Rolling down the river
Day 2,944, 05:09
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Published in India 
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by
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by Patanjali
Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
Namaste.
The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. – Søren Kierkegaard, or was it Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam ?
I’m not attracted by the “game mechanics”, either in the form of military action or economic development, and the only aspect of this game that held me around was the players and the exchange of ideas. (it is that for my topics are rarely related to game)
That way I get to know more about topics that are important to me and get acquaintance with persons willing to exchange opinions on different topics.
Sure, this game is not an Academy, nor a small village school, but sometimes it could help one to enlarge and deepen the views that she/he had. Beside, sometimes it is really pleasant to simply … chat with nice ppl.
Anyhow, please tell me if things are different, if you see them different or if you are doubting, questioning ideas that crossed my mind, because sometimes my ideas cross my mind like trains in full sped on a station. And whistle sometimes
Foreword
From the time of Adam Smith till to recent economical theory from US, there are 3 factors that lead to development, increasing and securing the “National Wealth”. Land, Labour and Capital.
Mean time humans understand that civilizations are also related to those 3 factors and, somehow, according to natural conditions of one place, the culture / civilization that will rise / result from a human society located there, will be … of some kind, and not the others.
One could say this is the pattern of the agricultural civilizations, but it tend to work in industrial stage and, even now, on the post-industrial society the flows of capital are related to great rivers, which became the most important geostrategic regions.
Transportation on water is 10 to 30 times more cheap that on roads. Ports at the mouth of those rivers are key nodes for development and capital generating systems – Trade and connexions to world markets (see Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai).
Sure, they are (generally) base for military navy too, and that for a security factor for a large region.
That for on the delta of great rivers from Earth, ancient civilizations rise.
There humans could find plenty resources to sustain them life and … water. In time, developing technologies and sailing humans began to use the streams to … trade (and tis is the short role and inventory of those 3 factors).
Still, the weird part is that not all the civilisation that have access to a great river developed a great civilization and, more interesting, we could notice different … colours of those civilization, a specific touch.
Nile and Euphrates, Indus and Huan He, those where the cradle of ancient civilizations of humans, but each of them had different conditions and lead to different development.
Nile flow into Mediterranean sea, Euphrates into the Persian Gulf and after that to Arabic Sea, Huan He into the Yellow Sea, Indus into the Arabian Sea and Danube into the Black Sea and then into the Mediterranean.
Those destination defines the are of influence of the civilizations that arise on them basins.
Could sound weird, but Danube is not named, generally, amongst those ancient humans civilizations origins.
Lately they discovered that some of the oldest human writing originated on Danube basin and found other clues (human skeletons, pottery and statues, etc.) indicating that there too, humans developed on the ancient times.
Civilizations developed on land, and especially in mountains are different from those, like Sparta and Athena, or like Behemoth and Leviathan from the strategical theory of Mackinder.
To summarize Mackinder view on world distribution of power:
"Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; - East Europe and East Asia, I would add (marginal areas of Heartland.
who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island;
who rules the World-Island commands the world."
India
“India is thus set that it’s the pivot of Western, Southern and Southeast Asia. tho’ ultimately a Pacific state, India can invariably exercise a crucial influence there. India will develop because the centre of economic and political activity within the Indian Ocean space within the southeast asia and right up to the center East.” – Jawaharlal Nehru
Indus is mostly in Pakistan, today, and India have the great basin of Ganges and Brahmaputra, to sustain the development of the north of the country. Unfortunately, them delta is located, mainly, in Bangladesh.
Great rivers that remain completely under the India control are Narmada (only one flowing west), Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri and Mahandi. Which are not so great (like Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra).
Nevertheless those rivers sustained and make possible the spread of the India culture abroad. That for the influence of India civilization is present in all the Pacific area, since ancient times.
Sure, there are some … enclosed civilization from Asia that did not allowed the access of others (like Japan, till a certain point).
Thanks to those (rivers), we could find communities of Indians on the east Africa and spread all-over the Asia.
If we approach the problem in terms of cultural influence, then we could notice that today, on east to Indus valley, we have a border of the intermediate, Arabic region, and, that for India is, somehow, at the border of a world.
In ancient times India influenced very much Asia and we still find Buddhism (for example) in China, in Japan also (a specific form), Hinduism in Lanka and Pacific countries, etc.
But most important is that from the India borders, we find a different way of approaching things, another … “Way of life”, to use a famous American motto.
An Indian could find himself … “at home”, or very much like, anywhere in Pacific region, with the exception of Western civilization former (or actual) possessions / colony.
The extension of Mauraya lead to that, but the power of a conqueror would not have been enough.
India brought much more than weapons. She bring culture and a different way of seeing life, her goals and ways.
Also, she bring trades and, that for, development of capital in areas where such concept did not existed before.
I will stop here now (with the feeling that is much more to say) and will wait for your opinions / views, so we could have a nice talk.
Meri shubhkaamanaaye aapke saath hai !
Namaste.
The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. – Søren Kierkegaard, or was it Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam ?
😃
I’m not attracted by the “game mechanics”, either in the form of military action or economic development, and the only aspect of this game that held me around was the players and the exchange of ideas. (it is that for my topics are rarely related to game)
That way I get to know more about topics that are important to me and get acquaintance with persons willing to exchange opinions on different topics.
Sure, this game is not an Academy, nor a small village school, but sometimes it could help one to enlarge and deepen the views that she/he had. Beside, sometimes it is really pleasant to simply … chat with nice ppl.
Anyhow, please tell me if things are different, if you see them different or if you are doubting, questioning ideas that crossed my mind, because sometimes my ideas cross my mind like trains in full sped on a station. And whistle sometimes
😃.
Foreword
From the time of Adam Smith till to recent economical theory from US, there are 3 factors that lead to development, increasing and securing the “National Wealth”. Land, Labour and Capital.
Mean time humans understand that civilizations are also related to those 3 factors and, somehow, according to natural conditions of one place, the culture / civilization that will rise / result from a human society located there, will be … of some kind, and not the others.
One could say this is the pattern of the agricultural civilizations, but it tend to work in industrial stage and, even now, on the post-industrial society the flows of capital are related to great rivers, which became the most important geostrategic regions.
Transportation on water is 10 to 30 times more cheap that on roads. Ports at the mouth of those rivers are key nodes for development and capital generating systems – Trade and connexions to world markets (see Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai).
Sure, they are (generally) base for military navy too, and that for a security factor for a large region.
That for on the delta of great rivers from Earth, ancient civilizations rise.
There humans could find plenty resources to sustain them life and … water. In time, developing technologies and sailing humans began to use the streams to … trade (and tis is the short role and inventory of those 3 factors).
Still, the weird part is that not all the civilisation that have access to a great river developed a great civilization and, more interesting, we could notice different … colours of those civilization, a specific touch.
Nile and Euphrates, Indus and Huan He, those where the cradle of ancient civilizations of humans, but each of them had different conditions and lead to different development.
Nile flow into Mediterranean sea, Euphrates into the Persian Gulf and after that to Arabic Sea, Huan He into the Yellow Sea, Indus into the Arabian Sea and Danube into the Black Sea and then into the Mediterranean.
Those destination defines the are of influence of the civilizations that arise on them basins.
Could sound weird, but Danube is not named, generally, amongst those ancient humans civilizations origins.
Lately they discovered that some of the oldest human writing originated on Danube basin and found other clues (human skeletons, pottery and statues, etc.) indicating that there too, humans developed on the ancient times.
Civilizations developed on land, and especially in mountains are different from those, like Sparta and Athena, or like Behemoth and Leviathan from the strategical theory of Mackinder.
To summarize Mackinder view on world distribution of power:
"Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; - East Europe and East Asia, I would add (marginal areas of Heartland.
who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island;
who rules the World-Island commands the world."
India
“India is thus set that it’s the pivot of Western, Southern and Southeast Asia. tho’ ultimately a Pacific state, India can invariably exercise a crucial influence there. India will develop because the centre of economic and political activity within the Indian Ocean space within the southeast asia and right up to the center East.” – Jawaharlal Nehru
Indus is mostly in Pakistan, today, and India have the great basin of Ganges and Brahmaputra, to sustain the development of the north of the country. Unfortunately, them delta is located, mainly, in Bangladesh.
Great rivers that remain completely under the India control are Narmada (only one flowing west), Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri and Mahandi. Which are not so great (like Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra).
Nevertheless those rivers sustained and make possible the spread of the India culture abroad. That for the influence of India civilization is present in all the Pacific area, since ancient times.
Sure, there are some … enclosed civilization from Asia that did not allowed the access of others (like Japan, till a certain point).
Thanks to those (rivers), we could find communities of Indians on the east Africa and spread all-over the Asia.
If we approach the problem in terms of cultural influence, then we could notice that today, on east to Indus valley, we have a border of the intermediate, Arabic region, and, that for India is, somehow, at the border of a world.
In ancient times India influenced very much Asia and we still find Buddhism (for example) in China, in Japan also (a specific form), Hinduism in Lanka and Pacific countries, etc.
But most important is that from the India borders, we find a different way of approaching things, another … “Way of life”, to use a famous American motto.
An Indian could find himself … “at home”, or very much like, anywhere in Pacific region, with the exception of Western civilization former (or actual) possessions / colony.
The extension of Mauraya lead to that, but the power of a conqueror would not have been enough.
India brought much more than weapons. She bring culture and a different way of seeing life, her goals and ways.
Also, she bring trades and, that for, development of capital in areas where such concept did not existed before.
I will stop here now (with the feeling that is much more to say) and will wait for your opinions / views, so we could have a nice talk.
Meri shubhkaamanaaye aapke saath hai !
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Comments
The last map shows Greater India.
True, it was the best map I could find to image the cultural expansion of India
Untill islamic conquest of Sassanid empire Hinduism was also present in Persia, although it had a minor presence owing to forced conversion of minorities by Sassanids.
This is a very intresting topic. The fact that west and east (regions near to Heartland) where always separated by another "neutral" part (aka arab world) lead to the status quo of no contact / trade. Arabs did that to control the trade of silk and spices. Later, on the British Empire, someone else took the role that arabs had previously.
And talking about ... reverberances of culture, Plato had a very curious discourse on different things that could lead us tot he idea of some ... oriental influence. More than that, Apolodor of Tyana was very near to Samkhya darsana, considering the tales we have about he's concepts.
A hard to brake barrier (this Persia) but still, not unbreakable.
and thus now we have China's 'string of pearls' vs. India's 'iron curtain'
buh India stronk \o/ o7
Nice
The cultural influence still remains and if anything is stronger in pockets such as Thailand, Sumatra, Cambodia... than even in places within India!
The cities of India are more focused on technological advancement and this brings about adapting Western practices in clothing and language/behaviour. I am not sure if this is "diminishing" and subverting the traditional culture or in fact enriching it.
hmm
Patanjali at it again 😛