A study of the past is especially useful in India today, where
people are living at different levels of civilization, from the primitive to the advanced.
Though oral traditions from the Mahabharat are much older, written or recorded history in India usually begins with the Indus Valley civilization. The civilization is believed to have been contempory with that of Sumer, as seals from the Indus Valley have been found in Sumeria. This points to trade and cultural relations between the two peoples. The genetic composition of the people who lived then was similar to that of the people who live now, and attests to a mixed origin that for want of a better word is dubbed Indo-Aryan. In fact, even their beliefs and customs were very similar to the customs of people living in this country today. Their written material consisted of square shaped seals decorated with animal figures. Indian scholars believe the writing to be Sanskrit because the people of those
times spoke Sanskrit, though nothing can be said for certain because the only other instance of this writing has been found on Easter Island – a fact that no historian has been able to explain.
The first time when Europeans set food in India was when Alexander crossed the far boundaries of the Persian
Empire. Porus, the king of the Punjab, fought fiercely against the invading Greeks. The Indian army fought with elephants, and at first the Greeks were terrified of these great beasts. However, some of the wounded elephants ran amok and started trampling down their own troops. Porus was captured, but Alexander advanced no further as his troops were on the verge of mutiny.
One of the most important sacrifices in ancient times was the
horse sacrifice. A horse was set loose, and followed by a band of warriors. When the horse entered another kingdom, the warriors would fight the local ruler if he refused to pay homage to the horse. Every king tried to make a horse sacrifice, and many wars took place as a result.
Then, for the first time in history, two great religious leaders taught that warfare was wrong and violence would not lead to contentment. The first was Mahavira, who taught that since all living beings had souls it was wrong to kill people or eat animals. The other was the Buddha (the Enlightened One). For hundred of years, Buddhism was the dominant religion across northern India, and missionaries carried the Buddha’s teachings to many countries in eastern and central Asia.
The first empire in India (the Mauryan Empire) was
founded by Chandragupta Maurya. He was ably assisted by Kautilya, who was the author of the Arthasastra, the standard text on politics and governance for over two millenia. He was succeeded by his son Bindusara, who in turn was followed by the Emperor Ashoka. Ashoka’s greatest conquest was that of the kingdom of Kalinga. But during the fighting so many people were killed, and so much suffering was caused, that Ashoka had a change of heart and he became a Buddhist. The rest of his rule was spent caring for the welfare of his people. He wrote Edicts, or rules for good conduct, which were carved on stone pillars and set up in different parts of the country. But Ashoka did not try to force the people to change their beliefs – his subjects remained free to worship in any way they wanted.
More than five hundred years after the death of Ashoka saw the rise of yet another great empire – the Gupta Empire. Samudra Gupta led his armies to victory wherever he went, but the defeated kings were allowed to keep their thrones after paying homage to him. Samudra Gupta was a learned man, and a patron of poets and musicians. The reign of the Guptas was known as the Golden Age of India. The nation prospered, and it was also a time of artistic achievement. Kalidasa, the great Indian poet and dramatist, lived in those times. After the death of Skanda Gupta, local governors made themselves kings and the empire slowly broke up.
The capture of Constantinople by the infidel turks meant that European traders had to find another trade route to India and the Spice islands. Though Christopher Columbus was unsuccessful sailing westwards, Vasco da Gama rounded the southern tip of Africa and reached Calicut after passing through Zanzibar. The sea route to India had been found. The Portuguese later established a colony in Goa, but the English and French were also interested in the spice trade with India. The English founded Fort St. George in Madras city, and the French founded Pondicherry. This was the beginning of European rivalry in the Indian sub-continent. The story of how the East India Company developed into the British India Empire is another story altogether.