Thread by @sankrant

A big underlying assumption coming from Abrahamic-origin thinking is the myth of linear progress. Ancient inventions are scoffed at is because they violate the idea of linear progress.

But is progress really linear? Do new generation always build on the knowledge of old? 1/

If you look at nature, everything is cyclical. Life is cyclical, seasons, growth of plants, water cycle, planetary orbits. There is no linearity. We talk of economic cycles. Is knowledge linear or cyclical. What is its periodicity?

Pyramids were built perhaps 5000 years ago.

Now, whenever the pyramids were built, it is clear that later generations did not know how they were built. The Egyptians of 1000 years ago could not build the pyramids nor did they know how they were built. Scientists still don't know fully.

Clearly knowledge was *lost*. 3/

We see repeated references to this in India. Brahmins were doing astronomical calculations in the 19th century based on tables, but the the science behind them was lost. We know that only a fraction of the survive.

Examples of lost knowledge are found all over the world. 4/

We also know of the massive and deliberate destruction of knowledge under Abrahamic conquest.

The Mayan codices were almost all burnt by conquering Catholics because they believed they were "superstition and lies of the devil."

Later Mayans lost knowledge of the ancients. 5/

Nalanda university was similarly destroyed by Islamic invaders.

Like the Biblical, Islamic destruction was driven by the idea—"If those books are in agreement with the Quran, we have no need of them; and if these are opposed to the Quran, destroy them."

myindiamyglory.com/2017/09/11/nal…

Even if not deliberate, knowledge was lost due to accidents or cataclysmic events or the loss of patronage or continuation of a lineage of scholarship, or colonization.

For example, Indians of today do not know the techniques of surgery of ancient Indians, or their mathematics.

But numerous and widespread evidence of the destruction of knowledge and its loss for future generations shows that progress of knowledge is *not* linear. Which means, in many instances, ancient people knew *more* than latter day people.

There are two ways this is spun away 8/

When the civilization survives, as is the case in India, any idea of ancient knowledge is attacked by mocking its existence.

In other cases, to deny ample evidence of advanced ancient knowledge, bizarre theories like "aliens did it" proliferate. 😏 9/

history.com/shows/ancient-…

This need for "aliens did it" comes from denial of the cyclical nature of knowledge.

Despite widespread evidence of the loss and decline of knowledge, the myth of linear progress holds.

More interesting question is of the periodicity of knowledge cycles. Yugas anyone? 😌 10/10

Yes, #ChristoIslam has a great need to deny ancient knowledge. For Islam, the world was in a state of "jahilya" or ignorance before. For Christians, earth was created 6000 years ago. There is the mythical "loss of Eden" from eating of tree of knowledge.

https://twitter.com/StopAdharma/status/1442912457660375040?s=20

"Secular scholarship" simply internalizes the Abrahamic assumptions while outwardly being a break from them.

https://twitter.com/sankrant/status/1312183004467322881?s=20

The "linear progress" theory is akin to the "flat earth" theory.

At short (sighted) intervals one sees linearity and flatness. When the gaze and scale expands one sees the cyclicality.

"Progressives" are the flat-earthers.

https://twitter.com/anuragsinghrana/status/1442897446183469058?s=20