8/10/2023 0 Comments Conquer private![]() ![]() Muslims had been looting the country for 600 years. Also, contrary to popular belief, by the time the Europeans came, not many riches were left in India. Contracting any of these diseases meant almost certain death, as those days, medicines were most rudimentary, and antibiotics unheard of. Another welcome for the incoming Europeans was in the form of tropical diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and the like. England is freezing cold and almost dustless. On landing in India, the Europeans were met with the dust and heat of India. But for these exceptional qualities there no way ‘so few could have overcome so many, in such a short time’. In addition, to show of raw courage in the battlefield, these powers showed exceptional diplomatic skills, in pitting one Indian power against another. ![]() Besides fighting the Indians, these two countries fought each other in India, on the high seas and back home in Europe. The Portuguese were the first to come, but also the first to withdraw, leaving the field to the French and the British. The navies of each of these countries had orders to sink the ships of the other two. Of these, the three more important ones were Portugal (a tiny country), France and England. It is doubtful if the Hindus would been have ever able to do that on their own.Ī number of European countries, medium to small, threw their hats in the ring. To start with, the British rid Bharat of the Muslim rule of 600 years. If they finally succeeded in taking over Bharat, they had earned it. The sheer scale of their adventurous spirit and audacity of their enterprise is breath taking. Once on the sea, the Europeans had to depend solely on their wit and grit, determination and raw courage. In short, the odds against the European adventurers were the most formidable that can be imagined. If they lost in the battle, they did not have the option to back home. In an emergency, it would take 6 to 8 months to send a message home, and even longer to get any succor. There were no telephones, not even telegraphic facilities. The ships had to depend on favorable winds and were often blown off course. We may recall that in those days, there were only sail ships (no steam ships), no Suez Canal, no established sea-lanes, and no navigational aids worth the name. The Europeans came from a land that was nearly 6 to 8 months’ ship-ride away, with no resting places or looting opportunities on the way. Muhammad Ghauri did exactly that after his defeat in 1191 AD. In an emergency, the Muslims could always hope to get back, or get reinforcements. The Muslim invaders had come from lands that were 2 to 3 weeks’ horse-ride away, with lots of resting places and looting opportunities on the way. Even the color of the skin of these new people was different and so were their mores and manners. With Hindus unwilling and unready to take over Delhi, a new religion (Christianity) and a new race from the distant land of Europe filed their claim to rule this ancient holy Hindu land. In 1761 AD, Ahmed Shah Abdali put an end to their dreams of a Hindu empire. However, due to their Hindu mindset, they hesitated to deliver the final blow and did not occupy the Delhi throne themselves. They had the power to install or remove kings on the (nominal) Mughal throne. They over-ran Delhi twice and Punjab once. The Marathas repeatedly defeated Muslim powers, including the Mughals, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Nawab of Awadh. The Marathas: They were the dominant Hindu power in the 18th century AD.However, for some reasons, they showed no inclination and appeared to have lost their zest for warfare. The Rajputs: In view of their martial credentials, Rajputs had the wherewithal to take over Delhi on the decline of the Mughal power.But their enthusiasm for the national role was curbed by nine invasions of Ahmed Shah Abdali, during 1748–61 AD. The Sikhs: The Sikhs had emerged as a martial race by the first half of the 18th century, after founding of the Khalsa by Guru Govind Singh around 1700 AD.
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