Indian History - A Perspective - E0

What is History?

History is the study of past events (mostly human) that has implications on the present and on the future. The word History is derived from the Greek word ‘Histor’ - meaning learned, wise man.

History helps us in understanding the human past & the decisions, that were made due to prevailing circumstances. Decisions made in the past have an impact on the present and to a large degree on the future. However, most History that we know is either a written script or an oral communication.

Being Human means having the power to think, to reason, to experience and to have an individual perception on matters and situations. Hence, history is not free from the chains of bias and perception.

This does not mean that History is not factual. Gathering a collective consensus on various perspectives will help boil and narrow us down to the factual matters of history.

Indian History - Brief:

The Indian struggle for freedom is one of the most interesting & motivating chapters in World History. However, it does not receive the attention it is worthy of.

The First War of Independence took place in the year 1857. This has been termed by Historians worldwide as the Indian Rebellion of 1857. It was during this era that the true potential of Indian Kingdoms and peasantry showcased an imminent danger to the British rule and trade in India. However, due to internal dealings, scattered kingdoms and individual interests, the British managed to crush the freedom struggle. After the war, the British realized that the peasantry, who had funded the war in its entirety, had to be put under their thumb and imposed heavy taxation on them by introducing the Zamindari system. 

This placated the once growing Indian economy, from a world GDP share of more than 20% in 1857 to a mere 2% at the end of the Second World War. It is estimated that a total of $45 Trillion & more in today's money value has been looted from India in the 200+ years of British rule. The British used this wealth to fund their Industrial revolution and other expeditions - First and Second World war, Conquests in Africa, East Asia and others.

The backbone of the country was broken by the plaguing effect of the Zamindari system. The Indian people were put to human induced disasters such as - famines (shockingly 24+ from the 1850s to 1947), torture, slavery, heavy taxation and no rights, be that Human or representation.

India finally achieved Independence on 15th August, 1947. To quote from Nehru’s historically famous speech of freedom -“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance”.