11-30-2006, 01:59 AM
There will always be progress in isolated pockets in a sea of darkness. That does not negate the idea that the sea is dark. What came about during British rule was a gathering of people who started think of the idea of India as a nation state. If you read parallels in world history the barbarian invasions (e.g. Mongols) stopped only with the organization of large states and gun-powder i.e. technology.
So the Indian national movement (~ 1820s) was also an exercise in organizing a large nation state on the Indian sub-continent. It so happened that Westphalain state concept was also quite new as it began in 1648. Even Western Europe was consolidating on linguistic basis around that time 1840-1870s. So it was part of a global movement. To credit the British for this is not right.
So the Indian national movement (~ 1820s) was also an exercise in organizing a large nation state on the Indian sub-continent. It so happened that Westphalain state concept was also quite new as it began in 1648. Even Western Europe was consolidating on linguistic basis around that time 1840-1870s. So it was part of a global movement. To credit the British for this is not right.