Why did the Scientific Revolution evade India?
If aliens visit the earth and start reading our planet’s history, then they would assume that the mighty nations of India or China would be the harbingers of the scientific revolution which started in the 17 thcentury. India and China contributed about 50 % of the global GDP then. The top 5 European nations contributed about 1–2 % each.
Reiterating what several WhatsApp forwards must have already enlightened you about, the Indian civilization was contemplating sophisticated scientific questions way back in 1500 BC. The Nasadiya Sukta of the Rig Veda discussed the existence of a self-supporting principle (existence of cause and effect) to explain creation. Panini talked about Upajna: discovery of new knowledge by searching for truth rather than receiving by tradition. Indian scholars excelled in arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, algebra, chemistry, metallurgy, biology and so on. Chinese civilization was equally advanced. How did Europe end up pioneering the scientific revolution despite all our erudition?
Though difficult, it is an intriguing question! Historians have been wracking their heads upon this question. In this article, I have discussed a few recurring themes present in all relevant research work.
Casteism
While the Varna system encouraged the division of labor (teaching, defending, wealth developing & manual service), the system became hereditary and became a social barrier. Knowledge stayed confined to specific groups. In a previous article, I talk about how knowledge evolves. Succinctly put, knowledge builds only if it is secular and allowed to traverse minds, unhindered by divisions.
Self- Assuredness and Vanity
At one time, we were open to ideas from our adversaries. In the prosperous Mauryan, Satvahana & the Gupta eras (322 BC — 185 BC) we traded with Greeks, Romans & Persians not only in goods but also scientific ideas. This happened to the extent that certain Greek words got assimilated into Indian mathematical and astronomic texts. Around the same time, Aryabhata showed his prowess a 1000 years before Isaac Newton did, by talking about ideas expressed in modern-day calculus.
“The Greeks, though impure, must be honored, since they were trained in science, and therein excel others. What, then, are we to say of a Brahman, if he combines with his purity the height of
science?”Varahamihira, Astronomer, 505 AD
With time, however, we lost this open-mindedness and started vilifying scholars who used reason and logic to question Vedic tenets.
Islamic Conquest & Influence
Science in Islam has itself travelled a similar path like ours. The Islamic centers around Baghdad, Damascus & Cordoba (modern Spain) were influenced by Greek, Alexandrian, Buddhist & Hindu scholars. Synthesizing and building on Greek, Hindu & Chinese knowledge, it created several scholars such as Jabir Ibn Haiyan , Al Khwarizmi, Al-Biruni and so on. However, even here, scientific curiosity succumbed to the onslaught of fundamentalism and by 1198 AD it waned. Islamic conquests in India started from the 12 thCentury. Because of scientific decadence in both societies, no fusion of scientific knowledge occurred. Indian places of learning also became victims of plunder and withered away.
All the Mughal architectural marvels were built without the aid of wheelbarrows or any other sophisticated machinery. A surplus labor force prevented India from getting interested in labor-saving mechanization. Warfare was undergoing a period of renaissance in Europe through the invention of pistols, grenades & warships. However, the Mughal Empire never got interested in manufacturing these themselves. Buying finished items and relying on European technicians to maintain them put India behind in the race of technological dominion.
Why was Europe more fertile for the Scientific Revolution?
Even though Europe was also a victim of political instability and fervent religious dogmatism, European renaissance since the 14 thcentury turned its fortunes. Europe underwent a political, cultural, artistic & economic rebirth. Capitalism placed a premium on increasing productivity via mechanization & openness to knowledge. Scholar-artisan interactions increased. Europe did not have a surplus labor force like India or China and thus mechanization was deemed necessary.
Geographically, Europe consisted of small nations. Scholars would flee to neighboring countries in the face of invasions and continue their work there. In spite of invasions, the West never shied away from learning from its adversaries. Records show early European universities employing Islamic & Jewish scholars teaching Hindu mathematics & medicine.
The ultimate game-changer was the establishment of the Royal Society of England by John Evelyn & Francis Bacon in 1662. It brought together almost all the founders of modern science such as Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke, Isaac Newton etc. The motto of the society was, “ Nullius in Verba” which translated to, “ Take nobody’s word for it. See for yourself “.
Renaissance, Scientific & Industrial revolutions back to back allowed the West to sky-rocket in terms of prosperity. The scientific revolution was a one-time event and hence the above reasons can surely be contested upon. However, it suffices to say that curiosity and open-mindedness are the fundamental reasons behind the European success story.
Originally published at http://meditationsofavoyager.wordpress.com on December 16, 2020.
