Beginnings
(59 min)
Episode 2
The Power of Ideas
(59 min)
Wood presents in the documentary (DVD) The Stroy of India:
For over two millennia, India has been at the centre of world history. But how did India come to be? What is India? These are the big questions behind this intrepid journey around the contemporary subcontinent.
In this landmark series, historian and acclaimed writer Michael Wood embarks on a dazzling and exciting expedition through today's India, looking to the present for clues to her past, and to the past for clues to her future. The journey takes the viewer through majestic landscapes and reveals some of the greatest monuments and artistic treasures on Earth. From Buddhism to Bollywood, from mathematics to outsourcing, Michael Wood discovers India's impact on history - and on us.
For over two millennia, India has been at the centre of world history. But how did India come to be?
1 comment:
I would rate this -10 if possible! It's full of pretty photography a la NGC and stupid interviews of street vendors and equally ignorant, half-knowing people. It's full of personal impressions and gives very little of factual information. less than what could fit in a 30min documentary.
This so called "Documentary" is spectacularly superficial. Hides millions of atrocities that the British caused in south Asia (for example financial frauds with kings, cheatings, forceful conversions by the so called "fathers").
More Surprisingly Mr. Wood does not mention one single freedom fighter from India apart from Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah!! No Phule, No Gokhale, No Tilak. No Ambedkar. No Netaji. No Azad. No Bhagatsingh, No Lajpat Ray, No Savarkar!! And each of these names have to perhaps have an episode in a real “story of India”
Even Gandhi comes in one sentence without any mention of his three biggest ideas (Civil Disobedience, “Chale Jao, British” (British Leave Now!) or Sattyagraha). And no reflection on how he influenced the world – Non-violence/Influence on American History etc.!
It completely neglects the important overseas connections of the freedom struggle - like the Gadar party in USA. It neglects role of social reformist movements like Raja Rammohan Roy, Brahmo Samaj, Vidyasagar, Agarkar, Vivekananda, M N Roy and does not even a passing mention Ravindranath Tagore - the first Indian Nobel prize winner and his role in educating Indians.
It does not even mention the role Indians played in First and Second world war.
But very "cutely" it showcases a very "adorable" old historian - whose ancestors worked for British and (hence??) he justifies the British raj in one sentence saying the British gave India its geographical unity!
Thank God, it does not show that the British built the Himalayas for the sake of poor Indians and brought Monsoon with them!
In a very sugar-coated way, the director, claims to love Indian root culture and completely bypasses the large portions of history. Is BBC bent on re-writing Indian history?
Earlier episode 5, completely neglects the Maratha Empire, the Rajput fighters, the Sikh Rebels and Tipu, and the last Mughal emperor who was cheated and forcefully exiled.
It mentions Rani Lakshmibai as "Rani Jhansi" (as if her name was Jhansi!) and cleverly hides what happened to her! (Lord Dalhousie annexed her kingdom with a fraudulent claim saying her adopted son cannot be a heir!)
...and hundreds of other kingdoms that were completely eaten up forcefully by the so called "Queen".
British - barring some glaring exceptions - never treated Indians as even a civilization - forget the vast achievements in literally every field of human activity.
...as for the "united" geographical map, it is torn in three pieces courtesy British. Two of those will perhaps never reconcile and both have already gained Nuclear powers!
Some other examples of British "looting" were the Koh-E-Noor and many historically important pieces and jewelry that lie in London's museums and the reduction in India's share in the World Trade ~23% before British (largest in the world) to less than 1%, the vast number of forceful conversions ! No mention of any of these? I wonder why...
The BBC is trying to completely shrug off the burden of historic blunders that the British people have made, but the world knows better and more than a one hour documentary spanning 200 years of "British efforts of building a united India" as the episodes try to portray!
Post a Comment