Numerous citations are provided which suggest India had a highly evolved society with deep knowledge.
Shri Khandavalli Satya Deva Prasad’s book “Interrogating Macaulay’s Children” introduces Mr Macualay with his unscrupulous commentary “Minute” on Hindu Society and knowledge system in the early 19th century.
The Author then astutely uses the references to the great knowledge system in Hindu society from the literary works of various western scholars to systematically refute arguments put forth in “Minute”. Some of these literary volumes from western scholars even predate the infamous “Minute”, which speaks volumes about Mr Macaulay’s erudition (or lack of it). It is established in the book beyond any reasonable doubt that Mr Macaulay whose insight on India is anyways a suspect, but his motives are rather ill-intentioned and full of deceit.
The author cites references from ancient Greek and Arabic literature which extol ancient Indian system of maritime commerce, knowledge of geography, shipbuilding and quality of good manufactured.
Numerous other citations are provided which suggest India had a highly evolved society with deep knowledge of medicine, natural sciences, mathematics and engineering like the world had not seen in that era. Enough evidence has been provided to tell the knowledge disseminated from India has led the west through the Industrial Revolution, Renaissance and inventing modern-day medicine.
The author also mentions how such a developed society that survived the massive onslaught from Arabs, Parsi, Turks and other barbaric tribes couldn’t continue to sustain under British misrule because of artificially engineered famines, deliberate epidemics and divisive politics.
Finally, the title “Interrogating Macaulay’s Children” is aptly justified as this book does question today’s metaphorical Macaulay’s Children aka “the liberals” whether they can believe what scanty they learnt in their convent education about India just 2 centuries ago.
Review by Sundeep Raikhelkar on Amazon