"British Vs Muslim Rule In India"

         When we talk about "Struggle for Independence", we almost always refer to our movements against British rule. We always maintain that, British occupation is the most dreadful thing that happened to us , in India. Yes, it is true that, during the time the freedom movement took momentum it was British who was ruling over India. I also agree and take cognizant about the drain of wealth from India to England and all the atrocities for which British can be held responsible.

               Think  about  preceding  800  years,  when  India  was ruled  by  the  Arabs  and Turkish  slaves. Think about the 17  times  raid  done  by  Mahmud  of  Ghazni and the amount of wealth he siphoned out of India He alone took away 100 times more wealth than the British could in 200 years (If interested read my posting on that chronicle or request to reproduce) . He never settled here but built his capital Ghazni, with 700 million Gold coin, the Wealth looted from us. Even Mohammed Ghori ruled from Kabul and Babur resented that he had to live in Delhi. Humayun spent all most all his life in Iran. Most of the Muslim ruler had their one foot in India and the other foot in Iraq,Istanbul or Uzbekistan (like many of their descendants even now) .

                         What they did?? They sent the looted wealth on the horse or Camel's back. They enslaved Hindus and transported them to their country of origin (12 millions of them are still roaming as stateless persons in Eastern Europe--Roma people). They built their own Capitals like Ghazni, Samarkhand and Istanbul. For us they never built one hospital, one institution for education and one road (except patching up of the road which already existed from Kolkata to Lahore -- Grand trunk road). Taj Mahal, a converted Hindu temple complex into a Tomb never served any purpose except that it caused a famine due to the excessive tax imposed on poor Hindus. Muslim rule also saw a ever increasing converted Muslims ,where there was not even one before 762 AD. We also witnessed the destruction of our educational institutions like Nalanda, Taxshila and many more education center of excellence in the old world. Everything sacred to the Hindus were destroyed.

                  Can we blame the British like that ???? At least British gave us Calcutta University and many other educational institutions across India (Very few British children got educated there), Many many hospitals, Good roads, Railway , magnificent building (Parliamenet House and Rastrapati Bhawan and so many others). More over we had to borrow the British administrative system for us.

              Show me just one very good institution that the Muslims built for the use of common Indian Hindus. Identify one system that can be called as a social welfare system and administration which is common people oriented.

I am ready to learn from you, as my knowledge is not good and sufficient.

By Dr.M.K.Debnath