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Dec 13, 2021 40 tweets 18 min read Read on X
The India They Saw

A 🧵 detailing the accounts of ancient India as seen by foreigners.

Meticulously compiled by Meenakshi Jain & Co, inspired by the initial suggestion of a Sir VS Naipaul.

A multi volume effort, I’ll post the most interesting snippets over time.

Let’s begin! Image
Herodotus was one of the first Greeks to mention the wondrous land of India
Ktesias was an early Greek chronicler of Indian history who heard the legends of the Itihāsa and fanciful descriptions of a mysterious land
Snake worship was a huge motif that fascinated the Greeks in India.

Perhaps the consequence of the victory of Astika in convincing King Janamejaya to stop his snake sacrifice at the end of the Mahabharat!

Abisaros (Abhisara) ruled Kashmir. Image
Strabo recounts the prior and this.

Ancient people of NW India loved to dye their beards different colors, had very colorful clothes, and did have instances of practicing sati.

They possessed much mineral wealth, but didn’t mine much. Image
Descriptions of mountain yogis worshipping Shiva (?) and consuming marijuana. Strabo mistakes Krishna for Heracles.

The Brahmin commitment to vegetarianism, lifelong ritual, brahmacharya, and imparting education is observed. Image
A strange “retirement” is mentioned featuring relaxed rules for some. Parallels between Greek & Indian thought is observed as well - almost Vedantic in description. The wandering Sraman is also mentioned & praised

Seems that settled Brahmin & roaming Sraman is a parallel theme. ImageImage
Accounts of women studying philosophy in ancient India (Gargi Vachaknavi of course a forerunner here).

An early description of Swayamvara is believed to be ascertained from the account of a “boxing match.” Image
Pliny, a Roman scholar wrote about natural history and geography.

His writings identify the legendary Indian diamond-shaped subcontinent. With the great seas, mountains, & Indus as it’s borders.

A bountiful land it was said to be

Special note of Yogis’ tapasya/asana practices ImageImage
Indians prized coral and pearls highly in ancient times.

Possibly a reference to the reverence of the conch/Shankh. Image
Pliny lamented at the trade imbalance between Rome & India as luxury goods flowed to Rome at a gargantuan pace.

Indian minerals were the most vast, varied, and prized in the Mediterranean world. ImageImageImageImage
Arrian (96 CE), a Greek scholar who served in Rome, would first write a posthumous account of Alexander’s invasion into India.

Below is the description of the battle of Alexander and Porus at the river Jhelum (Hydaspes).

Alexander’s death count is probably undercounted lol. ImageImageImage
The undercount is hinted at as the Macedonian forces dismay at the prospect of invading a mysterious land that apparently has even greater challenges than the already arduous Indians they faced. Not to mention the length of the campaign

Alexander OTOH is excited at the prospect. Image
Arrian then writes his famous Indika. Compiling prior records & explorations.

He outlines the borders of India. He considers the mountainous region from Turkey to the Pamirs as 1 great range. The Pamir section being the roof of India, Indus the west, & ocean south/east.

Bhārata ImageImage
Arrian claims that Indians do not invade other nations nor were truly invaded till Alexander. He claims the great former conquerors Sesostris the Egyptian, Idanthyrsos the Scythian, & Semiramis the Assyrian Queen could not invade India.

Alexander was exceptional for Arrian. Image
Greeks loved their natural history. Always noting the wild flora and fauna of India as well as the geography.

Indians in the north resembled Egyptians, while Indians more south resembled Ethiopians. Gradient and mix across the land. Image
There are legends of Dionysus coming to India. He may be identified with an ancient king here (sometimes identified with Lord Shiva). Heracles is mistaken for Krishna again.

The lineage precision & year lengths are again an interesting aspect of how Indians viewed their history Image
The Mauryan Era Indian would be clad in all white. A dhoti & draped upper garment. Some would wear a turban & ivory earrings. Others would dye their hair shades of blue, red, green, etc. They would use umbrellas against the heat and wear elaborate white leather shoes. Image
The Indian soldier carried a colossal bow & arrows that penetrated all. An oxhide shield in their left hand. A javelin possibly instead of a bow in their right. But all carried a blade for close combat. The horsemen carried twin lances & a buckler. Image
The elephant was the highest vehicular status symbol. Chariot next, camel third, & horse last.

To win a maiden, one must demonstrate their virtues in a competition (again another Swayamvar motif).

Grain was a staple food for Indians, but the hillmen especially ate wild game. Image
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea provides a nautical account of the Indian Ocean trade. Indian plants and their derivatives were in huge demand across the world, with a hotspot of export in Barbarikon, Sindh (near present day Karachi).

Indian steel was also world renowned. ImageImageImageImage
Barugaza (Bharuch) & the Gulf of Khambhat in general was a trading behemoth. Gujarati commerce has deep roots here.

The Deccan is also described as is the trading ports of Tamil India. ImageImageImage
Greco-Roman passion for zoology is very endearing. Accounts of Indian fauna fascinated many ancient zoologists. One of whom is known as Aelian, a Roman who spoke excellent Greek. From the time of Hadrian.

Aelian first points out the ferocity of Indian dogs who would fight lions. ImageImage
Alexander was a Mor-rakshak. Fascinated by peacocks & wanted to protect them.

The kind bond of Porus and his elephant is also attested.

If you can’t notice already - Alexander was a LEGEND to Greco-Romans. The epitome of daring and excellence. Image
Indian snakes were feared for their bite across all Greek sources - and that fear is matched by their awe of Indian antidotes against the poison.

Curiously, Indians believed that snakes who killed humans would bear ill karma & live a wretched life thereafter.

Echos of Parikshit Image
The executioner of the Indian death penalty was a bask of crocodiles.

An account of an Indian royal court is given. Gardens filled with peacocks, birds, and various exotic plants.

The parrot was sacred for its ability to imitate human speech. Image
Snake worship again a major theme.

A terrifying account of a great snake “god” that inhabited a cave near a conquered town. Said to be of gargantuan size as it peaked only its head out of the cave, eyes the size of a large Macedonian shield.

Greek flair or Indian divinity… Image
Perhaps the most interesting chronicler thus far - Apollonius - a sage, anti-Christ, & Egyptian god avatar all wrapped up into one. Apollonius would travel to India to observe and learn from the famed wise men and philosophers he had heard so much of. ImageImageImage
Apollonius would become a vegetarian, celibate, and maintain a vow of silence - all apparently before he went to India.

Parallels with ahimsa, brahmacharya, and the maun vrat of Indians. Image
In Taxila, Porus is supposed to have built a temple to Aditya, the sun god, and also decorated it with murals and statues exalting Alexander the Great. ImageImage
Apollonius on the famed Brahmins of India.

Asceticism, sun-worship rituals, Spartan hair and discipline, clad in white robes.

Some are said to have levitated 😎 ImageImage
A wise Indian sage called Iarches would have a discourse with Apollonius after showing him the customs of the land - ritual bathing, singing praises to the gods, using an amber ointment to heat the body.

Next we have a possible ode to “Aham Brahmasmi” & Atmajnan - soul knowledge Image
Iarches explains the theory of reincarnation. The transmigration of the soul.

He draws on the Homeric epic, the Iliad, to build rapport with Apollonius.

Greece, Egypt, and India were the nations considered to birth godlike men. Image
Iarches narrates a legend of Ethiopians being expelled by Indians, the King of the Ganga in fact.

He exalts the Indian who doesn’t revel in sacking cities but instead building them as opposed to Achilles.

He then reveals that he was that same King of the Ganga in a past life. ImageImage
Diodorus Siculus was a Greek chronicler in the Roman Empire. He collected fragments about Indian history.

Apparently, the average Indian encountered were big & tall versus other peoples. Greeks claimed it due to their diets (clue as to what it was I prior tweets) & environment. Image
Very famous assertions here:

-Dharmayuddha observed in wars + reverence of farmers
-Indians did not have slavery*

*Slavery is mentioned by Chanakya tho. I assume maybe the Indians they encountered didn’t practice it or Indian slaves weren’t as ill treated as the rest of world. Image
A rock temple most likely from the Deccan/Maharashtra region that had a great idol of Ardhanarishwar - form of Shiva Shakti.

Ganga also mentioned on top of the idol’s head. A clue to the unity of divinity and sacred geography in the Indian subcontinent. Image
I want to make this clear - the Greeks were fascinated by the *lifestyle* as well as knowledge of the Brahmins. The asceticism, non-violence, mysticism, & general purity of how they lived was amazing to them.

Live up to the lifestyle to earn the respect. Nussing else to say. Image
We must bid adieu to the Greco-Roman portion of our journey. Now we’ll join travelers from the Middle Kingdom on their journey to the West as the Chinese make pilgrimage to the Land of Dharma… ImageImageImage
We continue our journey looking East to Chinese accounts of ancient India.

See the below for Part 2 of The India They Saw 🧵🇨🇳☸️

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But what if we applied this doctrine to India itself? 🧵Image
Sthula

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One of my most fascinating visits in India was going to Jama Masjid in Delhi.

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Saw both Muslims & Hindus in the bazaar (more of former while latter were less & mostly shopping).

The grandness of the gate is the first thing that stands out to you once you reach. This theme of size & grandness is an important spark of thought as I walked across the mosque.Image
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The mosque is Mughal architecture par excellence.

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The chhatris, ramparts, gates, “kalashes,” etc… all gave a distinctly Indian feelImage
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Dec 4, 2023
The Jewel in the Crown 🧵

The Making of the British Raj

With the Marathas enduring a catastrophic result at the Third Battle of Panipat, an opening formed. Pink men dressed in funny coats who had no business in the Indian heat began to show up at the edge of Indian waters.

They wanted to trade.

They were obsessed with measuring. Their curiosity was amusing to many local Indians, but these pink men or angrezis (Englishmen) would pay no mind and would continue to write and exchange.

Some parts of India were rough for them, so they hired local security in addition to bringing their own foreign units. They paid better than the permanently drunk nawab or opium-addled raja and were much more reliable.

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From the rattle of the coin purse eventually grew the rattle of sabers. Humble operations in Calcutta in the early 18th century would transform into a financial juggernaut that possessed the most fearsome army in India by 1815.

The British East India Company combined financial power, military discipline, and most importantly, institutional brilliance to conquer India in its entirety.

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Some say that the British “made” India with their imperialism. If you’ve read this far, you know that’s not the case. But why the British are essential in the idea of India is twofold.

Firstly, British bureaucracy and administration proved to be a better way to organize government than many earlier Indian editions.

This doesn’t point to an inherent superiority of the English or the deficiency of Indians; it’s just to say that there is something special about how the British organized society and state.

It’s one of the biggest reasons the British Empire succeeded. Compared to many Indian crowns, the British East India Company brought better rule of law, less corruption, and even better public infrastructure, as more reliable transport meant easier trade.

Money that was spent on a kingdom’s defense and courtly excesses was now routed to commercial pursuits. Early days proved more peaceful under the East India Company, but over time the operations became increasingly extractive.

More consequential, though, was the eventual meddling in Indian internal affairs and society. This, combined with the aforementioned economic extraction, would bring tumult to the British Raj.
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In the aftermath of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, the British grew a penchant for the stick rather than carrots. Increased onus on divide-and-rule tactics would find a perfect foil in the caste system.

Caste was bureaucratized like never before as the British used policies to discriminate against certain castes and create enmity between different ones.

Religion too was used to powerful effect with the bloody conclusion of incitement being the Partition of India.

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Nov 28, 2023
The Call of Swaraj 🧵

Indian Proto-Nationalism in the Maratha Empire

While great kings such as Rana Sanga, Krishna Devaraya, Lachit Borphukan, Mihira Bhoja, and others all resisted the Islamic advance, there is one ruler who stands out.

The Tiger of the Deccan, Shivaji Bhonsle possessed a vision that would become the prototype of Indian nationalism centuries later.

At 15 years of age, Shivaji sought to create a “Hindavi Swaraj” or a country based on the self-rule of Hindus.

This is a stark ideological departure from previous Hindu kings primarily attached to land or caste, with a recent exception being from the still smoldering ruins of an adjacent Vijayanagara, an empire that, in many ways, is an ideological antecedent for the Marathas.
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After a bit of dancing between vassal and rebel for the Adilshahi Sultanate and Mughal Empire, Shivaji launched his mission for self-rule.

What initially began as a territorial tussle soon evolved into a war for survival as Aurangzeb sought to eradicate the Marathas from root to branch.

The Western Ghats would soon roar “Har, Har Mahadev!” as Maratha guerrilla tactics made the hills appear to have eyes and bushes possessing swords sharpened by the armor of Mughal soldiers.

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The reality of Maratha sovereignty would strive for Shivaji’s dream Hindavi Swaraj as the Marathas looked to free the Ganga and the Indus from the clutches of those they saw as foreigners of the land and oppressors of their religion.

Shivaji would appeal to Hindu kings to rebel against the “Turk.” His descendants would reaffirm this call as they blew the conch of war becoming a saffron sea across the subcontinent.

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The Scourge of the Sultanates 🧵

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This contrasted with the levels of religious persecution and conflict that appeared as Islam entered India. Waves of Islamic invasions from Central Asia would leave parts of India as wastelands.

Temples were destroyed and looted, Hindus were enslaved and carried off to the steppe, and many Indians were faced with the choice of conversion or death.

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Across their own chronicles, Islamic invaders gloat about the terror they wrought upon India and its unbelievers.

A holy war envelops each campaign into the subcontinent. The killings of Hindus and the looting of their temples are recounted with glee and pride.

When Turks actually started to settle in India, they would adopt a caste system of their own, this time based on ethnicity, with Turks and other Muslim Middle Eastern ethnicities at the top.

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