Drafts by Moulindra Dirghangi
The long nineteenth century as it is often called is in every way a build up to the radical and a... more The long nineteenth century as it is often called is in every way a build up to the radical and abrupt events of the twentieth. The wave of changes that was unveiled at the stroke of the French Revolution had its culmination in the Second World War. The nineteenth century, however, with its intricacies and cultural, technological and ideological sophistication very much an era of its own. It was an age of conflict-between the forces of continuity and the forces of change. The old guard in the shape of age old institutions like the church, aristocracy and monarchy had not yet made way. But new challengers were already making their presence felt. These were in the form of spread of trade and industrialism, a more intense urban life with huge population growth as well as the new ferment of ideas like nationalism, liberalism and romanticism. It was also an age of contrasts-between a developed West and an East that may charitably be called incipient. Politically too, Europe at this time was divided into larger and smaller states. There were other communities searching for identities. It was only through shrewd diplomacy that the bigger states maintained their dominance while ensuring general peace through a " balance of power " that only hung by the thread. Such protracted and muffled tensions could and indeed did create explosions in future. For now, everyone was content seeing it ooze out occasionally. We can delve now into the exact nature of the conditions that forged this epoch, the situations that persisted in the early years. As we see it was time of growing prosperity for some, especially the maritime powers. Not just the reputed once like England, France and Spain but Prussia, Sweden and Russia saw great escalation of merchant shipping in the late eighteenth century. However, quite strangely internal economy hardly could get the benefits of this. Here, Agriculture remained traditional. There were pockets underdevelopment in most countries and this laid growing disparities in most states. This was as true of France with the lushness of Normandy and barrenness of Brittany as it was of Spain. The Physiocrats of France of course did their bit in professing new techniques of development. Industry became a main employing entity leading to tides of migrations that would
Book Reviews by Moulindra Dirghangi
A commenatary on Marc Ferro seminal treatise on First World War.
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Drafts by Moulindra Dirghangi
Book Reviews by Moulindra Dirghangi