INVASIONS

एक दुखी परिवार – 6

Please don't think, I am distracting, but some background is necessary to give. Let me state a long deal at a fast pace.

I may refer to this whole of the tell- tale picture, when I get back to the family which is on my primary agenda. 

It's well known that the  history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Anatomically modern humans, as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago.t

But when we come to recorded history , it is the  Indus Valley Civilization which comes to the fire.

It flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from c. 3300 to 1300 BCE.

It flowered  in present-day Pakistan and northwest India

It was the first major civilization in South Asia. A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture developed in the Mature Harappanperiod, from 2600 to 1900 BCE.

This civilization  extended over much of the Indo-Gangetic plain and which witnessed the rise of major polities known as the Mahajanapadas. 

In one of these kingdoms, Magadha, Mahavira and Gautama Buddha propagated their Shramanic philosophies during the fifth and sixth century BCE.

Most of the subcontinent was conquered by the Maurya Empire during the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. From the 3rd century BC onwards Prakrit and Pali literature in the north and the Sangam literature in southern India started to flourish.The famous Wootz steel originated in south India in the 3rd century BC and began to be exported to foreign countries.

Various parts of India were ruled by numerous Middle kingdoms for the next 1,500 years, among which the Gupta Empire stand out. This period, witnessing a Hindu religious and intellectual resurgence, is known as the classical or "Golden Age of India". During this period, aspects of Indian civilization, administration, culture, and religion (Hinduism and Buddhism) spread to much of Asia, while kingdoms in southern India had maritime business links with the Roman Empire from around 77 CE. Indian cultural influence spread over many parts of Southeast Asia which led to the establishment of Indianized kingdoms in Southeast Asia (Greater India).

The most significant event between the 7th and 11th century was the Tripartite struggle between the Pala Empire, Rashtrakuta Empire, and Gurjara Pratihara Empire centered on Kannaujthat lasted for more than two centuries. Southern India saw the rule of the Chalukya Empire, Chola Empire, Pallava Empire, Pandyan Empire, and Western Chalukya Empire. Seventh century also saw the advent of Islam as a political power, though as a fringe, in the western part of the subcontinent in modern day Pakistan.The Chola dynasty conquered southern India and successfully invaded parts of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka in the 11th century.The early medieval period Indian mathematics influenced the development of mathematics and astronomy in the Arab world and the Hindu numerals were introduced.

Muslim rule started in parts of north India in the 13th century when the Delhi Sultanate was founded in 1206 CE by the central Asian Turks.[14] The Delhi Sultanate ruled the major part of northern India in the early 14th century, but declined in the late 14th century, when several powerful Hindu states emerged like the Vijayanagara Empire, Gajapati Kingdom, Ahom Kingdom and Mewar dynasty. In the 16th century Mughals came from Central Asia and covered most of India gradually. The Mughal Empire suffered a gradual decline in the early 18th century, which provided opportunities for the Maratha Empire, Sikh Empire and Mysore Kingdom to exercise control over large areas in the subcontinent.

From the late 18th century to the middle of 19th century, large areas of India were annexed by the British East India Company. Dissatisfaction with Company rule led to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, after which the British provinces of India were directly administered by the British Crown and witnessed a period of both rapid development of infrastructure and economic stagnation. During the first half of the 20th century, a nationwide struggle for independence was launched with the leading party involved being the Indian National Congresswhich was later joined by other organizations as well.

The subcontinent gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, after the British provinces were partitioned into the dominions of India and Pakistan and the princely states all acceded to one of the new states.

(Cont...)

Historical dating units.

एक दुखी परिवार – 5

On this series, terms ofvhistirical datings have been used. 

B.C., A.D. , B.C.E. and C.E., are the dating units used in historical and archeological terms. 

We are quite familiar with the firmer two terms that we have used since our school days.

How is B.C compared with B.C.E, and A.D with C.E? 

It msy intetrdt you to know that  B.C., stands for "Before Christ," and is used to date events before the birth of Jesus. A.D. is the abbreviation for the Latin phrase anno Domini, which means "in the year of our Lord," and is used for dates after Jesus's birth. This system of dating has been used for many years by Western archaeologists. Today, however, with a growing understanding that not all archaeologists are Christians, some archaeologists prefer to use the terms: Before the Common Era (B.C.E.) and the Common Era (C.E.), which are exactly the same as B.C. and A.D. but have nothing to do with Christianity.

एक दुखी परिवार – 4

The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Anatomically modern humans, as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago.

But when we come to recorded history , it is the  Indus Valley Civilization which comes to the fore.

It flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from c. 3300 to 1300 BCE.

It flowered  in present-day Pakistan and northwest India

It was the first major civilization in South Asia. A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture developed in the Mature Harappanperiod, from 2600 to 1900 BCE.

This civilization  extended over much of the Indo-Gangetic plain and which witnessed the rise of major polities known as the Mahajanapadas. 

In one of these kingdoms, Magadha, Mahavira and Gautama Buddha propagated their Shramanic philosophies during the fifth and sixth century BCE.

Most of the subcontinent was conquered by the Maurya Empire during the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. From the 3rd century BC onwards Prakrit and Pali literature in the north and the Sangam literature in southern India started to flourish.^[4][5] The famous Wootz steel originated in south India in the 3rd century BC and began to be exported to foreign countries.^[6][7][8]

Various parts of India were ruled by numerous Middle kingdoms for the next 1,500 years, among which the Gupta Empire stand out. This period, witnessing a Hindu religious and intellectual resurgence, is known as the classical or "Golden Age of India". During this period, aspects of Indian civilization, administration, culture, and religion (Hinduism and Buddhism) spread to much of Asia, while kingdoms in southern India had maritime business links with the Roman Empire from around 77 CE. Indian cultural influence spread over many parts of Southeast Asia which led to the establishment of Indianized kingdoms in Southeast Asia (Greater India).

The most significant event between the 7th and 11th century was the Tripartite struggle between the Pala Empire, Rashtrakuta Empire, and Gurjara Pratihara Empire centered on Kannaujthat lasted for more than two centuries. Southern India saw the rule of the Chalukya Empire, Chola Empire, Pallava Empire, Pandyan Empire, and Western Chalukya Empire. Seventh century also saw the advent of Islam as a political power, though as a fringe, in the western part of the subcontinent in modern day Pakistan. The Chola dynasty conquered southern India and successfully invaded parts of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka in the 11th century.The early medieval period Indian mathematics influenced the development of mathematics and astronomy in the Arab world and the Hindu numerals were introduced.

Muslim rule started in parts of north India in the 13th century when the Delhi Sultanate was founded in 1206 CE by the central Asian Turks.The Delhi Sultanate ruled the major part of northern India in the early 14th century, but declined in the late 14th century, when several powerful Hindu states emerged like the Vijayanagara Empire, Gajapati Kingdom, Ahom Kingdom and Mewar dynasty. In the 16th century Mughals came from Central Asia and covered most of India gradually. The Mughal Empire suffered a gradual decline in the early 18th century, which provided opportunities for the Maratha Empire, Sikh Empire and Mysore Kingdom to exercise control over large areas in the subcontinent.^[15][16]

From the late 18th century to the middle of 19th century, large areas of India were annexed by the British East India Company. Dissatisfaction with Company rule led to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, after which the British provinces of India were directly administered by the British Crown and witnessed a period of both rapid development of infrastructure and economic stagnation. During the first half of the 20th century, a nationwide struggle for independence was launched with the leading party involved being the Indian National Congresswhich was later joined by other organizations as well.

(Cont...)

The subcontinent gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, after the British provinces were partitionedinto the dominions of India and Pakistan and the princely states all acceded to one of the new states.

एक दुखी परिवार – 3

 

From its very first page, the written Indian History begins with an extremely repugnant note, 'invasion'.

It is not believable that it was Alexander who was the first in a long sequence of invasions that got arrested after Alexander's retreat and after the establishment of Chandragupta getting ensconced, with the blessings and guidance of Chanakya , the Kautilya.

But when the invasions resumed after some centuries, it introduced some kind of metamorphosis, if not in other spaces, but at least about the name which this large region so far retained, Bharat, named after Bharatvansh, of the Mahabhart period. Let me state , just incidentally, the term Mahabharata is often misconceived as something akin to world war of the world as that it then stood. In fact this term refers to the larger parts of what Bharat then was, including its colonies that extended far beyond in unitary, federal or coalition formats, with its central commands in or around what was Hastinapur  or Indraprastha. 

Let's leave this aside, to avoid digression. 

What is intended to be driven home, is that  by which the name Bharat, that owed to the Bharatvansh dynasty of the dwapar age, got metamorphosed into a new name , Hindustan.

(Continued)

  

एक दुखी परिवार – 2

अब एक दूसरी मुश्किल खड़ी हो गयी. परिचय. उस परिवार का परिचय दूं तो कैसे. नाम क्या बोलू. अंग्रेजी बोलू तो ठीक , लेकिन हिंदी में नाम बोलूगा, तो समाज विभक्त हो जायेगा. दो फाड़ . 

इसलिए नाम को ज़प्त रखा जाये. 

पहले तो चार लाइन में, एक दूसरी चर्चा कर लेते हैं, जिसके बाद नाम का कोई झगड़ा बचेगा नहीं और नाम आपही विदित हो जायेगा, शायद बताना भी ना पड़े .

हजारों वर्ष पूर्व , एक भूखंड, जम्बुद्वीप के नाम से जाना जाता था, जो वर्तमान में एशिया का  बड़ा हिस्सा है . इसके एक बड़े भूभाग में वो परिवार रहता था. राज भी उन्ही का था , जिसे त्रेता युग में आर्यावर्त कहा जाता था और परिवार था आर्यों का.

युग बदला , किन्तु आर्य और अर्यावर्त वहीँ रहे , जहाँ द्वापर में भारतवंश का राज कायम था. इसकी सम्पूर्ण कथा महाभारत काव्य में उल्लिखित है, ज्यादा बताने कि आवश्यकता नहीं.

आवश्यकता मात्र इतना बता देने की हैं, जो सब जानते भी हैं, कि राजा भरत का वो देश, आज भारतवर्ष है, जो आर्यावर्त का ही substituted form /नाम है.

भारतवर्ष कहाँ से शुरू और कहाँ तक फैला था, इस विवाद में पड़ने कि आवश्यकता है नहीं, क्योंकि अभी हम मात्र यह चर्चा कर रहे हैं कि, इस भूभाग का फैलाव चाहे आज दिखने वाली सीमाओं के अनुरूप था या नहीं यह इतिहासकार बताएँगे , किन्तु इस भूभाग का बड़ा भाग आज भी एक ओर हिमालय से कन्याकुमारी और दूसरी ओर बंगाल की खाड़ी से लेकर अरब सागर तक फैला था.

भारत का इतिहास और पौराणिक कथाओं के बीच की लकीर इतिहासकारों ने संभवतः सिकंदर के आक्रमण को घटना बनाते हुए खींचा है. यदि उसके पूर्व भी इतिहास के पन्नो में कुछ लिखा पढ़ा होगा तो भी प्रस्तुत प्रसंग में जो बात कही जा रही है उसमे कोई अंतर नहीं आयेगा, और वो मात्र इतना कि सिकंदर ने जिस भूभाग पर आक्रमण किया और जिसे इतिहासकारों ने दर्ज किया वह भूभाग भारतवर्ष के नाम से परिचित था .इस नाम का सीधा सम्बन्ध द्वापरयुग के भरतवंश से है.

(क्रमशः )

एक दुखी परिवार – १ 

एक दुखी परिवार है. मै जब से होश संभाला तब से देख रहा हूँ. मेरा जन्म स्वतंत्रता के दो वर्षो के बाद हुआ , अतः पचास के दशक की सेकंड हैण्ड जानकारियाँ ही मेरे पास है जो सुन पढ़ कर प्राप्त होते हैं.

तो मैं उस दुखी परिवार की बात कर रहा हूँ जिसकी हनक हमने बचपन में देखी है , पैसो से, ४-५  मोटर गाडियो से, हर किसी के हाथ चमकते कीमती घडियो से, जेब में नोटों से भरे बटुए से , फ्रिज में हर वक्त ठन्डे पेय और बियर शराब की उपलब्धता से, गर्मियों में शाम होने के बाद आँगन –फुलवारी में लगे कुर्सियों-कूलरों से , जगह – जगह पाव दबाते नौकरों-नौकरानियो से , और भी जाने क्या क्या जिसका बयान करना शायद उचित ना हो.

उस परिवार की दयनीय अवस्था तब देखने को मिली जब ८० के दशक में परिवार को खाने पीने के भी लाले पद गये.

उक्त परिवार के छिन्न भिन्न होने के लक्षण ८० के दशक में शुरू हो गये , तब मेरी जिज्ञासा जगी कि यह गज़ब कैसे हो गया.

परिवार के सदस्यो में एक काफी सुलझा व्यकि था जिसने अपनी राह अलग बना ली थी. किन्तु उनके पिता जो परवर के मुखिया थे, उनको अपने पुत्र का अलग रवय्या बिलकुल नापसंद था. बाबजूद इसके उनका वो पुत्र, अपनी अलग पहचान बनाये रखा, और परिवार से उसका सम्बन्ध कटता चला गया.

उसे समाज ने नापसंद किया. उसने परिवार – समाज में अपनी चेष्टा जरी रखी , इस एहसास को सब के ज़हन में डालने की कि ज़िन्दगी कर्म करने से बनती है ना कि पूर्वजो के सुकर्मो के फल को भोग बनाने से.

तब वाद विवाद का सिलसिला प्रारम्भ हो गया, जिसका मै गवाह बना.

So far, it was fine for me to express, but here onwards, I need to discuss something intricate. Confusions may arise, if exact expressions are not used, which Hindi as a language is rich enough to facilitate, but depravity lies in the user, hence pardon is solicited.

(More to follow)

Nehru, the dreamer vs. Modi, the fake?

Is there a city to-day, smarter than Chandigarh?

Chandigarh was Nehru's dream project. This is what I read somewhere. I don't question its veracity, nor do I have this little to ask whether it was Punjab CM Cairo who got his dream materialised, using Nehru's good offices , besides Cairo's personal influence on Nehru as his colleague, rather than some one subservient. 

This exactly was Bihar CM Srikrishna Sinha's clout and stature. 

Why I recall all these? 

Just to ask whether Chandigarh's materialisation inspired the then greats, Nehru, Bihar's Srikrishna Sinha and likewise others who succeeded to their glory, into conceiving or conceptualising at least one equivalent or miniature form of Chandigarh (like we have Dwarika in Delhi now)?

If no, ask yourself, why.

If yes, then what stopped whom.

But if you fail or decline to shuttle between a 'yes' and a 'no', please do a little favour. 

Please for God sake don't hinder , even by a bit of eye brow raised, against a man who has just begun dreaming about 100 smart cities in India, no matter if he fails or even if he is fake.

At least an idea has generated, which might not materialise today, as Modi is not as fortunate as was Nehru-Indira, who had few hindrances, only such as an elephant has while on its move to the market. That oft repeated saying, hathia chale bazar, is unavailable for Modi, despite his strength in the Lok Sabha which is bereft of majority in Rajya Sabha and in the populous states, coupled with the fact that illiteracy rules the roost, especially among the literates so called.