Shubh Ganatantra Diwas (Republic Day) to all!🇮🇳🙏
Centuries before Greece supposedly became the birthplace of democracy (6th c. BCE), the Aitareya Brahmana (1000 BCE) describes the Svarājya Constitution of democratic government for a self-ruling republic prevailing in Bharat.
This Constitution calls the leader of a Svarājya govt. as Svarāt - literally “Self-ruler”. He/she was elected solely on merit by a Gana (council) of other citizens who were all considered equals (sadri'sah sarve). Svarājya government prevailed among Nichyas & Apachyas of W. India
Svarājya government prevailed all over N. India earlier during the time of Yajurveda. This means that a democratic form of government with a Constitution based on equality of all citizens, regardless of creed was invented & practiced by Indians centuries before the Greeks.
References:
Hindu Polity, A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times
(Parts I and II) - By K.P. Jayaswal
(First image in tweet is of a carved ivory miniature Dharma pillar, from Chandraketugarh, Bengal - 300 BCE)
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Vijayanagar (1336–1646 AD) was one of the greatest Hindu empires of India. When N.India was enslaved by Islamic savagery, Vijayanagar followed Hindu tradition to empower women with education, property rights, & financial/administrative control. #OurTrueHistory @ShefVaidya
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Inscriptions, historical texts & foreign traveler's accounts describe the women of Vijayanagar as possessing property & financial independence. Many donated property to worthy causes such as temple improvements, civil works & welfare schemes. Others volunteered their services.
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Women were educated from a young age to become literate in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, etc.. The great king Krishnadevaraya himself patronized several female writers and poets & encouraged centers of learning. Women authors wrote timeless Kavyas & literature during this era
Amazingly, in his Aṣṭādhyāyī, Pāṇini (5th c. BCE) describes the use of "Parpa" as a wheelchair for disabled person. A person using a Parpa was called a Parpika. It is also referred to as a pitha-sarpi in the Vajasaneya Samhita of the Athravaveda & the Jatakas.
Described as a chair with a rectangular seat frame & standing on two wheels, a pillow was placed on the seat. Often the seat frame was decorated with accessories such as beads. This shows that differently abled people were respected & accommodated in ancient Hindu society
References:
Nāgārjunakoṇḍā: A Cultural Study
By K. Krishna Murthy
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This marble Murti of Lord Brahma was broken in 8 pieces, torso removed, desecrated & plundered by Mahmud of Ghazni from a Hindu temple he destroyed. It was discovered by the Italian Archaeological Mission in 1957 while excavating the ruins of Ghazni’s palace in Afghanistan.
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The face was completely worn away - destroyed by thousands of feet stepping on it to mark Islamic supremacy over Hinduism. Following Islamic tradition, Mahmud had buried it under a doorway, so Muslims would constantly step on it as an act of ultimate humiliation for Hindus.
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Countless plundered Hindu artifacts like this Murti were abducted by Ghazni to be trampled upon. The Italian team stated that the find represented “an un-hoped for & stimulating evidence of trophies brought to Ghazni from India, following the triumphs of the Ghaznavids.”
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Could today’s technology exist without the invention of number systems, zero, decimals, algebra, trigonometry, algorithms, etc.? Many historians credit Arab scholars, for these ideas, but Arab records themselves reveal that they learnt these concepts from the Hindus of India.
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As far back as 772 CE, a great Indian astronomer visited the Baghdad court of Caliph al-Mansur. He shared astronomy & math formulas from the Brahma-Sphuta-Siddhanta of Brahmagupta(~628 CE). Famous astronomer Al-Fazari translated it - in a book called “Al-Sindhind al-Kabir”
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Concepts from Brâhma-Sphuta-Siddhânta of Brahmagupta & Sûrya-Siddhânta, were translated from Persian into Arabic in a book called Al-Sindhind al-Kabir” referring to Al-Kabîr (great) & "sindhind" as “centuries of centuries”. The astronomical tables were called "zij as- Shah"
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Many Hindus think Christmas is a time of good cheer & celebrate with Christmas pudding/fruitcake made with currants, raisins, candied peels & fruits soaked in brandy and rum. But this innocuous seeming pudding hides the sordid tale of Britain’s colonial imperialism & racism.
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Christmas pudding was earlier called Empire Pudding. It was created by the British empire to show dominance across all its enslaved colonies. Designed as be a culinary symbol, it was a showcase of the consolidated power of the British Empire over its conquered territories.
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Aside from flour & beer, no other ingredients in the dish came from British soil. Empire Pudding was a showcase of misappropriated wealth of ingredients from across the colonies. It was to serve as a symbol of the ultimate tribute by the colonized.
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Priyanka Gandhi says“Empowerment doesn't mean a gas cylinder or a toilet. It means self-reliance. Women should be able to decide their own priorities, make their own life & fight against all exploitation.”
Have LPG or toilets have made any difference to India’s women?
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In 2017 an FSG study funded by Shell Foundation revealed 80% of rural women use biomass fuel to cook. They spent almost 4.5 hours daily on cooking & related activities. Most of this time was spent on gathering & preparing biomass fuels which are highly inefficient to cook with.
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The study found that women using LPG for cooking spent 3 hours less than those who used biomass fuels. LPG users saved 1 hour of cooking time, 1.5 hours on gathering cooking fuels & 1/2 hour on cleaning less dirty utensils. Does 3 hours extra every day not enable self-reliance?