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Science and Knowledge as a Tool of Subjugation Perspectives of European Colonialism in India

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Title Science and Knowledge as a Tool of Subjugation Perspectives of European Colonialism in India
 
Creator P.A., SABAREESH
A.L., REETA SONY
 
Subject Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Gurukulas
Philosophy
Mahatma Gandhi
Rabindranath Tagore
Dharampal
European Colonialism
Renaissance
 
Description 177-190
The development of science as an integral part of society is
evolutionary and goes hand in hand with the prosperity of the
human intellect, resources available and the freedom accorded the
society to think and prosper. India’s scientific heritage had
reached its pinnacle in its own perspectives that are difficult to
compare with western philosophy and thinking. The underpinning
of India-centric eastern philosophies that knowledge i.e. truth can
be approached by diverse means had epistemologically led to the
evolutionof wide array of methodologies and inculcation of
multidisciplinary learning processes in India’s indigenous
education system. Hence science has historically been an
inevitable aspect of India’s education curriculum since the ancient
and medieval periods. Though the Islamic invasions and European
colonisation of the Indian sub-continent during the medieval
period were resisted, they had caused tantrums in the regular and
active functioning of society and had therefore disrupted societal
components such as education, economy and trade, culture, polity,
agriculture, taxation system, etc. as there had been various
external factors and tools such as colonisation, imperialism,
mercantilism, exploitation, monopolistic trade, loot, slavery,
inquisitions, violence, genocide, etc. that influenced the internal
affairs thereby causing subjugation of the Indian minds.
The pursuit of science and technology as a tool with an
unethical intention to subjugate the Indian sub-continent and its
polity has been explored in this paper. The introduction of the
telegraph, railways and steam ships as a means of faster communication and transportation for militaristic, political and
trade purposes proves that scientific superiority wasalso a means
of subjugation by the European colonial powers, particularly the
British. The paper also explores how the distortion of history,
unethical misappropriation of India’s knowledge systems and
dismantling of indigenous education concepts and structures such
as gurukulas and patshalas by cutting off rural financial
mechanisms through the adverse taxation system and the
introductionof urban-based western education system had
ultimately led to the subjugation of India’s national conscience.
 
Date 2022-09-15T06:11:32Z
2022-09-15T06:11:32Z
2022-09
 
Type Article
 
Identifier ISSN: 2278-2788 (Print); 2278-2796 (Online)
http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/60498
https://doi.org/10.56042/jst.v10i3.59793
 
Language en
 
Publisher NIScPR-CSIR,India
 
Source JST Vol.10(3) [July-September 2022]