The first two programs in the Story of India series will be shown on PBS tonight. As someone who has seen all of episodes, I highly recommend the series. Not only did I like it, but most of the critics out there do as well. Here are a few reviews:
The first two programs in the Story of India series will be shown on PBS tonight. As someone who has seen all of episodes, I highly recommend the series. Not only did I like it, but most of the critics out there do as well. Here are a few reviews:
I had a chance to watch the complete episodes of Michael Wood’s “The Story of India”, which was originally telecast in the BBC and then recently aired in American public television. Many of us must have seen or else read a printed book copy of that work by now. As you know, the documentary was an attempt to outline the history of the great Indian civilization. Of course, Mr. Wood should be well appreciated for his sincere and hard efforts to draw an outline of the major events. That too within a limited time frame. The work is also credited by good photography and considerable research.
However, to my deep dismay I found that the version was fundamentally Euro-centric. I do not blame the British author for his views, as most of us Indians even today shamelessly relish those theories invented by our colonial masters and teach our kids to by heart the same (in schools) (I do not mean any insult to the British!). The Aryan Invasion theory (DNA studies and reliable archeological and linguistic evidences now prove it to be a grant myth!) is the central amongst them. Remember that this is the sole theory (invented by the British (to be exact Max Mueller)) that shattered Indian pride in their ancestry and in themselves, made them ridicule their own religion or way of life, led to the up rise of racial jingoism in Germany leading to Nazi sponsored slaughtering , and even today continues its factional effects in the name of Dravidian Nationalism in India(separate Dravidian race/nation: again proven to be a myth, by several independent genetic studies and archeological evidences; many political parties in south India, often whip up this false pride for political mileage). Till recently I was under the impression that many of us knew the fact that these theories have been falsified beyond doubt. However, I was shocked to find that almost none to whom I talked to, believed that the Aryan invasion theory was a myth (or at least they shook their head as if agreeing (unconvincingly) just to make me happy!). It would have been nice if Mr. Wood had considered the recent and reliable archeological evidences while trying to draw the real story of India. Kindly see the following links that outline some facts:
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/aryan/aryan_frawley.html
http://micheldanino.voiceofdharma.com/indus.html
http://www.archaeologyonline.net/artifacts/aryan-invasion-history.html
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