It is believed in India that we Indians have a better grasp of History (and Geography) than Americans, which does appear to be true as a recent report / study suggests.
For the record, if you did pursue that link, even though I am not an American, (and not in 4th or 8th grade), on the ‘counting of slaves question’ - my answer was ‘A’.
Though I’ve a better grasp of history (and Geography) of the world in general and India in particular, the history was not learned in the class rooms or by rote, and there are gaps.
For example, my knowledge of
The latest post was on Vellore Fort, describing that it was ‘near Chennai’ and the Sepoy Munity took place at the Fort against ‘invading’ foreigners.
Suffice to say, it bugged me; for -
I know Harsha Vardhana ruled for ~40 years (~606 - 647 AD/CE), but do I know who ruled in my state/part of India or in Europe or in China or in Africa or in South America during the same period?
What I did back in 2003/04
Today, unfortunately, that Excel file is not accepted by Google Docs - displays an error - and has to be reworked/copied; which I hope to do tomorrow.
In the meanwhile, here is the teaser image
Related posts:
Is History just making it up? - part 2
Age of Empires - part 3
For the record, if you did pursue that link, even though I am not an American, (and not in 4th or 8th grade), on the ‘counting of slaves question’ - my answer was ‘A’.
Though I’ve a better grasp of history (and Geography) of the world in general and India in particular, the history was not learned in the class rooms or by rote, and there are gaps.
For example, my knowledge of
- Japanese Shogunate and of Meiji Restoration are from reading the novel Shogun by James Clavell
- barbed wire fencing and its impact on open-range cattle industry in America was powered by the James Michener novel Texas
- northern Africa is from reading the Wilbur Smith novels; though I still ‘know’ that there is a Denkali/Bangella Jungle populated with Pygmy Bandar and surrounded by Wambesi, Llongo, and the Mori and there is a Golden Beach ‘Keela-Wee’, which must be why the Chinese are swarming all over Africa.
- ;-D
- the Chinese Ming Dynasty is the benefit of ‘Ming Vases’ in various novels and before that from Emperor Ming (the Merciless) of Flash Gordon comics.
The latest post was on Vellore Fort, describing that it was ‘near Chennai’ and the Sepoy Munity took place at the Fort against ‘invading’ foreigners.
Suffice to say, it bugged me; for -
- Vellore is 160 km from Chennai, and it is doubtful whether it can be called as ‘near’ Chennai.
- by the time the mutiny took place, the British could not be called as ‘invading’ as the mutiny took place in 1806 and British presence in India predated it by 2 centuries.
- the first City of the Empire, my hometown, Madras, was established in 1640.
- the Vellore Fort itself was British territory or holding for almost 40 years before the mutiny
- Vellore Mutiny is never termed as ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ which took place almost 50 years later in 1857, almost 2000 km away (from Meerut) in the central Indo-Gangetic plain. The mutiny went on for more than a year till it was crushed in 1858.
- Vellore Mutiny happened in 1806 and was quelled in a day.
- Vellore Mutiny was instigated because the Hindu and Muslim Sepoys of the then Madras Army were asked to change their uniform from Turbans to European style caps/hats. The caps/hats had leather in them, which was rumoured to be from Cows (anathema to Hindus) and/or from Pigs (anathema to Muslims). Thus the Sepoys rebelled.
- Sepoy Mutiny was instigated because of the cartridges of the Lee-Enfield rifles which were pre-packed and required to be bitten to release the powder. The cartridges were coated with tallow, which was assumed to be either beef and/or pork tallow - Need to say more?
- 50 years down the line, the British had not learned a single thing, except that the Madras Army (and the Bombay Army) were not upper-caste reliant, while the other army of the British, the Bengal Army was caste based and was predominantly higher-caste. (though it does not explain the Muslims joining the fight).
- the problem of Cow/Beef-Pork based implements as taboo in the then India; (today women of any caste or religion don’t mind using lipsticks, leather, beauty products or medicinal capsules, whether they are made from Cow, Pork, Fish or whatnot).
- both the mutinies were while the British East India Company had the sovereign authority and not under direct British Crown rule - in fact the Sepoy Mutiny was the chief catalyst for India to be brought under direct British rule.
- the Vellore Mutineers implored the descendents (sons) of Tipu Sultan to lead their mutiny and turn it into a revolt. After the failure, the descendents of Tipu Sultan were exiled to Calcutta
- the Sepoy Mutineers five decades later implored the last descendant of the Mughals, Bahadur Shah Zafar to support their rebellion. After the rebellion was crushed the Last Mughal was exiled to Rangoon.
I know Harsha Vardhana ruled for ~40 years (~606 - 647 AD/CE), but do I know who ruled in my state/part of India or in Europe or in China or in Africa or in South America during the same period?
What I did back in 2003/04
- since map making tools were non existent then (Google Maps - what is that?)
- uploading and displaying an Excel file was also impossible (Google Docs - what is that?)
Today, unfortunately, that Excel file is not accepted by Google Docs - displays an error - and has to be reworked/copied; which I hope to do tomorrow.
In the meanwhile, here is the teaser image
Related posts:
Is History just making it up? - part 2
Age of Empires - part 3
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