the country's return to its former prominence. (20m32s)