Story of India- 20 Questions

The Ganges River:
1. Why did the ganges river become such an important part of Hinduism? How do Hindus show their reverence for the Ganges River?

The Ganges River has long been an important part of Hinduism. The river is mentioned in the Rig-Veda, which is one of the earliest Hindu scriptures. It is said that the famous king Bhagiratha practiced Tapasya, which is known as spiritual suffering or austerity, for years to bring the river down from the heavens. It is believed that the river Ganga came down to the earth through a lock of hair of the God Shiva.
Hindus pay respect to the river in many ways. Families spread ashes of lost family members in the river. Many Hindus are compelled to bathe in the Ganges at least once in their lifetime as a religious tradition. It is considered a prestigious mark for a Hindu family to have a small amount of water from the Ganges in their homes. It is also common for Hindus to show their reverence for the river by paying tribute to its many temples and holding festivals along the river’s banks.

2. The word Karma is often used in American popular culture. What are its Hindu origins? Is the adoption of religious concepts in a secular context disrespectful towards the original religion?

Karma itself is a deed or act correlating to the cause and effect that governs all life. Karma is produced through thoughts, words, and actions. One of the earliest uses of the concept of Karma is found in the poem Bhagavad Gita. The poem proposes an ethical dilemma discovered by Arjuna before a battle. Two other Hindu movements, Vedanta and Tantra, further developed the concept of Karma. The adoption of Karma, a religious concept, in secular contexts does not necessarily mean disrespect of the original religion. Karma itself is appears to many as a philosophically moral sound way to live one’s life, even if it is a secular life. Mindfulness of one’s thoughts, words, and actions in a constructive sense is not a bad thing. The problem arises when pop-culture misunderstands and misuses the very fundamentals of the concept.

Tamil Nadu:

3. Why did the British find the region so valuable?

The British found the region of interest as a consequence of The East India Company’s (EIC) involvement with the area. The EIC and national British involvement stems primarily out of imperial quests for natural resources not found in other parts of the world. These natural resources and raw materials were sequestered and exported primarily to Europe. Therefore, the area was primarily valuable to the British for its trade ports. In 1640, the EIC established a factory in Chennai capitalizing on a labor force to produce goods sent off to Europe.

4. What did the Romans trade with Tamil Nadu?
In the 1st century AD the Roman historian Pliny grew concerned at the way the empire’s gold flowed ever to the east, and set out to expose the truth and undercut the Arab monopolists, who he reckoned to be selling pepper at prices a hundred times what they paid for it in India. It did not help that the gluttonous Romans were, in the words of Frederic Rosengarten, a spice historian, “the most extravagant users of aromatics in history”. They used spices in every imaginable combination for their foods, wines and fragrances. Legionaries headed off to battle wearing perfume. The rich slept on pillows of saffron in the belief that it would cure hangovers. Resentment against the Arab stranglehold had led Rome to launch an invasion of Arabia in 24BC, an ill-fated expedition that ended in humiliation. But where military means failed, market intelligence prevailed.

The Romans traded extensively with the Tamil Nadu region. The Romans traded for rare and coveted commodities like spices, ivory, timber, pearls and gems. The kingdom of Cheras, comprised of the modern state of Kerala and parts of the Malabar, maintained extensive trade relations with the Roman Empire. Sea proximity substantially favored trade with the Romans. The Tamil Nadu region also maintained diplomatic contacts with the Roman Empire.

Kerala:

5. How has the treatment of Jews in India been different from the treatment of Jews in other places in the world? What explains this?

India is one of the few regions in the world that can claim to be historically anti-Semitic. The only exception to this claim was Portuguese mistreatment of the Jewish community in the fourteenth and fifteenth century. The Bene Jewish group existed in India for over 2,400 years. The Hindu religion doesn’t try to convert those from other faiths. It is said that the concept of anti-Semitism is foreign to many Indians.

6. Why has boat building been such an important part of India’s history?

Trade is the major reason boat building has been such an important part of India’s history. India reigned as the “Proud Mistress of the Eastern Seas” for almost 4200 years. This was disrupted by Europe and the East India Company who prohibited the construction of large ships. India built the first tidal dock in the world in 2300 B.C. India’s 3700 miles of coast hosted over 200 ports with boat building capacity.

Trade:

7. Why has India been an important center of trade?

India has been an important center of trade primarily because of its vast and unique resources not found in many parts of the world. India’s overall benevolence towards foreigners helped facilitate its trade relations. Moreover (and previously noted), India’s 3700 miles of coast line and 200 ports made it accessible to international importers. Key Indian exports that contributed to its trading significance were cotton textiles, delicately inlayed hardwood furniture, meticulously made carpets/rugs, ornamentally cut stones, ivory, pearls, and diamonds. Delhi’s markets hosted high quality rice, sugar, wheat, and betel leaves. In addition, well-maintained roads linked regional trade throughout India and it’s neighboring nations.

8. What importance did spices play in the development of trade? What eventually ended the European demand for Indian spices?

Spices played an enormous role in the development of trade, not only in India, but also European and Arab nations. It is documented that Egyptian rulers fed spices to laborers in order to give them strength during the construction of the great pyramids in 2600 BC. Egypt also maintained a strong demand for cassia and cinnamon because they were essential for embalming. Anise, margoram, and cumin were used in Egypt to rinse the innards of worthy dead. Hammurabi’s strict legal code encouraged physicians to use medicinal spices for surgery. The ability of spices to preserve food, or make poorly preserved food edible created a high European demand for Indian pepper. The pepper trade itself pitted many European nations against one another in a quest to monopolize its distribution. Many centuries AD, Indian pepper was so coveted that it traded at a one-to-one exchange rate with gold. For this reason many of the European powers saw their gold reserves move from the west to the east in exchange for spices. For many centuries the Arabs acted as middlemen in the spice trade. The Arabs went to great lengths to keep the origin of pepper and other spices a mystery. The Roman Empire invaded Arabia in 24 BC to uncover the origin of the Arabian pepper trade. The Roman invasion failed, but high prices in Europe continued to drive the discovery of trade routes to India through the middle ages. Spain, Portugal, the Dutch, and Britain all competed vigorously to secure monopolization of the spice trade. This competition shaped not only the Indian spice trade but also shaped relations between these nations.
The European demand for Indian spices eventually declined as the once limited and geocentric resources were dispersed to other regions in the world with similar climates. It is important to note that India still maintains the high end of the pepper market because India’s pepper is differentiated as a product of the monsoon seasons. As spices became distributed around the globe, India’s geographic competitive advantage gave way to global competition.
9. What was the significance of Vasco da Gama’s arrival in Calicut?
Vasco da Gama’ s arrival in Calicut mapped a sea trade route that would be exploited heavily by European powers. This also led to the colonization of the east coast of Africa by the Portuguese. East Africa was of interest because of port locations used to facilitate the trade route.
10. Who did the British East India Company employ to assist in its domination of India?
The BEIC is regarded as the first imperial corporation. It employed British power, through military and economic tactics to dominate and monopolize the Indian marketplace. It used this clout to undermine the power of local rulers through coups and bribery. It employed a small but effective army to gain territorial and economic control of regions throughout India.
11. How might people of the United States react to a corporation given the authority to govern another country?
It’s arguable this scenario is not entirely new to US history. Most recently the Coca-Cola company has condemned by multiple human rights organizations for its use of US trained paramilitary to assassinate union leaders at its Colombia plants. PBS story found at following link: http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/fellows/colombia0106/ , a advocacy site: http://killercoke.org/ , and a npr story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5170745 . Though these abuses are not as obscene as the BEIC’s, I contend that the majority of the American public could care less about the past and current sovereignty infringements of US based MNC’s.
Religion:
12. Which Hindu god fascinates you the most?
Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, fascinates me the most. His teachings of wisdom and compassion are of the highest value. Mindfulness of our thoughts, words, and actions are central teachings of Buddha.
Taj Mahal:
13. What was the Taj Mahal built to represent?
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum housing his best wife Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal was created as an earthly replica, representing the house of Mumtaz in paradise.
14. What architectural aspect do you find most impressive?
I find the marble dome to be the most impressive feature of the Taj Mahal. I am excited to see the gilded finial atop the dome in-person.