BY Pragyansharma Polavarapu
PART ONE
The story
of development of parliamentary democracy in world is very interesting . Now we
see every country in world supporting democracy, elections and parliamentary
procedures. It is interesting to note that the nobles in old England 800 Years
ago fought a war with an
autocratic and authoritarian king John(1166-1216) and made him to sign their charter of demands(the famed “Magna Carta” ). The demands
of nobles were that the king should not unnecessarily interfere in their work and should not imprison them , that the king should fully protect the
rights of church and nobles and should consult the powerful nobles before
imposing taxes on people or before spending public money for personal use of
king. Thus was formed the House of Lords i.e. a powerful assembly of nobles. Later some other powerful aristocrats and rich merchants created another assembly (which became the “House of Commons”) and forced the later kings of England to take the permission of both the Houses to impose taxes, to decide how public money is spent and to decide how
much of public money can be used by king
for his own expenses and luxuries, to
decide whether and when a war with a foreign nation was to be fought and when a treaty with foreign nations is to
be made etc . Both the Houses together became the Parliament the supreme ruling body of the
country . In course of time a noble Lord,
a rich aristocrat or a rich merchant was
nominated/selected from each part of country to the lower houe ,the
House of Commons. All public matters (spending public money, imposing new
taxes, declaring war and making peace ,taking public money for king’s own
palaces etc) had to be permitted only
after open discussion and voting in the powerful lower house . It was decided
that the House of Lords can only give advice and power of House of Commoners only was supreme. Final
decisions on all important matters have to be made only in the House of Commons . Every thing had to be openly
discussed in both the houses of Parliament
and its decisions had to be followed by the ruling monarch. This two- house assembly became
famous as the Parliament. In the
beginning Prime Minister and ministers and members of the houses were all
nominated. The seats in parliament could be purchased by rich people and in this way the House of
Commons could be packed to get bogus majority .After several further deliberations
by statesmen a system of election of all
members of house of commons was
introduced. More democratic was the decision that the prime minister and cabinet ministers were chosen only from the House of Commons.
After the king chose the ablest member r as the prime minister ,the prime
minister could personally chose his cabinet of ministers to help him in
different areas of administration. Soon multi-party system was introduced and
elections were won or lost by a political party on the basis of its achievements in public service and performance in parliament. A standing
police force was created to administer
law and order in towns and villages . Some very patriotic Britons and statesmen
were thrilled by this progress of democracy and started working tirelessly to
strengthen and improve the glorious parliamentary procedures. Both the houses
of the parliament produced great orators
and public servants.The parliamentary procedures became very strict and became
laws and the high judges of courts were required to protect the parliamentary laws.
The parliament had the power to impeach
and punish even kings, prime ministers, judges, army commanders etc if they act
autocratically and illegally against prescribed parliamentary procedures.
The growth of the British parliament through centuries
was a long difficult process. Now such strict parliamentary system is
introduced in almost all countries of the world. The king/queen are given a most respected and much loved position
. But they have to work in every way as constitutional monarchs .
It is
surprising that in England politically powerful individuals and princes could
with great foresight and sense of public service and universal justice develop the parliamentary system. The
constitutional document Magna Carta of the year 1215 AD is the great proof .It
is really surprising that responsible citizens realized their duty to the
country to such an extent . They felt that duty to country is more important than loyalty to the king and
showed a strong determination to establish democratic traditions . The policy
of British government in later centuries
also --- the Napoleonic wars ,the war with Axis Powers in World War One , wars with Hitler’s Germany in World War Two etc -- show another progressive trait of British parliament. It is that a world believing in democracy should not support
dictators anywhere in the world. In 19th and 20th centuries most countries of Europe and developed countries in other regions adopted this parliamentary system.
PART TWO
However
there are other facts of history of Europe and the
West in modern age ----the
harsh colonial exploitation and harsh slave trade and long slave holding periods practiced
by many European and western countries for two centuries or more . In fact the
modern continent- wide wars and existence of huge standing armies ,navies and air arsenal
all are direct result of western competition and race to establish colonies all over the world to get
cheap raw materials for their factories and cheap labour. All this is ---to say
simply ,for now --is another matter.
England,perhaps because
of the hardworking nature of its people, quickly progressed to become a
great military and maritime power and became agriculturally rich . In many
respects England led Europe for
centuries in many fields. Britain’s weather
is modified by the vast waters of the seas
which surround it. The endless Atlantic
ocean touches it on the west side.The area of entire British Isles (Great
Britain and Republic of Ireland ) is not too cold though situated in northern
latitudes . Also no interior part of south England is very far from sea and the
people are said to love the sea and fishing .It is said that throughout the
year , for a few days at a stretch ,
rainy and cloudy weather persists in
most of southern England . The land, not only in south England but also
Scotland and Ireland ,has lot of eye-filling greenery throughout the year . The
land in southern England is said to be very fertile and agriculture developed
on a large scale. No wonder the country produced great nature poets and the
novels contain long nature descriptions!.
A brief history of great Britain particularly in the
Middle Ages is given below. Great literary works are created and survive
through ages only when they directly or indirectly refer to the joys and
sorrows of the period in which they lived. The events however are not in strict chronological order .But they
roughly show how a rural agriculture conservative society transformed
itself into a modern society and acquired a role of leadership .
(1)After the
spirituality and high morality of Lord Jesus’s
message first spread in British Isles (through the teachings of early Irish
monks ) British society changed into a
nation of hard working conservative religious minded people but still remained entirely rural oriented. The anglo-saxon
kings brought great progress in the south . King Alfred the great unified
southern England and helped in creating a powerful Anglo-Saxon identity . The lands of
Scotland and Ireland developed their Celtic culture and identities in their
beautiful mountainous and forested lands .
It appears that the people of entire
British Isles (England, Scotland and Ireland) remained as a simple beautiful rural society for centuries .
(2) A great
change came after the Norman invasion of William the conqueror in 1066. He
entirely replaced the Anglo-Saxon ruling groups ,princes , military leaders and
farmers with Norman people and
distributed vast land property to them. . His successors too were harsh rulers.
French became the favoured court language.
The royal court and royal palace became sybols of French urban culture which was similar to Roman imperial urban
culture. The
old Germanic English was replalced by French. However in a few decades the
difference between Anglo-Saxon
and Norman cultures disappeared. The Normans were absorbed in the Anglo-Saxon culture
of the land.
(3)A new
powerful English identity developed. Now onwards England became deeply involved
in European politics and dynastic wars and was also a deeply religious medieval
state with Roman Catholic leanings. Printing press was invented in 1440 AD and
helped to supply the printed Holy Bible to every liitle church. In European countries magnificent
churches came up . Magnificient universities were established since 11th
century. It is said that by 1500 AD
about 80 universities were established in Europe! Serious learning expanded among youth by leaps
and bounds.
(4) The Protestant
revolution in Christian religion was a most important Europe-wide moral movement started in early
16th century. Protestantism reinvented and vigorously propagated high spiritual and moral values in ordinary society.It
is said that in those times corruption entered the Christian church and the church
teachings were becoming routine and inspiring lacking spirituality . Protestant
and Roman Catholic parts of religion became entirely separate . England under the
autocratic authoritarian king Henry, the Eighth gave firm support to Protestant
religion for his own personal reasons . England took active part in European politics , religious wars and
crusades etc.
(5)
Renaissance (rediscovery of the ancient magnificent Greek roots of European
culture) occurred during the late 13th century. The Renaissance
spirit in European literature , art, sculpture
and architecture gave a great new artistic foundation to European culture . Renaissance
art and philosophy deeply affected the English cultural and literary scene
also.
(6)16th
and 17th centuries saw great progress in modern scientific
discoveries in Europe.(Earlier since 2000 or 3000 years or more there were already great fundamental discoveries in mathematics
and astronomy)
(7) The
age of great sea voyages, circumnavigation
of earth, geographical discoveres of new
lands etc began in late 15th
century.Soon from 16th century European wars for domination over the seas
begagan.
(8)There
were also extremely great calamities –long
famines. In 14th century resulting in vast
reduction in population and deaths of great
numbers of cattle.The horrible Black
Death in mid 14th century (due to plague originating from rats moving in ships
from distant lands) killed almost one third of population in Europe.
(9) With
active support and encouragements from kings ,the rich aristocratic and noble families all over Europe competed from
15th century onwards
to build naval vessels to control large scale sea trade. There was competition
to establish overseas colonies . Huge armed forces and navies were created . There
were wars between naval powers in Europe beginning in 17th century .
In the beginning, Portugese and Italian (Venecian) naval vessels dominated . Later
navies of Spain, Holland, France and England competed to dominate the seas and to control sea trade .Finally
it was the British navy which won
domination of seas building fast vessels with modern technology.
All these happenings are not given in strict
chronological order . All these happenings brought great change in minds
of people.
(1)There
were great intellectual changes and cultural changes in the period. All the
major European languages—English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, German etc developed fast into modern languages with rich literary
traditions. During Renaissance the magnificent old culture, art, philosophy, mythology
of ancient Greece were all rediscovered. Christian philosophy and art on the
one hand and the most beautiful ancient philosophy and art of ancient Greece on
the other amalgamated and created the modern western art and philosophy.
(2) A great revolution
in all European literature took place during
the long medieval ages perhaps through
hundreds of years .European
literatures acquired a modern
tinge.modern English literature as we now know in poetry drama and heavy
classic prose started to develop in 15th and 16th
centuries .The great works of Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton, Dryden etc
brought great beauty and philosophical
depth to English literature.The later “Romantic Movement”,a revolution
modernizing literary creations, occurred under leadership of great poets like S.T.Coleridge, William Wordsworth, Keats,
Shelley , Lord Byron etc. Alexander Pope translated the Greek epics Iliad and
Odyssey into classic English poetic style. Soon revolution in English prose
writing came with “Dictionary Johnson” (Dr Samuel Johnson) with a dictatorial
,authoritative ,classic style of prose writing,
the “Spectator” essayists and the latter wonderful Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott and many others. Soon there were many other stalwarts adorning prose writing –essay, novel, history etc.
*******
In the 19th and 20 the centuries the
British Empire became the world's leading political
and military power. From historical view point also it was the largest empire in world history. This was
because of its vast industrial base, naval power and its leadership in
technological and educational fields.There were vast
colonial markets. But particularly after World War II due to economic
challenges, powerful nationalist movements in colonies particularly in the vast
sub-continent of India and due to strain maintaining colonies in far corners of
the world there was decline.
the United States and the Soviet Union emerged
as as superpowers and overshadowed Great Britain.
PART THREE
My interest
in English language is not limited to novels and poetry. My main real
interest,in spite of my work in a commercial job , is reading physics and chemistry books! I worked for 35
years in a commercial department not related to science . But this only made
my attachment to science(physics and chemistry) the greater .
I am not a professional devotee of English literature but only a general admirer of English
literature. My father was a famed high school headmaster and a famed English
teacher. He taught also world geography, world history, European history,
Indian history . In our house we had
illustrated English story books and some abridged children’s
novels as well as some
fat books on lives of British kings
and British prime ministers(perhaps very old books of my father’s
college days) . There were also old nice
little books(“printed in London”) on world geography and world history. When I
was in high school classes and father long retired---(it was in the
late 1940s when the British government
was winding up in India)-- he occasionally told me stories from
history of Great Britain and interesting topics of world geography . This
created lot of interest in me about Europe and old British history .
I remember
that after retirement of father – (when all our family lived together in house
of our elder brother in a beautiful town on the banks of river Godavari in
south India)—I remember father relaxing in an easy chair with eyes closed in
deep thought and would make me read
aloud from a book a long English poem of many stanzas , an essay in world
geography,an essay about a British monarch etc. I remember well, in earlier lower
school days he would make me recite beautiful poems about Hindu gods Lord Rama
and Lord Krishna while he did gardening in the vast home garden at the back of
our government-provided house . There
were exercises in a grammar book in which every question
contained reference to some incidents in ancient Greek and Roman history or
English history. All these created in me an immense interest in world history,
world geography and European mythology .
Our high school too was wonderful (simply
wonderful). At school a huge interest in science was created by our short
and stout science teacher. He and other science teachers demonstrated wonderful
experiments in physics and chemistry and explained botany and biology through
big colored wall charts.
Father was
like a spinx and mastered both ancient eastern and western philosophies. After
retirement he appeared outwardly like a very
conservative person of old generation but was greatly respected and loved in all our
families for his vast knowledge.
My elder
brother (more than 15 years older and eldest
among us ) in contrast was a doctor ,
trained for 6,7 years in Madras city (now
Chennai) . He was a serious reserved westernized person. But at heart he was also kind . Children
feared to go near him as he was so
silent absorbed in the English newspaper or in the English newscasts coming from the big band radio on the table .
He was admired in our families for his very reserved, silent ways. Sometimes in
afternoon tea time quite heated arguments on matters of Indian Independence struggle and international wars etc took place between father and brother. They
were mostly conducted in English and I thoroughly enjoyed those debates
!
***
I was ready
for college. At this time all of us ,except our brother’s family, migrated to a
distant historic city near Hyderabad,south
India . It was about 400 kilometers from our native place .My elder sister
,after training in Hyderabad, secured a job as a rural educational supervisor
in the government department focused on rural uplift and modernization of
agriculture. The districts were strictly divided into “Blocks” for intensive
development . The requirements of every single farmer were minutely attended
–from soil testing, irrigation, loans, seeds, pesticides, fertilizers etc to marketing the produce . Officers with
degrees from agricultural science colleges
were appointed to take care of the “Block”. These programs ,introduced by the national
Indian government after independence,
were a great success and were highly popular . My revered elder sister retired as a
district level women welfare officer.
***
I joined a
great well established degree college in the beautiful quiet historic city. I still treat my college
as the best in world—majestic
buildings and limitless play grounds, great professors and great labs and
fashion conscious students and professors! I consider college days as precious.
In early
college days I would take an
extreme western view of things and would sometimes
venture to argue with father. But it was all of no effect like
little rain drops on a huge rocky mountain side . Father was an ocean of both
eastern and western knowledge and was spinx like. Soon I realized and accepted
my utter defeat and started only to admire him! For a few years
while we were in city father assisted college students with English
and subjects like economics and international affairs . He was active and
physically strong till the last day and
passed away suddenly and plunged the family in sorrow.
*****
The great
attraction created in me towards English language and
literature in school days by my revered
father continued in college times. At college we had most wonderful
and eccentric professors. To me they appeared like philosophers
and orators right out of the Spectator Club of Addison and
Steele and from the times of legendary
Dr Samuel Johnson. They were erudite and great inspiring professors. One English professor would often
get so absorbed with the story of the novel (Mayor of Castorbridge
of Thomas hardy )that he would gesture with raised arms
and speak aloud some of the dialogues in
the novel in a dramatic
way. Most proffessors were dressed in very stylish
western suites . The big reputed college overflowed
with fashion . We had also nice big science labs , nicely
kept botanical garden and a nice tennis court. One
professor was eccentric and reminded of Sir Roger de
Coverly(Spectator club). Another fashionable young lecturer(an Anglo- Indian )
reminded me of Donald Farfrae the young dashing wheat merchant in “The Mayor of Castorbridge”! In this and many
of his other novels Thomas Hardy gives
beautiful description of old rural England of pre-Industral Revolution times.
He makes a fine study of the old British
rural society. His novels are mostly tragic stories blaming the “Fates”
and resemble the
ancient Greek tragiic dramas. The novelist had
unsurpassed skill in creating the old rural scenes
–the horse carriages loaded with bags of corn and toiling rural
folks walking gossiping on the village roads in thered evenings on roads lined with high
trees.
*****
Ours is
a religious minded Hindu family steeped since childhood in Ramayana
and Mahabharata mythologies which molded Hindu society for 2000
years.I realized that Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are much like our
Ramayana and Mahabharata and molded to a great extent western sense
of art and philosophy alongside high Christian morality. The west had Homer who
composed Iliad and Odyssey and we in India had great divine sages Valmiki and Vyasa
(the creatoes of Ramayana and
mahabharatha respectively)
. Lord
Buddha too guided India for 2000 years and every young intellectual in India
from ancient to modern times is inspired by His radiant personality
and sweet philosophy. In modern times too india great philosophers and
intellectuals like Rabindranath Tagore , Swamy Vivekananda and Sri
Arobindo and many other mighty intellects like dr s.radhakrishnan (ex-President
of India ) and C.Rajagopalachari (India’s
last Governor general while India was still in British Commonwealth)
***
For an year
I was out of science college after the first year sudy. I failed in my trials to join an reputed engineering
college and after that due to
many long absences I lost an entire year in science
degree course. During that free year I
daily visited the big district library
which was very near our house. It was for me like a university introducing me
to the ocean of English literature and international political and science
magazines available in plenty in the library. We had English newspapers at our
house for decades but the world of classical English novels, bulky and weighty
Encyclopedias and international political magazines available in the library greatly
attracted me. The library was a gold mine of English books.
After my
physics degree I joined “temporarily” in
a job in a government commercial department
thinking I would be in it only for a few
months and would then join a physics research
laboratory. But it did not happen and the work in office was suffocating. I
continued for ever in the commercial department ( post office accounting job)
till I retired after 35 years. But that work too was top interesting and public
service intensive. As if to take “revenge” against the world which did not give
me a physics research job in a big physics laboratory ,I decided solemnly to
become a popular science writer. I purchased several science volumes and popular
science paper backs and did become a science blog publisher also wrote essays in ancient philosophy, British history
and children’s science. I felt as satisfied as providing myself a science job
and fully entering the fairy land of science .
Now a little
about my visits to the big District Central Library near our house. I,a lonely withdrawn person and a
book warm , almost daily visited the big library. As time progressed my
interest in both English literature and science (physics and chemistry) grew.
I enjoyed
reading science books and science paperbacks to be able to write high quality articles.
At home, on the computer which we soon purchased I consulted online
encyclopedias every day for a few hours and visited science and English
literature sites . This helped me to
publish my blog confidently.
****
We had in
our house a big tome about British history written by a famed British
historian. We had a book of lives of British kings and British prime ministers.
The history book created in my mind a reel of stories about distinguished British
personalities of last two or three centuries. We had an old tome of Shakespeare’s
plays . Though the binding was
badly damaged the book attracted me tremendously as no
other book could . It contained most delicate art created
by a colossal intellect. I
got it re-bound and put it in my shining
book rack.
I was hooked by a most
interesting journal the “Reader’s Digest” containing thrilling western science
and adventure stories . I was tremendously attracted by the Time American magazine
which published interviews with Presidents, Prime Ministers
,Generals and world’s leading scientists, industrialists etc done by leading
international correspondents . The correspondent could travel in the presidential plane to interviww the
US president . Senior scholarly editors interviewed the prime ministers, generals ,scientists etc. Thus
I strayed from a science job. I became a member of the library’s readers club and regularly borrowed and took home classical English novels and other
books like Sir Nigel, life of Mary Queen of Scots, Talisman(sir Walter Scott) ,
Razor’s Edge(Somerset Maugham) etc. Of course I immensely enjoyed
reading also the great books on ancient
Hindu philosophy written in English by distinguished Indian intellectuals .
***
After joining
in government service I made it a point to purchase a
good book (science, adventure etc )every month . There was no looking back in
my knowledge gathering – in fields of science, English literature
and English history.
After
television came it is hourly hearing of international news . After
retirement ,my main vocation was writing in computer files and folders small
article on science, philosophy, religion ,computer science etc . and publishing in my own blog.
PART FOUR
A
PHILOSOPHIC THOUGHT
All the
knowledge in the world in all fields-- science, medicine, engineering, government,
philosophy, spirituality—is available in English language. English
language has become the “club room” for world’s
intellectuals to do research in every field to improve human life.
Now in
21st century we think of whole planet earth as one family, one village
,one lone boat load of people floating
in the ocean of Outer Space .Literature of every country on earth has
some gems of high morality, high philosophy, great poetry and great heroism. In
a century or two all philosophies and literatures of world would surely merge
to become a single river of world philosophy and world
literature . Science is already an international river of knowledge
–same science and technology being taught world over in
all universities.
The biggest
intellectuals of the world should devote a full century of time to
develop a common pool of world literature. All gems of world
literature should be translated into English and two or three
other world languages. In the coming centuries --a golden age of
peace, friendship, prosperity, morality and scientific
thinking will dawn over the
world . One feels that English language ,with such base of good
literature , can serve as one of the platforms and foundations for
creaing a world literature and world
philosophy.
Life
500,600 years back on this planet was entirely different from what we see now.
It is now jet travel ,personal cars, computers and
TVs. If only we can avoid nuclear wars, we can create a heaven on
earth using science and technology and develop an international stream of art, poetry, philosophy and spirituality.
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