4 Causes of Decline of the Indian Knowledge Tradition and Reawakening
Political Instability and Foreign Invasions in India
While the Magadha Empire was unifying Eastern India, Western India was experiencing a period of extreme political fragmentation and instability. Numerous small kingdoms were fiercely independent, engaging in frequent conflicts with one another. There was no single powerful kingdom or ruler capable of establishing political unity. This weakness attracted foreign invaders, who were drawn to the region's rich resources and the perceived ease of conquest. Numerous foreign groups invaded India during this period, including: Shakas, Hunas, Kushans, Greeks, Mughals, Turks, Pathans, English, Portuguese, and Dutch
Invasions by Foreign Invaders: With an eye on India, the primary objective of the invasions carried out by foreign invaders was the rich treasure troves, metals, and mineral deposits here. The Indian people were a relatively peaceful, tolerant, naive, and coexisting liberal nature. The people of Bharat Varsh have always been a welcoming people with the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. Whose nature was non-aggressive and religious. As a result, it became easy for foreign invaders to conquer territories with religious fanaticism and the sword.
Deindustrialization by the British
During the period of Islamic invasions, the arrival of the English in India took place amidst oppression. Using the pretext of trade and commerce, the English gradually enslaved India for about 250 years. In the year 1700 AD, India's economy constituted 27% of the world's total, surpassing even the entire European continent's economy. Despite this, after 250 years of slavery, India's economy declined to merely 3%. In the 17th century, during the rule of the Mughals, there was a decline in their governance, which the English exploited for their benefit. The English systematically exploited India with cunning and planning. For them, India was a mine of gold. During this period, India was a major producer in sectors like textiles, gems, and jewellery. Particularly in the fields of textiles and metal production, India held a prominent position globally. India's textile production was of excellent quality. Britain, impressed along with the rest of the world, extracted raw materials such as iron ore from Britain to manufacture machinery, from which Britain earned significantly. In the fields of jewellery and gemstones, India's contribution was remarkable. The shipbuilding industry in Visakhapatnam and Bengal flourished significantly. There, ships were built that were of the highest quality globally. Bengal, Visakhapatnam, and Surat were major export centres for the country. There was a stark contrast in ship traffic from 84 countries. From here, various commodities were exported worldwide, and Indian merchants' export trade spread globally. Indian traders themselves were adventurous and financiers who had a grasp of business. The British took heavy duties on Indian textiles and other goods to take control and started production in England, which faced intense competition from Indian goods. At this time, Indian agriculture production and farming were very prosperous. It supplied large supplies to foreign countries, and the British started to impose imports on them. Farmers were forced to take severe loans, and their children were forced to sell. At the same time, the British main goal was to capture natural resources in India, sell their products in vast Indian markets, increase revenue-tax in times of war, and put millions of British employees to work in India's burden on salaries and other expenses. The Empire of Loot by the British spread in India until 1940.
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