Wednesday, May 30, 2007

History of Earth-Beginning of time

Why do we call Indian subcontinent?There is no other subcontinent known in Earth-What makes that region of SE Asia so special?If we ignore political boundaries created by britishers in 1947 and look at region encompassing Afghanistan,Pakistan,India,Nepal,Sri Lanka,Bangladesh,Burma,Thailand as one super region only, what do we see?
Major ports of indian subcontinent before independence were: Karachi,Bombay,Calcutta,Madras,Chittagong and Rangoon


Before we delve into history of India as we know it today, it is important to know complete history of Earth and how Indian subcontinent fits into it.
http://www.bobainsworth.com/fossil/timeline.htm

India has never been submerged beneath sea since Palaeozoic era. i.e 570 million years ago except Himalaya range region in north. This is important distinction from North America Continent.
After Palaeozoic era, India was connected to Africa by dry land.
If you want to see animated version of continents taking shape,here it is
http://kartoweb.itc.nl/gondwana/gondwana_gif.html

Interesting facts of colonial indian subcontinent which came from Imperial Gazatteer of India-1903
  • Most of the wheat and rice grown in India was exported to UK
  • In 1900,there wasn't a tea market in India.
  • Tea was grown only for export and there wasn't local market.
  • In 1750, East India Company declared 150% dividend.
  • Famines miracolously dissappeared from India after independence. Last known major famine was in 1942.


On the 9th May I 770 they wrote : " The famine
which has ensued, the mortality, the beggary, exceed
all description. Above one-third of the inhabitants
have perished in the once plentiful province of Purneah,
and in other parts the misery is equal." On
the I ~ t She ptember they wrote : " It is scarcely possible
that any description could be an exaggeration of the


Notwithstanding the great severity of the late
famine and the great reduction of people thereby, some
increase has been made in the settlements both of the
Bengal and the Behar provinces for the present year."
On the 10th January 1772 they wrote: "The collections
in each department of revenue are as successfully
carried on for the present year as we could have
wished." l
It is painful to read of this rigorous collection of
the land-tax during years of human sufferings and
deaths perhaps unexampled in the history of mankind.

No comments: