TARAFITS Archives - Travels, Places, Personalities & General

Meeting with MOBUTU Sese Seko

2011-04-15T01:02:00.001-07:00

Meeting with MOBUTU Sese Seko

( From Ambassador's Journal-1975)

I had just returned from Paris in October 1975 , fatigued and looking forward to some rest, but External Affairs Secretary Jagat Mehta insisted that I accompany Minister of State (MOS) Bipin Pal Das , who was undertaking a tour of seven African countries to drum up support for a seat in the UN Security Council. I could not resist the temptation of a safari across the African continent, beginning from Nairobi (Kenya) and jetting through Kinshasa ( Zaire), Lagos (Nigeria), Accra(Ghana), Abidjan (Ivory coast) and Dakar (Senegal); all of it in thirteen days. And then continuing on north east to London , before taking an Air India flight back to India.

We started from Bombay and reached Nairobi on 8th October evening. MOS Das and the delegation, which also included officials Saifullah and Dhawan, had a meeting with the Kenyan Foreign Minister and a dinner in his honour by the Kenyan host. Flying early next morning from Nairobi, we arrived a few hours later in Kinshasa, capital of Zaire after a technical halt at the airport of Burundi's capital Bujumbura, situated on lake Tanganayika. On arrival at Kinshasa situated on river Zaire, after being received by the Zairian Foreign Minister and the Indian CDA, Captain Inder Chopra, we were put up in one of the villas which like most African countries, Zaire had also constructed to house Heads of State for the Organisation of African Unity summit .The sprawling complex of villas, each with attached kitchens was comfortable, but most were empty and neglected. Every morning I had to run around and yell to get hold of the cook for the morning cup of tea.

There was a heavy and almost identical schedule for the two days stay in each capital, except Nairobi. Meetings with the host Foreign Minister , my meetings with the officials, reception for or by the Indian community and a dinner with the host Foreign Minister and the crowning audience with the Head of the State. It was a hard grind , keeping notes, preparing telegrams, messages and press hand outs. And finding time to do sight seeing. By the time we reached Dakar, I was way behind in my report making and missed out on the sights. With a heavy schedule and hot and humid climate , I became sick and was on antibiotics. But it was an enjoyable and educative tour , with a relaxed and very understanding MOS ,who did not frown if, we had a drink or two .

We waited for the most important meeting in Kinshasa with the Head of State , in this case , Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Waza Banga. Well , that was his full name and meant; the fearless warrior who will go from strength to strength leaving fire in his wake. With security already severe in most African and Arab capitals ( till early eighties one could walk into New Delhi's South Block , now converted into a citadel , literally after a nod at the Reception Officer), the audience with Mobutu was never precisely indicated and announced and cancelled at short notice many times. We were finally driven to one of his many palatial residences, three quarter an hour before ` schedule'. This palace was located on river Zaire, from which this country took its name, like so many others ( as India has from Indus- which alas is in Pakistan.) The Residence was beautiful, elegant and palatial. A large seagoing vessel was anchored at the steps leading to the river front.

After waiting in an ante-room we were ushered into Mobuto Sese Seko's presence. As usual, he was well dressed with the regulation leopard skin cap and a fly whisk, requirements of tribal kings and chiefs., which many African Heads of State sport . After the exchange of greetings, Mobutu enquired about Indira Gandhi's health , whom like all African leaders, from both sides of the cold war divide , he held in high regard and mentioned her constant struggles and ceaseless activity. After a suitable pause Mr Das , a learned teacher cum educational administrator from Assam, went on his what would appear to be rehearsed piece if ,like us you heard it tens of times ; why India a Non-aligned country and in the forefront of struggle for independence of Afro-Asian countries and fight against imperialism, colonialism and exploitation should get his vote .

Mobutu was much younger then at 44 years and alert like a leopard. After a few minutes he promptly closed his eyes and went to sleep. Mr Das went on and on for nearly half an hour , while Mobutu had his siesta. The meeting was held in the afternoon. Mobutu then opened his eyes as if he was listening carefully and promised' his vote to the special envoy of Indira Gandhi.' Mr Das thanked him and we left.

Subsequently we lost the contest to Pakistan and the guess at India's UN Mission in New York was that not all the seven African states, who had promised their vote to us had done so. The conventional wisdom in New York was ( and perhaps even now is) that votes of many African delegates could be bought , cajoled or got by blackmail.

There was a reception for the Indian community, fifty persons in all, mostly Sindhis. In spite of a full program, after dinner ( mercifully most official dinners end early), we sans MOS went to have a look at the city lights and life. In most African capitals, whatever the creed of the ruling party, by sunset one can hear drum music and the sound of swaying rhythmic beats. In our tour of the city we went by many dancing places, where young boys and girls were queuing to get in ,and into some we went in too. The beat and the rhythm was infectious. The rhythm courses through the African blood and once the drums start beating no one can resist. In Dakar I remember a Ghanaian Ambassador , who you think might collapse any moment , he was fat and ungainly, but once the beat was on, he was transformed into a dancing virtuoso.

We also had a cruise on river Zaire. It is very wide at Kinshasa, perhaps like Brahmputra in flood and across at the other bank we could see the city of Brazzaville, the capital of Congo ( former French colony).There is perhaps no other river across which two capitals are situated. Imagine capitals of India and Pakistan like that or that of Turkey and Greece.. What is now known as Congo was called Congo Brazzaville and Zaire (before 1971 was called Congo- Leopoldville , after the King of the Belgians, its colonisers). The capital Leopoldville , was christened Kinshasa. ( Mr Kabila the next war lord and the chief of state got Zaire re-christened back as the Democratic Republic of Congo)

River Congo, or Zaire is the longest river of Africa, and second in length and discharge in the world. With an area of 2.4 sq. million kms, Zaire is three/fourth India's size, with a population of over 40 million. In terms of resources, it is perhaps the richest country on the African continent. lt has huge reserves of copper, cobalt, diamonds and other minerals. Agriculturally it is rich with many rivers. It has half of Africa's and one eighth of world hydro- power potential .It is covered with rain forests so has abundance of timber. It is home to many tribes; the important ones are Bantus, Sudanese .and pygmies.

But the population has been most unlucky in its leaders. Independence in 1960, brought a civil war becoming the focus of cold war rivalry, with Soviet leaning Lumumba becoming the Prime Minister. But soon Mobutu, a former sergeant major, now the commander in chief , got Lumumba murdered. UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold was killed while flying over Zaire, in late 1960.

India has an old association with Zaire; Indian soldiers went there on a UN peacekeeping mission in 1960. Venerable Indian diplomat Rajeshwar Dayal was UN Secretay General's Representative, with the then Indian Ambassador DN Chatterjee, having chronicled his experiences of the events in a book.

Mobutu became the President in 1965 after a military coup. He took full advantage of US and West's fears of the Soviet designs in Africa and offered to act as their surrogate. The revolution and independence in the Portuguese colonies and the arrival of Cuban troops in Angola gave him a new lease of life, with Mobutu openly cooperating with the apartheid White regime in South Africa. In many former Communist states , the new free marketers, many old party apparatchiks ,are privatizing state industry into their names or those of their friends. Mobuto was remarkable ; he privatized the whole state for his personal benefit; salting away more than $ 4 billion dollars in Swiss banks and elsewhere , in full glare of Western media, with support and acquiescence from Western countries and their leaders. While in most of Africa, living condition of people has worsened over decades , perhaps it is much worse in Zaire. Pity, when it is such a rich country in resources.

In world affairs and media Africa has been politically marginalised and once again become a dark continent. One hears little except, famines, civil wars, fight among neighbours and since 6 months- Zaire and the fate of Mobutu. Gone alas are the days when both West and East , in fact all ,rival powers competed for their support . Aid and experts poured in. Statements from Kwame Nkruma, Sieku Toure and others hogged media headlines. There is little to cheer up now. The living conditions are deteriorating day by day. But the continent is very rich in mineral resources and its time will come. Hopefully earlier than we might think.

K. Gajendra Singh; Ankara, May,1997.

Bhiwani: My Small Town in Haryana

2010-11-02T21:55:00.001-07:00

Bhiwani: My Small Town in Haryana

Since Vijender Singh won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, the first ever in boxing and two of his mates, Akhil Kumar and Jitendra reached the quarter finals, Bhiwani, a small town in Haryana, has become a household name in India, and perhaps even in the world of boxing. In India's boxing contingent, four out of five were from Bhiwani. At the Athens Olympics, out of four, three Indian boxers were from Bhiwani. No wonder Bhiwani, with boxing rings scattered around the town, is called little Cuba. Vijender fought valiantly but lost to his Cuban opponent. Cuban boxers did not win a single gold this time. But under Fidel Castro, this Caribbean island has produced a dazzling succession of Olympic boxing champions including Teófilo Stevenson, one of the greatest of all times, who like other Cuban boxers refused to turn professional with assured millions to win in USA, another great boxing nation, where this game is dominated by Afro-Americans, who in the absence of other professions barred to them, excel in boxing, basketball, athletics and music.

Before the start of the Olympics and during it, as other fancied Indian participants failed even to qualify for the final rounds, Indian TV channel sports anchors, now focused on boxing, started looking up for Bhiwani, a district town 125 kms west of Delhi. Soon TV teams and reporters turned up at this till now obscure town to cover the aspirations and reactions of boxers' families and the town's excited and proud residents. Except for hockey's gold and other medals, one silver in shooting and just two bronze medals in wrestling and tennis, Indian athletes did little to cheer her billion population throughout Olympic games since India began participating. But on the trough of India's economic upsurge, the best ever Olympic performance with Avinash Bindra 's Gold in 10 meters air rifle shooting and another bronze in wrestling for Sushil Kumar from Delhi , somewhat fortuitously, was reason enough for exuberant celebrations all over India for its masses hungering for sports icons.

Except for rifle shooter Bindra, who hails from a very well off family in Chandigarh, which provided him for a decade, not only moral but most of the financial support, a prerequisite to produce a world beater, the boxers and wrestlers come from poor families; children of bus drivers, conductors or marginal farmers. India is not a sporting nation and the bludgeoning middle class is yet to take to athletics and other sports as a professional career option, except for cricket, which with a religion like following in India, now supports the cricket world.

I was born in Bhiwani in 1938, when it was a small dusty Tehsil town in the backward region of undivided Punjab of Hindustan and treated as Kalapani aka punishment postings for officials by ruling mandarins in Lahore.

When I went over to Banaras in 1954 to study engineering, Bhiwani was a subdivision of Hissar district of Indian East Punjab. When I said Punjab was my home state, many would start conversing in Punjabi, which certainly was not my mother tongue. We were still learning Punjabi from refugees, who were forced to flee their homes in Multan, Jhang and other cities in newly created Pakistan. They had lost their belongings and many of their relatives were butchered on way to India. Some would brag unconvincingly about big gardens and properties they had left behind. However they were all hardworking and aggressive in business and transformed the city's commercial environment. The Haryanvi women started changing over to Punjabi dress -salwar kamiz, more practical than the billowing skirt, short shirt and head cover. Of course I learnt to understand Punjabi only when in 1958 I started teaching electrical engineering at Patiala. The salwar –kamiz has become perhaps the most popular wear in India, specially among the young, although jeans, a fashionable western import, is now taking over in major cities and towns.

Many would ask me where was Bhiwani situated. Most had not heard about it, except for residents of cities which textile industry, since Bhiwani boasted of two textile mills and an Institute which trained textile engineers. Bhiwani also had a degree and teachers training colleges, run by local Seth Kirori Mal Trust, which also runs Delhi's Kirori Mal college. Some literary types would exclaim, " Oh! Bhowani Junction!" and had to be corrected that Bhiwani was a non-descript meter gauge rail station. The locale of novel 'Bhowani junction ' was perhaps inspired by Jhansi's railway hub.

However, after the division of East Punjab into Punjab and Haryana, its dynamic and development obsessed Chief Minister Chaudhary Bansi Lal, soon got its railway station transformed into a junction, by cajoling the Indian Railways to build a broad gauge link from Rohtak to Bhiwani. A politician friend related how it was done. When Bansi Lal made the request, the Railway Minister, in usual fashion said that " Yes, we will do it after the land survey etc-- in next years budget ". But Bansi Lal, a shrewd and go getter Jat, replied that the Haryana government had completed all the required surveys. The Railway Minister then talked of acquiring land for the project , which could take some time. Bansi lal had brought along his officers ready with draft notifications for acquiring land and signed them on the spot. Once he was determined to achieve something, he would go all out for it. He is rightly known as the builder of Haryana (and Bhiwani) adding irrigations canals, lift irrigation schemes, industries, roads, universities and historic and tourist spots at Panipat and Kurukshetra. His drive and rough and ready methods specially during the 'Emergency rule' of 1975-77, when he had shifted to New Delhi as the Defense Minister brought him much notoriety but at least in India, people knew about Bhiwani, Bansi Lal's home town.

Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966. This region had been neglected both as part of undivided Punjab and East Punjab. It soon flourished and took advantage of its proximity to Delhi, as can be seen in Gurgaon, near Delhi, home to national and international companies in automobiles, motorcycles, tractors, white goods industries and sunrise IT and BPL business. Haryana is now one of India's richest states in spite of little local raw materials.

During 1940s and 1950s , Bhiwani was a dusty waterless town, with Rajasthan's sand dunes encroaching right inside the city's western limits. Birla's education city of Pilani in Rajasthan is only 50 kms west of Bhiwani and Churu, home town of Laxmi Mittal, the steel baron, is not far away. I remember perpetual water scarcity in Bhiwani. Summers brought in hot abrasive sand storms. Two water channels, one for city's water needs and another for the two textile mills, were called small and big nehers – canals or rivers. As a child if we jumped from one bank we would hit the opposite side. No wonder I never learnt swimming. There were many big ponds dug around the town to store rainwater for drinking, washing and for the cattle. Between Bhiwani and Rohtak, 45 kms away on way to Delhi, one could spy only one little garden. There were a few gardens around the city, otherwise it was just dust, sand and more sand with some dry shrubs here and there.

When I visited Bhiwani in 1970, on home leave while posted at Ankara, I was almost shocked to see that between Rohtak and Bhiwani, not only there was greenery and booming agriculture, even sugarcane was being cultivated near the city. The old city gates had been rebuilt in splendor, there were new smooth concrete roads with traffic signals, not that any one followed them. Shop keepers were selling apples and grapes like wild berries of old days. There was a growing smell of prosperity all around. Earlier, even those who owned thousands of arid land were forced to join the army as simple soldiers for a livelihood. Now with networks of canals and water pumps, they had come into riches and indulged in politics and usual aggressive activities. In general, owing to the abiding influence of Arya Samaj, few ate meat. I myself became a non-vegetarian while studying at Banaras. Unfortunately the sudden upsurge of wealth has brought in evils like drunkenness and alcoholism.

An unusual instance when Bhiwani was mentioned with some astonishment was at Rome Airport in 1984 by the Italian airport manager of Air India, when I then posted at Bucharest in Romania and was transiting via Rome for Delhi. Apart from my passport, he had also seen details about Haryana politician –academician Ch .Hardwari Lal, Om Parkash, an Indian businessman settled in Prato, near Rome and the then Deputy Managing Director of Air India, Chaman Lal Sharma, all connected to Bhiwani. With scarce foreign exchange, not many Indians, not even rich ones, could then travel abroad.

The town is believed to have been founded by a Rajput chief Neem Singh to honor his wife Bhani. The name Bhani later morphed into Bhiyani and subsequently to Bhiwani. The town also has a conspicuous religious dimension. Because of a large number of Hindu temples it is called "Chhota Kashi". Like Rajasthan, the arid land of Bhiwani has produced a large number of rich traders and industrialists. They splash colossal sums building big Havelis (mansions) and there are many in Bhiwani and in ostentatious marriage ceremonies. But owners of these mansions made their money in Kolkata and elsewhere, where they operated, occupying a small space in a ill lit room in bazaars. Perhaps, embarrassed how to explain to their Maker how they came into their ill gotten wealth, some by hoarding food grains during famines and scarcity, to atone for their sins, a few have built temples and Dharamshalas (charity rest houses) and to perpetuate their names, schools and colleges.

Bhiwani has produced two chief ministers of Haryana state and a couple of Cabinet Ministers for New Delhi. The state has been a model of political innovation, not always of the right kind .It added the term Ayaram-Gayaram, for political defections, now so prevalent all over India; political parties and individuals changing allegiance for political or monetary gain

It was sickening to watch Indian politicians crowding out the returning Olympic medal winners for photo-ops. Almost all sports associations have fallen in to the clutches of politicians and their favorite civil servants or hangers on, which are used for patronage and free trips abroad. As politicians do elsewhere, many awards and prizes are announced after wars or sports medals, but not disbursed .

A few decades ago, many politicians would turn up, a few months before the Olympics in European capitals, say of East Germany, a major sporting force then and request for a coach so that India could win a few medals. That attitude has not changed much since then. India did not even qualify for entry into hockey at Beijing. There is just no accountability or even remorse for their colossal failure.

Wrestling, football, hockey, volleyball used to be favorite sports in Bhiwani. It appears that now boys from lower middle classes have taken to boxing in large numbers, for, a national or international medal ensures a job in the police at lower level of say sub-inspector. Vijender has been promoted to Deputy Superintendent of Police rank. Like most Indian states, jobs are sold, with political elites using even transfers and threats of transfer to milk money from the civil servants. No wonder they in turn do nothing unless bribes are paid. Well, what would you expect when honorable members accept money for raising questions in the Indian Parliament and during the recent vote of confidence, according to Members themselves, the going rate for transfer of loyalty was 250 million rupees, a big sum. But political dynasties have garnered thousands of millions of rupees each, even held in foreign currencies abroad.

Olympics had become a cold war arena of competition in physical prowess between Capitalism and Communism, which has somewhat cooled off after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However sport persons from Russia and former communist nations are still doing well. China topped the list of gold medal winners in Beijing, displacing USA to second place. Winning a medal still requires national endeavour in which the state, corporate interests and individuals all participate jointly.

Apart from the latest training techniques, supporting gizmos, sports medicine and psychology, doping techniques aka administration of drugs to enhance athletic performances have also seeped in; an ancient practice from the days of Roman gladiators who used stimulants such as strychnine to pump themselves up for a battle. Doping is done through gene therapy i.e. by inserting genes into a cell which instruct the body to produce large amounts of a hormone, protein, or other natural substance that enhance performance. Dope manufacturers keep a step ahead of means to detect it. Most sports suffer from it including cricket, with players from Pakistan i.e. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohamad Asif and the Australian spinning wizard Shane Warne to name a few.

There are numerous examples of doping in recent history from athletics. Sprinter Marion Jones of USA, who won five Olympic gold medals, used drugs and has been convicted. Boxer Jason Giambi of New York says he turned to steroids beginning in 2001. Ken Caminiti, once an 'Outstanding Player' insisted half the players in baseball shared his steroid weakness. He died at 41 of a cocaine overdose.

Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, who lowered the old 100-meter mark at the 1988 Olympics, was found using illicit testosterone and banned. But Carl Lewis, his rival and supposedly Mr. Clean and a loud one, had reportedly failed drug tests before the 1988 Olympics (the charges came out only after his retirement). And of course the ever popular Diego Maradona from the slums of Argentina - the Pele of the generation- who was expelled from the 1994 World Cup after testing positive for too many drugs to count. Apart from American Tour de France star Lance Armstrong since 1999, Richard Virenque of France, Italy's Marco Pantani (dead) of a drug overdose last winter) and, most recently, Tyler Hamilton of the United States have all tested positive for steroids or blood-enhancing EPO. The list of doping of athletes is long and endless. It is like a cat and mouse game, with athletes and players from advanced nations generally succeeding more often than not.

K. Gajendra Singh ,Delhi .30 August,2008

K Gajendra Singh, Indian ambassador (retired), served as ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan from August 1992 to April 1996. Prior to that, he served terms as ambassador to Jordan, Romania and Senegal. He is currently chairman of the Foundation for Indo-Turkic Studies. Copy right with the author. E-mail: Gajendrak@hotmail.com

Comments on Cricket Commentators

2010-10-10T10:34:00.001-07:00

Comments on Cricket Commentators

Problem with Indian cricket commentators even for TV is that most suffer from usual Indian verbal diarrhea of argumentative kind .They know it is not Radio but keep on yapping and trying to show their so called knowledge , disturbing the ball by ball display .The situation is made worse by endless mostly stupid ads mostly either copied from the West or imagined and forced by illiterate oil, detergent or peanut selling Baniyas with little vision or taste repeating the ads as if the public is dumb like them. Nowhere in the world except in India , the TV audience is so shabbily treated .They are the backbone of the game providing revenues .Sometimes hardly 40% of the time is given for the ball to ball display in between .Watching a batsman out is as satisfactory as coitus interreptus .Verily it only confirms that Indians are killjoys .I immediately change the channel for a minute or so .

Take for example one Arun Lal and Ravi Shastri, born perhaps with genetic inferiority complex . Arun lal is so biased . he is always wishing and willing for the fall of Indian wicket or a century by the opponents . Is he bribed as are Pakistani players by India's opponents. It is worth a check .Ravi Shastri is not much better .No wonder they are favourites of countries playing against India and are called up . They are like non-Indian NRIs and non-Indian RIs. Thank God for intelligent former great player-commentator Sunil Gavaskar. Will the BCCI ban Lal and Shastri from Indian matches . Just listen to Australian, English or Pakistani commentators .

Among the worst foreign commentators is Tony Greig of apartheid south African origin whose commentary against Indian players is almost racist .He has been involved in many unsporting controversies .A major one I recall when as MCC captain in mid 1970s, before the tour ,he had declared that he will make the West Indies growl , reminding them of the slave era. The elegant and brilliant West Indian players said nothing but Tony was welcomed with short pitched fast bouncers around his ears at over 6ft .He was soon out and some West Indian players quietly escorted him out up to the boundary line towards the pavilion .In a recent test against Srilnka , when Indian batter Suresh Raina was on 96, Tony (do all Tony's like Tony Blair suffer from some grave malady ) recalled how Raina was once out first ball by Murlitharan , who was to bowl .The embarrassed Srilankan commentator reminded that since then Raina had played hundred ODIs and T-20s and many centuries .Raina got his century.Such racists must be banned.

A refreshing change is a former Australian captain now commentator , Ian Chappel , which is a pleasure to listen too .He is more of an exception among Australian politicians and cricketers, and almost all diplomats and press men I met with in my 35 years as a diplomat and 15 as a analyst of international affairs .

http://tarafits-archives.blogspot.com/2010/10/india-and-cricket-world-cup-cocktail-of.html

Retd Ambassador K. Gajendra Singh 10/10/10

India and the Cricket World Cup-Cocktail of Gladiators & Moolah with Racial Overtones

2010-10-10T05:33:00.001-07:00

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www.tarafits.com 18 April, 2007.

India and the Cricket World Cup
Cocktail of Gladiators & Moolah with Racial Overtones
by K. Gajendra Singh Boloji.com , Chowk.com 18 April, 2007

"The last positive thing England did for cricket was invent it." Ian Chappell.
"My definition of a foreigner is someone who does not understand cricket." Anthony Couch.
"The people of India -- they are the ones whose attention, enthusiasm and love and support drive the great game, and business, of cricket in this country, and around the world." Greg Chappell.

Although in audience reach Cricket World Cup does not match football but in passions, racial overtones , money making and cheating it is like a heady sports cocktail, brewed since Greek Olympic games and Roman gladiator combats.

In the current 2007 World Cup, the stunning exit of India and Pakistan left passionate billion and half followers of the game in the subcontinent in a daze and disgust triggering Tsunami like disaster for the commercial operators nurturing and feeding on the game. It was as if Germany and Brazil were ousted by India and Pakistan in football World Cup preliminaries.

"Cup loses fizz as big teams fall " wrote Scyld Berry in Sunday Telegraph adding "Nobody is going to watch the advertisements designed for the hundreds of millions of Indian viewers aspiring to a mobile phone, a motorbike, a fizzy drink or a refrigerator."

Ever since cricket was transformed by Australian TV entrepreneur Kerry Packer from organized loafing by clad- in-white fools, wherein even five 6-day long Test matches many times produced no victors, into a day long pulsating combats by multi colored gladiators in former British colonies and a few other centers, this repetitive spectacle has morphed into a cash cow for marketers of white goods, consumer items, TV channels and advertising giants.

Including non-resident Indians from the poorest to the rich, India now contributes 70% of the game's revenue, the pie everyone wants a slice off.

Following the corporatisation of cricket in the era of consumerism , the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ,the apex organizing body netted annual revenues of Rs 500 crores.( $1 million= Rs 4.4 Crores ) Last year, it sold telecasting rights for Rs 2,750 crores! Air Sahara sponsorship rights for four years at a price tag of around 300 crores, Nike became Indian cricket's official kit sponsor for five years by spending a cool Rs 196.66 crores. The TV rights with Nimbus got Rs 2,714 crores. Indian Government Doordarshan channel made another Rs 160 crores.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) sold broadcasting rights for the current and the next World Cup for an even higher $1.1 billion (Rs 4,950 crores). Sony Entertainment Television sold advertising at Rs 5 lakhs for each 10-second spot, raking in an estimated Rs 350 crores to Rs 400 crores. But all these mega deals have almost been washed away in Caribbean waters. The sponsors are now wary of long term agreements. After all it is business, people are not watching cricket . Disgusted a council of 20 villages in the Indian state of Haryana banned watching cricket.

Dwarfing this is the money invested in betting , which is illegal in India. Called satta it takes place on the sly, made easier with internet and cell phones (which also helped nab match fixers and the corrupt players.) Estimates of betting in India vary from US$5 billion a year to as high as $40 billion. An India Pakistan match can exceed $250 million. For the World Cup, with 51 matches the estimates were up to $4 billion.

Now take India's star players. Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid make Rs 12 crores to 20 crores a year for endorsing products ranging from biscuits, shoes, cosmetics, cars to life insurance. Ganguly charges an annual fee of close to Rs 1.5 crore per endorsement. Even newcomers like Mahendra Singh Dhoni become multimillionaires overnight. But after the Caribbean debacle, for a match recently in Baroda, top Indian cricket stars were booed.

So you can imagine the losses all around. Instead of the 'scheduled' India- Pakistan encounter on 15 April, from south Asians, who did not cancel their reservations and turned up, Indians supported Ireland and Pakistanis Bangladesh. Ireland won.

West Indies' exit midway dampened even local interest. On its eight islands where the matches are being staged, the financial investments in infrastructure are being rendered in fructuous and could perhaps temporarily halt the game's march as a spectator sport to new centers, which the expected revenues would have funded. Bangladesh, the new boys on the block, who stunned fancied India and later even beat South Africa, bring exuberance and enthusiasm but little money in endorsements or to the games common kitty.

As Greg Chappell rightly commented it is the people of India who drive the game and the business in India and the world. If the Americans had learnt cricket before they threw out the British colonists, it would have become another ball game altogether. Yes, the Yanks do play, but a simpler and less sophisticated version of cricket and call it baseball.

Cricket fever affects even political life in India. Politicians are wary of cricket matches being played during election time. Attendance at election rallies simply dwindles. But the problem has been resolved by installing huge TV screens at venues to attract voters. Some years ago Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on a tour of India found little audience because of a cricket tournament. Advani's rath (a specially designed bus with state-of-the-art comforts and technology) was quickly fitted with TV screens to telecast the matches live. Viola ! In trooped the crowds.

The world controlling organization Imperial Cricket Club founded in 1909, morphed into International Cricket Conference in 1989. It now has 97 members; 10 full Members that play official 5 day long Test matches, 32 Associate Members, and 55 Affiliate Members. But the control is still manipulated by the white man (or his proxy). But India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh now provide half the top teams and should become the decider region.

Even before the second world war, as US economic muscle grew, the international financial centre shifted from London to Wall Street, New York. Washington with 25% contributions to UN income bullies it to toe its line. The HQ of ICC has already moved away from London to Sharjah in UAE towards the sub-continent.

The unspoken simmering tensions between the whites, the former rulers, and brown-blacks, the subjects, erupted into an almost open split a few years ago in South Africa after white umpires and arbiters unduly penalized Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan players, while white players were let off lightly for infringing the rules. India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have won the Cup once unlike the English, the New Zealanders and South Africans. West Indies twice and Australia thrice, the latter are the firm favorites for 2007.

A tragic element was added by the assassination of Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer, a white South African, soon after Pakistan's shock defeat by Ireland. Like other East West conflicts say in Iraq or Palestine , Western media hacks started coloring up the truth and accused Pakistan players by innuendos. Yes , there have been accidents and unsavory incidents. Umpires have been beaten up in the past sometimes, in the West Indies, when a local hero was given out. But an English eleven on a Pakistan tour, a few decades ago, took the cake. Unhappy with the Pakistani umpire's decisions, one evening it cornered him, smothered his head with a towel and bashed him up. Now only one of the umpires is local in bilateral games while neutrals stand for other games. The abrasive Australians while touring India with its media launch aggressive campaign against Indian umpires in the media. The gentle and timid Indians end up erring in their favor.

It was heartening that London's the Guardian, which is quite objective on Arab- Israel dispute, Iraq, and even Iran (not when British James Bonds intrude into Iranian waters), took a balanced approach to the Cup happenings. In "This innuendo about the Pakistan team is a disgrace ", Mike Marqese wrote on 26 March --that the reaction has more to do with stereotyping and hyperbole than the facts.

"It is a serious matter - as umpire Darrell Hair found out - to accuse a team, purely on the basis of supposition, of cheating to win a cricket match. It is an even more serious matter to accuse a team, or a player, of taking bribes to lose a match. But to accuse a player or a team of being involved in the death of their coach raises the stakes by several orders of magnitude." Hyperbole may be the bane of sports journalism but "The rush to judgment here is fuelled by that other bane of sports journalism, national stereotyping."

A quick verdict on Woolmer 's death would have taken away what ever attention remains from the Cup so it is as well that investigators are taking their own time.

BBC and MK

But trust Tony Blair's BBC, which gave only 2% time to the opposition viewpoint on the US-K led illegal war on Iraq with its objectivity when analyzed being the worst of the western channels i.e. CNN, ABC, DEF and others, to keep up the usual refrain.

In a piece titled" Is India's slip good for cricket? "on BBC website of 27 March, 2007, wrote one Mukul Kesvan (MK) [ Author of 'Men in White' - a book on cricket , what else] , that purging of Pakistan and India, the dysfunctional giants of South Asian cricket would act as a tonic to the Cup and make it a happier, less toxic tournament.

Continued MK "The arena-like excitement of ODIs was tailor-made for that great South Asian sport, chauvinism." "Defeat, especially at the hands of the old enemy, led to a suspension of cricketing relations (India stopped playing Pakistan in Sharjah after a sequence of defeats led to allegations of foul play) [The cheating etc is well established and the atmosphere generated only hate between Indian and Pakistani spectators –something West loves. But how Indian spectators clapped Pakistan's victory in Chennai and Pakistanis almost to a man stood up earlier cheering an Indian win, in hot spot Karachi, when the two resumed playing after many years in 2004.]

"The rise of the bookie and the phenomenon of match-fixing which nearly destroyed cricket's credibility as a competitive sport, was a by-product of the new South Asian audience for one-day cricket. – "The corruption that bookies have brought to the game has had foreign recruits like the late South African captain, Hansie Cronje, but it remains a sub-continental blight.

" And these bookies, these villains are South Asian - located in India and Pakistan for the most part, countries where the criminalization of betting has driven the betting 'industry' underground.--Cricket will buckle under the weight of the sullen, thin-skinned nationalism that Indian and Pakistani fans bring to the game and it can certainly do without the bookie-driven corruption that feeds off this perverse enthusiasm."

Of course MK 's book, advertised above will sell to even whites if written in a similar vein and BBC is delighted a brown man is trashing South Asians. He would even be invited to well paid seminars in the West . But MK is either being to BBC what Tony Blair is to George Bush or exposing his ignorance about the world of sports in which West dominates or tries to by hook and mostly by crook. Sports and arena combats remain vehicles of chauvinism and nationalism since the days of ancient Geek Olympics and Roman gladiator games.

On England's loss to New Zealand, commented Simon Hattenstone, "In September 2005 Andrew Flintoff was a national hero. England had won the Ashes and Freddie went on the lash for 32 hours. How we cheered when he told David Gower, the morning after the night before but not yet halfway through his epic bender, "To be honest with you, David, I'm struggling. I've not been to bed yet and the eyes behind these glasses tell a thousand stories."

"We celebrated with him, we laughed at the story that he urinated in the garden at No10, we marveled he was still upright as he walked off the bus, the word "twat" scrawled on his head.

"Eighteen months and one Ashes whitewash on, Flintoff is a national disgrace. After spending the night drinking following World Cup defeat by New Zealand, "borrowing" a pedalo (now known as a Fredalo) for a jape, capsizing and nearly drowning, he has been relieved of the vice-captaincy and outed by the management team as a serial drinker with a problem. Am I the only one confused? What are the rules - you can only drink when you're winning?"

After the match fixing scandals exploded, top Indian cricketers like Azharuddin , Ajay Jadeja and others were banned from playing, In 1994 Salim Malik was accused of attempted bribery by Shane Warne and Mark Waugh but they themselves accepted payment from bookies for providing information, an incident which was downplayed by Australian authorities. South Africans are wary of letting some of its stars investigated in India.

Does MK watch proletarian but immensely more popular football game. He has perhaps not heard of English football fans, the hooligans, any day much worse than the Indian fans .They acquired notoriety across the continent and gave nightmares on match evenings to European police till they were tackled on a war footing by combined EU forces. Teams and venues where fans indulged in hooliganism, were punished. The Turks in Istanbul were ready when fans of an English club came over to play, injuring and even killing some of them.

English footballer Beckham, past his prime, is still hero worshipped at home, even when he was benched by his Spanish Football Club, which bought this brand, shelling out tens of millions of Euros. Now the 'Bend like Beckham ' brand will play football, where else but in USA , the mother of all brand names, where the game is called soccer.

As for money, match fixing and corruption, the dictator- coaches (Compared to English coach Ferguson and others, poor Greg Chapell is but a lamb and Wright only a kid when dealing with the Indian matador cricketers .Or Woolmer was allegedly slapped by Shohaib Akhtar), not only football but most games like boxing, tennis, cycling, athletics et al are brimming over. But so much money is involved that no one dare expose the corrosive truth. A few revelations only indicate the tip of the tip of the iceberg.

Some controversy was added when Sunil Gavaskar rightly criticized the uncouth behavior of Australian cricketers who now are at the top in both the Test cricket and ODIs. West Indies ruled cricket for a decade black washing the Australians time and again but they remained gentlemen players. Unfortunately the Australians have reduced the game to fisher men brawls or miners quarrels. While Sunil's example of Australian cricketer David Hookes who was killed in a brawl outside a nightclub was unfortunate, for which Sunil, the gentleman, soon apologized but whole of Australia came down on him heavily.

Recently after the Australians had won and received the Champions Cup in Mumbai, India from BCCI President Sharad Pawar, a senior Minister in the Indian Government, they pushed him off for a photo op, in full public view, causing great consternation and anger in India .Would Australian footballers imitate their abrasive and foul mouthed cricket champions in bruising and abusive play in Istanbul if their level got that advanced.

But this kind of behavior is only to be expected from the Australians, including their politicians, diplomats and journalists. In fact the Australians glory in being boorish and uncivilized. Recently Prime Minister Howard criticized Obama ,an Afro-American Democratic presidential candidate, and injected racial overtones. An Australian newspaper commented that Howard would normally cross the road to insult a political opponent but this time he crossed a continent. He was properly dealt with by Obama which in cricket parlance would mean hit for a six.

It is said that English captain Sir Wally Hammond would avoid shaking the Australians by hand, with some persons implying because of his distaste for Australia being a former Penal colony.

To eliminate coarse and unbecoming behavior many sport associations have taken stringent measures, specially in Tennis . Swearing, shouting even hitting the ground with the racket, called racket abuse, is penalized. Such measures must be introduced so that the gentleman's game of cricket does not descend to a wrestling arena for exchanging abuses.

Racism

The Greek victory over Persians at Marathon in 490 BC, which the colonial and neo-liberal historians claim the first of the West over East, is now rubbed in as the Marathon race in Olympic games. Is it not a celebration of racism? What if an Iranian won it. Now a days athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya dominate it. How about naming some equestrian event as Manzikert Cup to celebrate Turkish horsemen victory over the Byzantine cavalry in 1071 near lake Van, which took the Turks right up to gates of Vienna?

There is an old cricket story about Sir Ranjit Sinhji (Ranji), a petty Indian Prince of Kathiawar, who invented the leg glance and played for England. After he had executed an elegant leg glance against arch enemy Australia, an English Lord remarked proudly-'one of our own Princes'. Ranji was out the next ball ."Dirty nigger", exploded His Lordship. The English are jolly good sportsmen when winning but not when losing. The national Indian cricket championship honors Ranji who some claim did not even deign to don Indian colors.

The football players from impoverished Africa, physically fitter and hungry for wealth and fame, now dominate many Clubs in Europe and national teams. Look at the French, the English and the Dutch teams color compositions. But racism, which has surfaced afresh in European society after the demise of secular and egalitarian communist and socialist block is becoming a cancer in Europe. Many teams have been warned after their supporters indulged in racist chants and actions. Of course racism is not chauvinism. As for south Asian chauvinism, what is Western nationalism but official racist chauvinism?

Doping of athletes

Doping or administration of drugs to enhance athletic or other performances is an ancient practice. Roman gladiators used stimulants such as strychnine to pump themselves up for a battle. Some skeletons when examined confirmed this. In modern times the word appeared in the early 1900s. Doping is done through gene therapy i.e. by inserting genes into a cell which instruct the body to produce large amounts of a hormone, protein, or other natural substance that enhance performance. With the hope that these doping drugs would not be detected.

There have been complaints of doping of cricketers. Drunkenness with allied activities among British cricketers are well documented and reported with glee and envy in English tabloids. Before the current cup two Pakistan fast bowlers Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar and Mohamad Asif were withdrawn at the last moment. They had flunked the dope tests but were then cleared. Australian leg spinner Shane Warne was banned only for a year, when his mother administered him performance enhancing drug (always blame the poor mother) and not two or three, otherwise how could he have established the record of highest number of wickets. Sri Lanka spinner Muralitharn, who is likely to overhaul it was harassed and no balled by Australian umpires and not others to make life more difficult for him.

There are numerous examples of doping in recent history from other sports, specially athletics. Sprinter Marion Jones of USA, who won five Olympic gold medals, allegedly used drugs. Once the testing methods improved and someone blew the whistle on dope makers, her performance slipped dramatically. And of many others. Boxer Jason Giambi of New York says he turned to steroids beginning in 2001. Ken Caminiti, once an 'Outstanding Player' insisted half the players in baseball shared his steroid weakness, he died at 41 of a cocaine overdose.

Of course Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, who lowered the old 100-meter mark at the 1988 Olympics, was found using illicit testosterone. But Carl Lewis, his rival and supposedly Mr. Clean and a loud one for two decades, had reportedly failed drug tests before the '88 Olympics (the charges came only after his retirement).

And of course the ever popular Diego Maradona from the slums of Argentina - the Pele of the generation- was expelled from the 1994 World Cup after testing positive for too many drugs to count. Apart from American Tour de France star Lance Armstrong since 1999, Richard Virenque of France, Italy's Marco Pantani (dead) of a drug overdose last winter) and, most recently, Tyler Hamilton of the United States have all tested positive for steroids or blood-enhancing EPO.

Reminds one of many western politicians and media, with CIA chief claiming a 'slam dunk' proof of Iraq buying Uranium from Niger, weapons of mass destruction and Iraq's linkage with Al Qaeda, as the causes belli for attacking Iraq. All turned out to be lies and spins. USA remains a super power in manipulating world sports and inventing better masking of drugs than Canada, so Lewis gained over Johnson. Soviet Union and the East block nations did well in sports and games and were often accused by the Western media of doping. But after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, athletes and sportspersons from those nations are doing very well, with Russia producing an array of female star tennis players, some very attractive ones too. Impoverished US Blacks do well in athletics and sports (and music) because of better physique (and sense of rhythm) and also because these are the only fields left open to them.

The list of doping is long and endless. It is like a cat and mouse game, with big powers helping out their athletes and players. I am convinced that majority of sportsmen and women use drugs.

India's Loss to Bangladesh and the Third battle of Panipat

The loss to Bangladesh raised as much storm as the stunning defeat at Panipat in 1761 might have . If the team India was coached by Australian Greg Chappell then the fighting forces of Hindustan were trained by French artillery experts and were led by Maratha Chieftain Sadashiv Bhau, with Vitthal Vinchurkar and Damaji Gaikwad in toe .

The World Cup debacle took place under the leadership of Marathas again. BCCI is headed by Maratha chieftain Sharad Pawar with another Maratha Dilip Vengsarkar, the chief of selectors. Sachin Tendulkar, who once reminded the all time great Don Bradman of himself was an abysmal failure both against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka .

Tendulkar has averaged 12 against Australia in the last five matches, less than 25 in the last five matches against South Africa and 19 in the last five matches against Sri Lanka. He is tarnishing his own pristine record and image. No one now talks of him along with Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara or even Mohamad Yusuf of Pakistan.

Wrote New Zealand's Richard Hadlee, one of the greatest all rounders and selector; "Aching muscles, taking longer to get over injuries, lack of desire to train or practice, boredom when playing, lack of enjoyment, having achieved one's goals leaving nothing else to strive for and picking up a pay packet for the wrong reasons -- all these are sure indicators that it is time to call it quits."

Ian Chappell, Greg's, equally brilliant elder brother and cricket captain, but not beyond using underhand trick or bowling, also suggested that Tendulkar retire. Lara and Pakistan captain Inzzeman have retired from ODIs.

Like dissensions in Panipat, there were differences with the coach and among Indian players, with Bengali Saurav refusing to speed up scoring in team's interest. In Panipat, it was a battle lost by Marathas than won by Afghans. There were strategic blunders and internal bickering. The Panipat battle was won by young reserve Afghan troops of Ahmed Shah Abdali, as was the match by young enthusiastic Bangladesh lads.

But Indian players, like politicians, refuse to retire as there is so much money now, Ganguly being the example. And how the regionalism raises its head. When Ganguly was rightly outed from the team, the whole of Bengal batted for him, including politicians, even in the Parliament. If the politicians had a free hand they might even demand reservations based on caste quota.

Indian Cricketers

Now a days millionaire Indian cricketers behave like matadors, not realizing that they are more like gladiators and failure means death and financial oblivion. Indian cricketers rarely surprise me.

But I was surprised that they were beaten by Bangladesh even though they had not done too well in tours of West Indies and South Africa or in the Champions' Trophy .The team had not jelled. Some of the players were trying to get into form against Sri Lanka at home. Injured earlier, Yuvraj Singh did not have enough match practice and ran himself out against Sri Lanka. It was also a mistake to put the future of Indian innings and the team by trying to get Viru Shewag into form against Bangladesh, which had beaten not only India earlier but even humbled the mighty Australia. Sri Lanka were in good nick .This put pressure on Shewag and on the other opener, Robin Uthappa, who could not be sure of his place and feel settled.

Shewag might have scored the first ever and only Indian triple Test century, but he relies purely on body balance and timing. Wealth from endorsements and age slow one down. Coach John Wright used to say that Sehwag was fearless but family responsibilities bring on anxiety. One wrong slice over the slips, a four or even a six in the past could now cost him and family tens of millions of rupees in lost endorsements.

Frankly, Dravid is not a great captain, certainly not at par with Ganguly. It was considered a great sacrifice on Dravid's part when he opted to open in Pakistan, when Ganguly's position was in doubt. It appeared basically a team ploy to keep Saurav out of the eleven. If only Saurav had justified his place in the team. But he would make an excellent non-playing captain.

In many countries politicians happily become ordinary ministers after having been Prime Ministers, but not in caste ridden India. Saurav's return did cause some tensions. Sachin' elevation to Vice Captain was to keep him out if Dravid was disabled. When Saurav was penalized for 4 matches, he should have utilized the time to correct his flaws, which he had to do eventually. But as in Indian politics, a week is a long time.

In some ways Sachin is like Byon Borg of Tennis, an outstanding player but unable to handle personal matters and would face post retirement blues. On the cricket battlefield masses and sponsors want performance. Commitments and dedication alone won't do. There are thousands of young dedicated Indians waiting in the wings.

Some High tides in Indian cricket

In 1983 , I was posted at Bucharest and had gone out with my son Tinoo for lunch at the Japanese ambassador's villa on lakes Snagov. The other ambassadors were somewhat intrigued by my trying to get hold of a transistor, as there was no international crisis. Indian score of 183 depressed me. We came back home and before going for my siesta Tinoo wanted to listen to the scores. I said we would lose in any case, so why bother. He even said that there could be miracles but seeing my mood gave up . But I was woken up by the Pakistani Ambassador who congratulated me on the victory. I said why are you pulling my leg. Only when he insisted I tuned in and was absolutely delighted. In return in Amman in 1992, in spite of Pakistan 's indifferent form in the league matches, I had bet with the Ambassador for their winning the Cup and went over for celebrations with champagne.

After the 1983 World Cup triumph India won comfortably the champions Trophy in Australia. In January 1985 India was playing against Pakistan in Sharjah and before going to the airport to take a flight to Bucharest via Karachi I listened to the commentary in late Vijay Tripathi's room in PMO. It was an unflattering score of hundred something but there was hope. When the door of Indian Airlines opened at Karachi and I stepped out, from the ladders bottom below, my host Consul General G Parthasarathy said loudly, all out for 87.

The Indian team did surprise me during Australia's tour of India in 2003, especially in the turnaround test in Calcutta .With the cohesion and the momentum forged under Saurav, team India did very well in the tests series in Australia too, which I followed over the internet from Brussels. Saurav himself scored a brilliant century (nothing like that has followed since then) in the first Test when as usual India had almost collapsed. On the whole everyone rose to the occasion, specially in batting and did splendidly well. But for some doubtful umpiring decision to give a resounding farewell to Australian captain Steve Waugh we ought to have won. Saurav, with his strong personality transformed a regional Indian team into Saurav team. Still he was amiss in insisting on having Bengal mate Deepankar Dasgupta and mascot Parthiv Patel in the team.

The victorious matadors on return home, got married, made pots of money and basked in adulation. But the team was still hungry with new find Irfan Pathan and Balaji and carried on their momentum in the series in an overawed Pakistan. All that Pakistan coach Javed Miandad would do in ODIs, was to signal from the dressing room to the last Pakistan batsman to hit a six, which he once did in Sharjah. With their coffers full following the Indian visit, Pakistan could afford a foreign coach and did rather well except for the latest fiasco. It is from the money from Indian matches that Bangladesh could also afford a foreign coach.

When the team India returned home from Pakistan, the gladiators collected all the kudos, bachelors got married, put on weight and tried to live on their reputation. Under Chappell's coaching, the youngsters were enthused and the team did well but the old matadors would not be disciplined. The Zimbabwe visit resulted in a totally out of form Ganguly being rightly deprived of the captaincy. But it ignited Bengali nationalism in full. Zahir Khan went on a 'study tour 'of English counties and returned a better bowler. The team did well at home but in the last West Indies visit and since then the performance was uninspiring.

Money remains the motivation

With sustained economic growth and increasing wealth every one is coming over to India for a slice of the pie. Seeing religion like passion for cricket in India and sensing the despair over cricket defeat and potential for making hay by filling the void FIFA President Sepp Blatter on the first ever visit by a President said "We want to wake up the sleeping giant. In the 1960s, the national team was good, but India has probably lost its way." Western investors or the British on a weapons sale pitch always repeat this never failing mantra of a great power on a people hungry for greatness."

A few years ago, suddenly, the international fashion industry entered the bludgeoning Indian cosmetic market by selecting a few Indian beauties at international contests. As if Indian women suddenly became beautiful (One from Nigeria too, the largest and richest nation in Africa. It is another matter that the concept of beauty in Nigeria is for bosomy and bottomy ones). It was just an opportunity for fashion corporate interests to cash in.

India now has former Test cricketers from all over the world pouring into India at the drop of a hat, for well paid commentaries and writing columns, many ghost written by Indians. Just cashing on brand names. They have all come to love India, for its money. Mr Geoff Boycott, perhaps the most boring killjoy opening batsman, is often in India .To earn popularity he named Saurav, the Prince, but in his heydays would not even deign visiting India with MCC teams. Nowhere else were visiting cricketers treated better than in India even then, but for Mr Geoff Boycott, there was perhaps not enough moolah. To partake in the sudden popularity of MS Dhoni, even wily Commando Gen Musharraf dipped in by publicly admiring his long locks. But after his totally abysmal performance, public is now attacking his villa with a swimming pool et al.. As if Solomon has lost his locks.

A large number of young Indians, even from small towns, because of tremendous amount of money as rewards, are being attracted into cricket, with full support from their families, especially mothers. Thus spreading the net for selecting boys from larger numbers in a population of over one billion. The number of boys who have dedicated themselves to the hard task of fast bowlers is commendable and the results are there to see. At no time in the past was there such a glut of fast bowlers. In fact if one falters then twice that many youngsters are ready to fill the breach. But the problems are the immovable batsmen.

Indian diet and genes

In early 1990s in Ankara, I invited for lunch a young Indian Davis cup player, whose father was top world ranked player in another game and asked him why India did not do well in Tennis or other sports. He replied that perhaps there was something in the Western genes which made them superior physically. While waiting for some consular problem to be resolved, another Indian Davis cup player told me in Paris in 1970s why Vijay Amritraj, who was considered as good as Jimmy Connors and Byon Borg did not realize his potential. Because in spite of all the talent Amritraj was just not prepared to go through the grind of 10 hours practice day in and day out as most Westerners do.

It is said that Srinath, the best medium fast bowler after Kapil Dev was a vegetarian. When he asked for tips from a Pakistani veteran he was advised to first add chicken to his diet for strength and stamina if he wanted to be a fast bowler. Look at Indians' diet, the poor ones barely exist. Among the middle and rich classes the diet is not conducive to good health and stamina. Except for some 'outcasts' and tribals, and Rajputs, majority of the Indians have been vegetarians for millennia. Potatoes, chilies, tomatoes, were introduced by invaders. Protein rich Soya, healthy Sun flower oil are recent additions. Apart from wheat and rice, what did average Indian live on, useless protein less vegetables, lauki and tori and some beans and lentils for proteins, over centuries and centuries. The genetic results, physically dwarfed specimens are there for all to see. In games like Rugby we dare not even participate, not even our army teams, bastions of physical fitness.

The nuvo-riche with rich diets and not enough exercise are becoming prone to cardiac and other diseases. Before ample number of Indians can afford healthy food and acquire sporting habits , we must select people, who have lived on a meat diet of whatever kind and those living active hard lives. Kenyans from certain hilly areas are doing exceptionally well in middle and long distance runs .So are the Ethiopians. But we would have leaders of creamy layers thrusting their boys if coaching academies are established.

Some Observations

In Indian political tradition BCCI head Pawar announced 'drastic measures' to set things right , including committees. When things go wrong in a ministry or in district, in spite of the politicians being mostly responsible, the civil servants end up as scapegoats and are punished. The blame has been passed on to others by BCCI. Ajit Wadekar, under whose captaincy came first ever Indian cricket wins abroad in West Indies and England was right when he suggested that Pawar must resign.

But the myth of ministerial responsibility, if it were ever true, expired long ago. Indian sports authorities have been taken over by politicians (followed by policemen) and used for political and economic gains and have suffered. It is a sub-continental disease, politicians messing up sports, in Pakistan, it is the generals. For all his faults it was a businessman Dalmiya who by increasing cricket revenues attracted enormous talent for the game in India and strengthened BCCI's leverage against white dominated ICC.

Another major problem in India's culture and religion is stress on individuality. For example individual religious salvation unlike say in Islam, Buddhism or Sikh religion, where generally the emphasis is on community approach. Or in music where like in the West the orchestra never took roots. Another example is research papers produced by Indians. A survey of research articles some years ago showed joint authorship as follows: India ( 3.6%), UK (20.4%), USA (44%). Single authorship, India (65.50), USA (35.6%).Therefore, in team events, Indians do not do well. They might do quite well in individual games like Tennis or Badminton or individually in Cricket.

Speculative by nature Indians look for a miracle- a short-cut, hence the popularity of a chance game, like Cricket specially ODIs. Indian players become experts in drop shots in Tennis and Badminton or bowl deceptive googly. It is well established that if one works hard, 10-12 hours a day to build up stamina, strength, ability and mental resilience, after 8/10 years, one can reach World level in Tennis or Badminton but barring Krishnans and Amritraj brothers in Tennis and in Badminton, players and athletes of world standard rarely emerge from the Indian soil.

Krishnans and Padukone were masters of the touch-game i.e. drop shots and deception. Deception is sanctioned even in divine manifestation. Rama hiding behind a tree to kill Bali or lies about the setting Sun to kill Jaydrath or false death of Aswathama (horse) in Mahabharata.

One cannot blame the Indian climate entirely, as some tend to do, since the climate of Indonesia, Thailand is no less innervating than of India, but Indonesians, Thais and Malaysians keep on producing one world champion after another in the game of their choice, Badminton. They beat Indians in most other sports too like football. Look at our abysmal record. Poverty cannot be the sole reason either. Why cannot we produce world-cup footballers as do the slums of Brazil, Argentina, and other nations in Latin America.

What really focuses and still fascinates the Indian mind is the 1983 win. Faced by a hostile West Indies attack India were dismissed for 183. But it was an astonishing catch by skipper Kapil Dev who sprinted back 20 yards to latch onto the skier from the marauding blade of the great Viv Richards. It turned the game around and the famed West Indies batting machine inexplicably failed by 43 runs. Earlier India got a real scare when it was five wickets down for just 17 runs on board against lowly Zimbabwe. But an inspired Kapil innings of 175 saved the day. On the way Australia thrashed India by over 180 runs. Great believers in Astrology, the masses believe that miracles would and could occur again.

Greg Chappell "if you want to be like Australia, you can't run your cricket like Zimbabwe."

For being a good coach you need other qualifications than just being good in that sport. Generally when India or Pakistan appoint retired stars as coaches, they owe allegiance to a region or are beholden to those who helped them in their career. They also have their favorites among the current crop of players. Politicians pressurize them. Generally they are unable to enforce discipline. Only a stern man like Greg can. If Kapil were made the coach, the players would say Bhraji ( elder brother ), let us drink beer- sheer and enjoy Murga (chicken). We will do the fielding practice tomorrow. They might take Sunil Gavaskar to Srikhand party or Bengali delicacies at Eden Gardens.

Caste system has penetrated all walks of life including the game, in a modified way. Top batsmen and bowlers would not improve their fielding as if they are high caste Brahmins and Kshatryas would not do Shudra's (untouchables) work. Hindustan had no revolution and remains profession –born- into oriented. Even in time of perils, only the warrior classes were expected to fight the enemies .The Indian society did not evolve that all take all responsibilities.

In politics, in many countries, say Turkey, politicians who have been Prime Ministers agree to become ministers in changing coalitions. Not In India. Once a Brahmin, the highest in hierarchy, always a Brahmin. The inappropriate Indian electoral system from a small island has only strengthened the pernicious caste system which along with regional and state loyalties has acquired a stranglehold in running of sports, both in training and selection. As in other matters Muslims suffer from similar caste prejudices in Pakistan, made worse by so called Ashraffs vs the converts. Former captains in Pakistani teams create problems there, made worse by Generals, who never shed their uniforms.

In classic Indian hockey we had a fixed 1,2,3 and 5 system, which the Western put paid to when more of them took to the game. In football positions are exchangeable. This of course demands fitness and stamina. In Indian cricket all rounders have come up more by chance than a belief in tying everything. In school days the students would be classed as sportsmen or scholars. You could not excel in both. Sports need intelligence and resilience apart from stamina and skill at higher levels. Without brains you can go up only up to a point. For decades top policemen in Punjab recruited barely literate youngsters as Assistant Sub-inspectors, put them to playing hockey only. They did well for themselves and India too, till Europeans and Australia took to the game seriously and applied their all round training skills, making Indian tricolor fly at hockey meets now a days a rare thing.

Only Foreign coaches have insisted on physical fitness, improved fielding and firmness in dealing with gladiators past their prime. Tendulkar is an exception being treated like God. In Australia with his recent poor performance he would have been shown the door as was Ganguly. In 1950s and 60s opening batsman Pankaj Roy was Bengals' permanent representative in the Indian XI. After 5 poor scores he would score a fifty and continue for another series. Ganguly's return created tensions. The methods introduced by Chappell were making some inroads into insidious south Asian disease. A foreign coach with strong personality is a must to overcome the disease.

Influence of Buddhism on Islam

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http://tarafits.blogspot.com/ Delhi 91, India .

Influence of Buddhism on Islam

Through out history, there was natural interaction through migration and conquest, travel and trade, between the Fertile Crescent, Asia Minor, Persia, Khorasan and Central Asia and Hindustan. Alexander the Macedonian went up to Bukhara and then north west Hindustan. Earlier some Indo- Aryan tribes like Mitannis had migrated from Eurasian steppes and ruled in upper Mesopotamia. Then the Arab armies marched north east and conquered areas up to the steppes. Then the Turkish tribes marched from eastern Asian steppes to Persia! and Turkey (and the Indian sub-continent). Then came Chengiz Khan and the Mongol hordes.

Culturally, linguistically, ethnically and spiritually there is no area in the world that has so much in common as that formed by the regions connecting the river basins of Euphrates, Tigris; Amu and Syr Darya: Indus and the Ganges. This is an area with a continuous history and cradle of most civilizations and religions; Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Judaism and Christianity and Islam and their variations. The intermingling of Semitic, Indo-Iranian and Ural- Altaic languages with local languages produced a mosaic of new languages and tongues.

Influence of Buddhism in Central Asia perhaps started from the time of Greek King Menander in Bactria. During the rule of Kushana Emperor Kanishka (who was converted to Buddhism) from Peshawar, not only traders but also religious teachers moved freely throughout his Empire which then encompassed today's Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang, Pakistan and Northern India and laid the foundations for the spread of Buddhism. Earlier Asoka had undertaken energetic steps to spread the Dhamma, but his efforts were more successful in South East Asia and Ceylon. Buddhism was taken to Central Asia either directly or via Tibet or Eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang) where with little competition, it was easily accepted . But it was not so in Sogdiana and around it, where Zoroastrians were well entrenched, later came followers of Manichaeism and Nestorian Christians. Conquerors (and traders) spread their religions, but they were also influenced by the cultures and the creeds of the ruled.

To begin with in Buddhism symbols represented Buddha and Tantras. Sculpture representing Buddha in human form is a Greek contribution through Gandhara art from Afghanistan. Starting from Bactria, Buddhism evolved the concept of Bodhisattva Maitreya as incarnations for attaining Nirvana and return to guide and help the laity. This universal and secular religion found favour with Central Asian Turks and Mongols (also Uyghur's in Xinjiang) when it reached there.

Influence of Viharas and Stupas on darghas and khankahs in Central Asia

Excavations have revealed Viharas and Stupas all over eastern Turkistan, up to Bukhara and into Turkmenistan. To begin with, Stupas were built to keep sacred relics (of Buddha and some of his disciples) although Buddha himself was against such practices. Later Stupas became associated with the symbols of remains of saints and cemeteries. The respect and veneration is , perhaps ,based more on Aryan belief in Brahman or the Reality (Universal Soul) and Atman (individual Soul) with the saints having achieved the Union with the Reality. Prophet Mohammed had underlined that God and man are different. (Christians have still not resolved this dilemma fully). Miracles and veneration of dead persons are denounced in Quran (Sura XI, 31).

Stupas started as simple structures, as in Sanchi in Central India (1st or 2nd Cent BC) with a semi-spherical dome for the remains, fenced by a wall and 4 entrances and a Chhatri (umbrella symbolising the Lord and the Sovereign). Later a raised square platform was added under the dome with the structures then becoming more complex and sophisticated, adorned with sculptures like Bamiyan Buddhas and paintings (some times in caves i.e. in Ajanta and Barhaut in India). Viharas are monasteries with cells constructed around a court yard, with Stupa in the middle, for monks to stay during the heavy Indian monsoon rains. Normally the monks were not to attach themselves to any fixed place.

With the spread of Buddhism Central Asians including Turks and Mongols adopted and assimilated phrases from Buddhism i.e. Sanskrit and Pali words like Nirvana =Nirvana (Nibanna), Dhamma =Dharma, Cindan =Chandan (sandalwood), used for funerary ceremony, Aratna =Ratan, Stup =Stupa, Mandal= Mandala, Chakra= Chakra, Bodhistava =Bodhistav, Bakshi (accountant)=Bhikku /Bhikshu (because a Bhikshu once did accounts for the Mongols) etc.

An excavation in 1930s at Moghoki Attar mosque in Bukhara, perhaps the oldest surviving mosque in Central Asia, revealed under it ruins of a Zoroastrian temple destroyed by Arabs and an earlier Buddhist temple beneath it. The name Bukhara itself perhaps derives from Vihara. (Tashkent could be from Tashkhund; region of stones in Sanskrit). There are many ruins of Viharas and Stupas in Termez on Amu Darya (Uzbekistan), Merv (Turkmenistan), Afrasiab (Samarkand), Khojand etc in Ferghana valley and around Lake Issik Kul in Kyrgyzstan .Of course in Eastern Turkistan (and Tibet) apart from the ruins, many thousand old Buddhist manuscripts (300 pages found in Merv too) and books were recovered. Buddhist paintings have also been found in Afrasiab and elsewhere in Central Asia. It is not a simple coincidence that after Islam's arrival all these places became centres of Sufi Islam. From Stupas and Viharas have perhaps emerged sacred tombs, khankahs, darghas and madarsas.

Tombs were not popular in Arab heartland around Saudi Arabia. But the Persian, Turkish, Asian and African, even Berber Muslims accepted Pirs, Calandars, Sheikhs, Babas, Dervishes and others and their tombs became places of worship. Freedom loving eclectic nomads and others resisted Arab warriors in Sogdiana and Central Asia and their still austere Islam. It was only the modified, personalised and spiritual Islam of Persian Samanids based in Bukhara (Ismail's tomb looks like a simple Stupa) that was first accepted by Turks and others in Central Asia .To Islam had been added strands of local religions and beliefs .It is this form of Islam that was spread in India mostly by Sufi saints, but also by forced conversions or inducements.

Sufism developed fully by 12^th century by which time Arab Islam had been modified and enriched by streams from Persian, Central Asian and other religions, beliefs and philosophies .It was in the heartland of Arab Islam ie Baghdad and Aleppo, where Sufis saints Al Hajj (for insisting " Ana Al-haq "-I am the Truth) and Suhrawardy were martyred. Because of Sunni hostility tombs were erected much after the martyrdom of Imam Ali and Imam Hussein in Najaf and Karbala. The Wahhabis, Salafis remain deadly opposed to Sufism.

The major Sufi Tariqas ( ways) had central Asian origin or influence i.e., Qadiriyas, Nakshabandis (many current Turkish leaders are its adherents), Rumi's dervishes, Bektashis, the patron saint of non-Turkish (mostly Slav), non- Muslim ( mostly Christian) born Janissary corps and top Administrators of the Ottoman Empire based on devshirme (slave ) system. Turkey's Shia Alevis' faith (majority from Turkmen Oghuz tribes) has strands from Christian, Shaman and other beliefs.

Intermingling of beliefs and faiths;

Human wish to comprehend and experience the Reality is as old as the natural talent to transcend beyond oneself, until this faculty was dimmed by technological afflictions. There are glimpses of it in earliest Aryan writings like Vedas and Avestan, even among Greek philosophers like Orpheus, Pythagoras, Socrates and others .So the environment and tools existed before formal religions evolved or were revealed.

Buddha himself went through the whole gamut of experiments and meditations including Jain like and other austerities, Hindu systems before realisng Nirvana. And his path and method of meditation were modified in east India, Tibet, China and Japan. If Buddhism influenced the evolution of Sufi Islam then Buddhism itself was influenced earlier by other religions and practices.

Indo-Iranian religion Mithraism flowered between the 2nd and 4^th centuries in the Roman world and became very popular among the Roman aristocracy, military leaders and soldiers, traders and slaves with powerful patrons among Roman emperors, like Commodus, Septimium Severus, Caraculla and others. Diocletian built a temple for Mithra near Vienna on Danube as "the Protector of the Empire". He was the god of Light and Sun, contract, loyalty and justice. Celebrations for Mithra's birthday on December 25, the sun's solstice, was so popular in the Asia that Christmas had to be shifted to this day from January 6 to make it acceptable among the masses. Christianity also took over many of the rituals and symbols of Mithraism, like baptism, resurrection and prayers to honor the Sun.

India's Sikh religion also known as gurmat, the teachings of the guru, founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539), combines many elements of Hinduism and Islam. Guru Nanak believed that one could come close to the God through meditation and devotion .God is the true guru and his divine word has come to the humanity through the 10 historical gurus. Their sacred scripture Adi Granth is also called "Guru Granth Saheb ". The Sikh temples are known as gurdwaras, Guru's door. Many Shi'ites Ghulat groups believe that Ali and the Imams are doors to God. When the Sunni Moghul emperors persecuted the Sikhs and their gurus, Sikh religion took to militancy and those who died for the panth ( gurus' path) became martyrs.

Human beings have evolved many paths to the Reality ie various Yoga systems; Tibetan, Zen, Vipassana and other Buddhist Margs, Jewish Kabbalah, Christian Hesychasm, Gurdjief way, Sufi Tariqas and Transcendental Meditation (TM) in modern times for spiritually challenged materialists. The masses accept what the saints and holy men they trust teach them.

September4, 2004.Bucharest.

(K Gajendra Singh, served as Indian Ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan in 1992-96. Prior to that, he served as ambassador to Jordan (during the 1990-91 Gulf war), Romania and Senegal. He is currently chairman of the Foundation for Indo-Turkic Studies. The views expressed here are his own.- Email-Gajendrak@hotmail.com)

Mosque and tombs

The word mosque itself derives from the Arabic masjid, "a place where one prostrates one's self (in front of God)." In earliest times any place could be used for private prayer with correct direction (qiblah, originally Jerusalem, but soon after Mecca). The collective prayer on Fridays, with a collective swearing of allegiance to the community's leadership also strengthens common bonds among all members of the Ummah.

According to some experts, the Quran does not utter a word for or against the representation of living things. But from about the middle of the 8th century a prohibition was formally stated .It became a standard feature of Islamic thought, even though the form in which it was expressed varied from absolute to partial. It has been suggested that Islam developed this attitude when it came into contact with other cultures and it was felt that the dreaded idol worship might return. The Qur'an (Sura ix, 31) prohibits the veneration of holy men and saints. In early Islam there was no special embellishment of funerary sites; 'the tombs of the rich and poor are! alike'. But the human desire to venerate and by many to be venerated is too old and deep rooted. The first changes occurred through veneration of the tombs of holy persons.

It appears that the construction of commemorative buildings over certain burial places began in the late 9th and 10th centuries especially over those of Shi'ite saints. Then over the tombs, mostly in Iran and Central Asia, of rulers of marginal or semi-independent regions, who often followed non-Sunni beliefs? T! hey were to project status symbols of secular power and were rather ambitious .In contrast, the tombs of holy men were simpler – which went towards satisfying the devotional needs of the population. Generally complex ensembles grew up around the tombs of many saints, like that of the mystic Sufi poet Jalal ud-Din Rumi, in Konya, or of Bayazid, in Bistam (1313).

Therefore the earliest surviving tombs belong to Shi'ite persona; the shrine of Fatima, sister of the Imam 'Ali ar-Rida at Qum, and that of the Imam Ali in Najaf. The earliest rulers' tombs are of 'Abbasid Caliphs al-Muntasir (in Samarra in 862), al-Mu'tazz and al-Mohtadi (built as a domed square building enclosed in an octagonal ambulatory) and are better preserved. A feature of royalty mausoleums was its concentration, like the Timurid Shah-i Zinda ensemble in Samarqand of 14th and 15^th centuries or the Mamluk tombs of Cairo.

Mausoleums were also built to commemorate Biblical persons, companions of the Prophet and scholars, popular heroes and ghazis (fighters for the Faith). From 12th century secular mausoleums proliferated all over the world, in Egypt and Central Asia, northern and north-eastern Iran and Anatolia, and also in India and North Africa. They continue to be built, both for spiritual and secular leaders e.g., Firdausi, Avicenna, Umar Khayya! m, the late Agha Khan and the poet-philosopher Iqbal, and particularly imposing structures for Riza Shah Pahlavl, Ataturk and Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

The mausoleum of the Samanids in Bukhara, commonly referred to as the Tomb of Isma'il, was constructed before 943 and consists of a square structure with a large central dome and four small corner ones set over a gallery. Especially noteworthy is the use of bricks to create different patterns in its various parts.

Then of course there are the famous imperial Moghul mausoleums, of Humayun (d. 1556) in Delhi, built of red sandstone and white marble; and the marvel in marble, the Taj Mahal, built in Agra by Emperor Shah Jehan for his favourite queen Mumtaz Mahal. The mausoleum of Akbar (d. 1605) is at Sikandra, and of his son Jehangir (d1627) near Lahore. The word mausoleum comes from the structure built in Asia Minor (Bodrum -Western Turkey) for an Asian ruler, Mausolus by his Queen, around the time Alexander the Great passed that way.

WAS NEFERTITI, AN ARYAN PRINCESS? ARYAN MITANNIS FROM 1500 BC T0 1200 BC IN UPPER MESOPOTAMIA

2010-07-24T08:56:00.001-07:00

IN SEARCH OF WASSUKKANI - CAPITAL OF PREVEDIC ARYAN KINGDOM OF MITANNIS FROM 1500 BC T0 1200 BC IN UPPER MESOPOTAMIA

WAS NEFERTITI, AN ARYAN PRINCESS?

24 June, 2000 TurkPulse ( Also a shorter piece in Turkish Daily News ,Ankara in 1997)

Amb. (Rtd) K.Gajendra Singh, Bucharest. Guest writer

(Ambassador Singh was the Indian ambassador in Bucharest and Ankara in the eighties and nineties. )

During the 1993 Navruj (spring) cease-fire by Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan's PKK, then fighting a savage war since 1984 against cultural discrimination in south-east Turkey, I decided to renew my knowledge of the region, known as Mesopotamia, Assyria, the Fertile Crescent in history. Home of over 40 civilisations, known as Asia minor and Anatolia in the past, Turkey has more Greek sites than Greece and more Roman monuments than Italy. From its capital Ankara I made my night halt 700 kms away in South at Antakya (Antioch), capital of Selucus Nikator's empire, Alexander's infantry commander against Porus in India, but when he tried to reclaim Alexander's domains he was defeated and fobbed off with 500 elephants by Chandra Gupta Maurya.

Next day I reached Urfa 300 kms east, where and at nearby Harran in the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, Patriarch Abraham had halted on his way from Ur (in Iraq) to Hebron in Canaan (Palestine). Local legend has it that he was born here making it a centre of pilgrimage. Located at a strategic pass linking Anatolia to Mesopotamia, this ancient city was renamed Edessa by the Macedonians on way to Gaugamela where Alexander inflicted the final defeat on Darius III in 331 BC, terminating the Persian Achaemenean Empire.

Edessa, along with Antioch was one of the first major centres of Christianity, latter going over to the Monophysite heresy. Persecuted by Western Christians and then Muslim Arabs and Persians, many migrations took place from Edessa and the region to the Malabar coast specially in 4th, 5th and 9th centuries AD spreading the Christain Orthodox Church in Kerala. The relationship, though made complicated by the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch and the British, still continues between Kerala and east of Edessa in the Tur Abdin region, with Mardin, Midyat and Cizre dotted with old Churches and monasteries where Suryani, akin to Aramaic spoken by Jesus Christ, is still being taught . But now in the grip of Kurdish Turkish strife the numbers of Christians is fast dwindling. For centuries Mar Zaffran near Mardin was the seat of the Orthodox Church, now located in Syria.

In Urfa, ancient works and Greek classics, the basis of Western civilisation, were translated into Aramaic and Syriac which when the Arabs came over, were translated into Arabic. After the Crusaders took over the city, they were retranslated and 'recovered' for Europe, where they had been destroyed by barbarian invasions. Edessa survived many rulers and wars but like other cities it never recovered from the Mongol destruction.

Just south of Urfa is Harran of bee-hive houses, centre of the Moon cult, human sacrificing Sabbians and ancient Carrhae, where tablets inscribed with parts of the legends of Gilgamesh were discovered. Nearby the Parthians had captured Roman Emperor Crassus. It was the stomping ground of prophets like Elijah, Job, Shuyab and Jacob with the well where Rebecca gave him water. From Mardin, an ancient city at the edge on the hills one can see the immense Mesopotamian plains spread southwards to the Gulf . A series of hydro-electric projects, on the Euphrates, now under construction in the region will once again bring wealth and prosperity to upper Mesopotamia but the water diversion and implied threat of strategic flooding does not amuse the Syrians.

But I was not looking for Abraham's transit halt, nor Guagamela or even Noah's tomb at Cizre (at the junction of Iran, Iraq and Turkish borders), but Wassukkani which between 1500 BC to 1200 BC was the capital of the Kingdom of Mitannis. They were an Indo-Aryan people, experts in chariot warfare, who worshipped the pre-vedic Aryan Gods Indra, Natasya, Mitra and Varuna and used pre-vedic Sanskrit. Not that I expected to find Wassukkani .That I shall leave to archaeologists and their benefactors, but if it were located and diggings started in my life time, it would be a matter of great satisfaction. For, unfortunately, none of the sites of the Mitanni Kingdom itself has been located and knowledge about them is based on sites in El Amarna Egypt and Bogazkoy in north-west Turkey. Wassukkanni was once thought to be Rais el Ain in Syria, just 80 kms east across from Harran, nowadays bristling with minefields and hostile sentries. But the Akkadian cuneiform tablets found at Amarna, when subjected to tests did not match. Wassukkanni is now believed to be up north in between Mardin, and 90 km up north from Diyarbakir (ancient Amida) now a Kurdish city, an area I traveled up and down .

The upper Mesopotamia region around the middle reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris was rich agriculture land and therefore, much sought after. Throughout history, because of its excellent location, for caravans bringing goods from India and the east, for connecting the Arabian desert to the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, it was much fought over. It is now divided between Turkey, Syria and Iraq with Iran not far away. But during 16th to 13th century BC, the dynasty of Mitannis flourished in the rich grain growing valleys of the rivers Balikh and Khabur, tributaries of the Euphrates, with mostly adversarial relations with Indo-European Hittites in Bogazkoy and generally close relations with the Egyptian Pharaohs. Mitannis perhaps came to this region through the Caucasus and had splintered off in the Eurasian Steppes from the main stream which continued on to Iran and India. They became the ruling aristocracy among the confederation of Hurrian, Hanigalbat and other states of the region which extended from the Zagros mountains in Iran through Assyria, upper Mesopotamia and Syria to the Mediterranean.

Information on Mitannis and their Kingdom first surfaced at the end of the 19th century when letters from the Mitanni King sent to his Pharaoh son-in-law were discovered at El Amarna and deciphered. The Egyptians called the Mitannis Naharinas. The other extensive and important source material was discovered in early 20th century at Bogazkoy 250 Km north east of Ankara, the stronghold of Hittites. Among the documents discovered were treaties between the Hittites and Mitannis in which reference was made to the Indo-Iranian gods Indra, Natasya, Mitra and Varuna and a treatise on horse training and chariotry in Hittite written by Kikkuli, a Mitanni who used ancient Vedic Sanskrit technical terms, thus also confirming Mitannian superiority in matters of horsemanship. The Egyptian Pharaohs had requested the Mitannis time and again for horses and chariots.

Other places where cuneiform documents in Akkadian and other languages throw light on Mitannis are Arraphka, Nuzi (near Kirkuk), Alalakh, a river port on Orontes (on the Turkish -Syrian border near Antioch) , Ugarit (Ras Shamra in Syria) on the Mediterranean, Mari on the river Euphrates. Ugarit was perhaps one of the greatest international sea ports of that time; for, owing to its location, it controlled trade between Syria, its hinterland and the East with the Aegean and the Mediterranean, with merchants and sailors from Egypt, Cyprus, Crete, Mycene and other places mingling here for trade and commerce. Documents from Nuzi describe certain social and religious traditions which are reflected in Hebrew legends recorded in the Old Testament .

The fact that the gods in the Treaties are Hindu vedic Daivya gods, Indra and Natasya along with Assura Iranian gods Mitra and Varuna, shows that the Aryan division into Iranians and Indians had yet not taken place; later on most of Daivya worshipping Aryans continued on to India and most of Assura worshipping Aryans stayed behind in Iran. Limiting the use of Indo-Aryan gods to the Treaties perhaps indicates that only the rulers were of Indo-Aryan origin. There is also evidence that the Royals were cremated. The chariot riding shock troops were called Marijannina linked with old Indian Vedic ie, Marya=youngman, old Avestan= a member of a group. Later this land owning aristocratic group became hereditary, ie even without chariots. The technical terms used in horse training and chariotry like aika wartanna, navartanna etc (one turn , nine turns ) are like ek vartanam, nava vartanam as in Vedic Sanskrit. A Hurrian text from Yorgan Tepe uses Indo-Aryan words to describe the colour of horses, ie babru (brown ) parita (grey ), pinkara (reddish ) etc. The beginnings of the Mitannis arrival are shrouded in mystery, but it seems that they took advantage of the collapse of the Empire established by Hammurabi (who gave the first code in human history, ie to protect the weak against the strong) . There are reasons to believe that the Kings of the Ashur between 1500 BC to 1360 BC were the vassals of the Mitannis. The Mitannis also crossed the Euphrates and exercised influence over the Amorites and Canaanites in the South.

The first and most important Mitanni king was Saustatar (1450 BC to 1440 BC). The others were Artatama (1440-1420),Vedic rta -dhaman= whose abode is the Rta, Shutarna (1420 to 1395), Artashumara (1395 to 1385), Tushratta = Vedic Tvesh- ratha, one whose chariot moves forward violently and Sattiwaza; in old Indo-Aryan sati-vaja = acquiring booty, old Vedic vaja -sati. While the etymology of names of all Mitanni kings has not been done, they are very different from Hurrian names. Rulers with similar names ruled in South Syria and Palestine. Shaustatar ruled around the same time as Pharaoh Thuthmosis III. In fact he made Thuthmosis's drive to conquer Syria, by supporting the small states there, very difficult leading to respect for each other. Later the Mitannis signed a peace treaty with the Pharaohs in order to counteract the Hittite threat from the North West . This was cemented with a Mitanni princess being married to a Pharaoh, but only after 7 requests.

Shaustatar's son Artatama sent his daughter Mutema as wife to Pharaoh Thuthmosis IV, grandson of Thutmosis III .Artatarna's successor Shutarna's daughter Gilukhepa was married to Amun hotep III . She went to her husband in style with 317 Mitannian maidens. Next, Tushratta gave his daughter Tadukhepa to Amun hotep IV, who also married Gilukhepa, youngest in his father's harem. It is generally believed that Gilukhepa was no other than the beautiful and famous Nefertiti. It is known that Nefertiti fully supported her husband' s efforts to bring in monotheism. It was from Egypt, where Moses was born and brought up that he led out the Jews with the idea of one God Jehovah.

The last semi-independent King was Mattiuzza, who was installed on the throne following a palace coup after the murder of Tushratha. He became a vassal of the Hittite king Shuppiluliuma who gave his daughter Mursil in marriage to Mattiuza. Thus the Mitanni dynasty came to be connected with both the Pharaohs and the Hittites. But after the alliance with the Hittites, the Mitannis were reduced to a smaller state with limited independence. As the Mitanni power decreased relations with the Pharaohs withered away. Some of its later kings were Shattwara and Wasasatta. Small Mitanni states lingered on for years. The Assyrians took advantage of the situation to assert their independence. They even raided the Mitanni capital Wassukkanni and took back the golden and silver gates which the Mitannis had brought from Assyria 200 years ago. Assyrian king Ashur Uballit I (1365 BC to1338 BC) ended the Mittani independence completely by defeating Shuttarna II. Over 14000 Mitannis were blinded. After this defeat, the Mitannis either got absorbed in the region or some of them went up north to form part of the Urartu Kingdom. Something like that had perhaps also happened to another Indo Aryan people the Kassites, who ruled earlier over Assyria for nearly 5 centuries, but apart from 300 words of their language and 30 odd gods not much is known about them.

In the Kingdom of Mitannis, also known that of Hurrians, the latter probably formed the majority, ie the other backward classes of those days. The Hurrians, whose language is neither Indo-European nor Semitic, were a non-Indo-European people and are believed to have come from Armenia and present day north east of Turkey. They were well distributed in the region, even in the Hittite areas. They were culturally well developed and their religion and other practices were adopted by the Hittites. The Hurrians also transmitted the Assyrian culture to the Hittites. Perhaps it was too early for the castes to emerge, but the Mitannis certainly appeared to be like the Kshatriyas; a word which comes from ratharias - charioteers, having superimposed themselves over the Hurrians. The Mitannis used Hurrian language but inducted into it Indo-Aryan vocabulary, as the Turks did in Persia, India in a way and elsewhere, ie using the language of the subjects, but retaining the military terms.

The Hittites were an Indo-European people, the first to break away from the proto Indo-Europeans, who probably originated from the Black Sea coast of Russia and Ukraine. They had reached Asia Minor at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC via the straits of the Bosphorous and established a magnificent and impregnable capital at Hattusa, ie Bogazkoy next to Cappadocia (with its mysterious honeycombed underground cities and lunar landscape with eerie tall chimneys, where the earliest Christian communities built their churches). The name Hittites (referred as such in the Bible) is taken from Hattis, an indigenous people, whom the Hittites displaced and who then formed the lower substrata. The Hittites called themselves Nes and their language Nesiti. The Hittite King Hattusilis (reign 1650 to 1620 BC) consolidated the Kingdom and extended its control over most of Asia Minor and Northern Syria. His grandson Mursilis I raided down along the Euphrates river and destroyed the Amorite dynasty of Babylon, then one of the most cosmopolitan, rich and cultured cities. The austere highlanders felt out of place and far away from Hattussa and returned to their capital.

Then for some time they got embroiled in their own affairs and re-emerged as the new Empire in the 14th century BC. Under Suppililumas I it reached the height of its power, extent and culture. Tusharatta, the last independent Mitanni King, defeated the Hittites first time around, but Suppililuimas I then went north and east, taking Wassukkanni by surprise. Tushratta escaped to Carchemish, but the Mitanni power was broken and its glory came to an end. Suppliliumas put his sons as kings of Aleppo and Carchemish . Hittite king Muwatallis (1320 to 1294BC) fought at Kadesh (in Syria) one of the greatest battles of ancient times against Pharaoh Ramses II . It was probably indecisive, even though the latter claimed a victory. Later a peace treaty was signed and a marriage alliance concluded. The Hittites were tolerant in their religious outlook and their polytheism contained indigenous Anatolian, Syrian and Hurrian divinities. The Hittite King, deputy of the storm god, was also the commander in chief, chief judge and after death became a god.

The earliest Indo-Aryan writing in India occurs around 300 BC on Ashoka pillars, but it is really Prakrit. The ancient Sanskrit of Vedas, though transmitted orally was probably written down by 6th century BC. Thus the earliest written archaic Indo-Aryan/Indo-Iranian language has been found in Asia Minor and Syria. The Hittite language is the earliest known extinct form of Indo-European Language and the older Hittite texts (from 1650 BC to 1595 BC ) are the earliest texts found so far. In the later forms (1400 BC to 1190 BC) are to be found the Treaties and Treatise mentioned earlier, which are now on display at the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul along with other historical treasures, literally a sweep through time and history. But for a full and authentic account of the times and lives of the Mitannis and pre-vedic Aryans, we have to wait till Wassukkanni is located, dug and its findings deciphered.

DESTRUCTION OF WORLD’S EASTERN HERITAGE IN IRAQ: Eastern foundations of Western civilization

2010-02-26T11:11:00.000-08:00

FOUNDATION FOR INDO-TURKIC STUDIES

Tel/Fax ; 0040216374602 Amb (Rtd) K Gajendra Singh

Emails; Gajendrak@hotmail.com Flat No 5, 3^rd Floor

KGSingh@Yahoo.com 9, Sos Cotroceni,

Web site. Bucharest (Romania ).

www.tarafits.com 9 July , 2003

South Asia Analysis Group Paper 733 9 July, 2003

DESTRUCTION OF WORLD'S EASTERN HERITAGE IN IRAQ: Eastern foundations of Western civilization by K Gajendra Singh http;//www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers8/paper733.html

'It would be a good idea.' Mahatma Gandhi, when asked about his views on western culture.

There was an international cry and outrage in April and May, when following the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime, US armed forces as the occupying power, had allowed the heritage Museum in Baghdad and other museums in Iraq to be damaged and looted along with libraries, institutions and ministries, except for the ministry of oil (and the oil fields) In spite of warnings, the most comprehensive archives of Iraq's history were set ablaze. Baghdad's National Library smouldered for two days with its half a million books, newspapers and documents reduced to ashes. The Awqaf Library in Baghdad with more than 5,000 manuscripts was destroyed. The Saddam Manuscripts Library, with more than 40,000 manuscripts was looted.

Dr Charles Tripp of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, who had used the Iraqi National Library in the 1980s said, 'It had newspapers from the 1920s and thousands of documents telling tales of the Ottoman period and the British mandate. Its hard to accept it is all gone. ' Mosul University Library with its valuable collections was also partly looted and burnt.' These collections offered a representative sample of the intellectual output of Islamic civilisation,' said Tim Winter, a divinity lecturer at Cambridge University. 'The loss of a thousand years of scholarly interpretation will impoverish Islamic thought, and strengthen the extremists indifferent to it anyway. 'Iraq's history has been savagely massacred,' said Dr Irvine Finkle of the British Museum. "To burn books is possibly the lowest form of human activity. Who would do this And why?"

During the peak of anarchy, chaos and looting US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had commented "Free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things,"

Professor Michalowski of Michigan said that this was "a tragedy that has no parallel in world history; it is as if the Uffizi, the Louvre, or all the museums of Washington DC had been wiped out in one fell swoop". Professor Zinab Bahrani from Columbia University claimed that, "Blame must be placed with the Bush administration for a catastrophic destruction of culture unparalleled in modern history. " From Edinburgh Professor Trevor Watkins lamented that, "The loss of Iraq's cultural heritage will go down in history - like the burning of the Library at Alexandria - and Britain and the US will be to blame. " Others used phrases such as cultural genocide and compared the US in particular to the Mongol invaders of 13th-century Iraq.

Cultural heritage bodies in USA and UK had requested their governments to protect hospitals, schools and cultural institutions, but these requests were largely ignored. Martin Sullivan, Chairman of President's Advisory Committee on Cultural Property and its member Gary Vikan resigned because the US military had had advance warning of the danger to Iraq's historical treasures. "We certainly know the value of oil but we certainly don't know the value of historical artifacts," said Vikan, director of the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore.

On March 20, when US and its allies began their attack on Iraq with Stealth and B-52 bombers, Tomahawk cruise missiles, smart and stupid bombs, museums and curators, universities and scholars across the world were worried what that might do to monuments in Mesopotamia, the fertile crescent land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, the cradle of civilisations, the land of Nineveh, Babylon, Nimrud and Uruk, the world's first city. Where the Sumerians invented writing 5,000 years ago, where the epic of Gilgamesh, which formed the model for Noah and the flood, was committed to cuneiform writing 1500 years before Homer. The land of the Old Testament, of the Tower of Babel and of Ur, where Abraham, the father of the three great monotheistic religions, was born. The museum at Mosul, with its oldest churches and from nearby Nineveh has the remains of personality cult of Sennacherib, a seventh-century BC cruel Assyrian ruler. From nearby Nimrud, the giant winged Assyrian bulls with human heads were stolen and now awe the visitors to the British Museum. The attack on the museum in Saddam's home town of Tikrit was, perhaps, a 21^st century symbolic strike at the personality cult of Saddam Hussein.

So US pro-Consul in Iraq Paul Bremer allowed the gates of Baghdad's heritage museum to be opened on July 3 for some diplomats and media, with heavily armed US troops and black-uniformed Italian carabinieri providing security. But it was only a symbolic one day photo opportunity to convey the message that things were under control. The Museum once had one of the world's best collections of pre-Hellenic statuary, gold jewellery and cuneiform tablets "It's important that people know the museum is coming back. We hope to open properly within a year or two," said Dr Donny George, an Assyrian Christian and the museum's director of studies.

But a most remarkable thing has been the return of around 3000 priceless pieces under the "no questions asked "amnesty in which the clerics played an important role. Some looters brought back the stolen artifacts, after imams had threatened to ban thieves from worship at mosques. The retrieved treasures included a statue of King Shalmanezzer III from 852BC, the Warka vase - a 5ft-high alabaster vessel from 3000 BC, encircled by several layers of sculpted figures, still with traces of red and grain colouring. Another rare exhibit is the gold treasures of Nimrud consisting of exquisitely crafted crowns, bracelets, cups and pendants discovered only in 1989 and rarely exhibited. These had been stored in a vault of the central bank and had survived the US invasion, when the bank building was looted, set on fire and partly flooded. When the banks vaults were opened, bodies of looters killed in shoot-outs with rival gangs, were found inside, but the seals on the crates of the antiquities were intact. The collection had been carefully stored with thousands of pieces hidden in secure rooms around the museum, in vaults in the central bank and in bunkers around Baghdad. This was done according to plans drawn up for 1991 Gulf war.

But of the 42 most valuable items, 32 are still missing, including a bronze relief from 4000 BC, "worth 100 Mona Lisas. And many pieces still remained unaccounted, with thousands gone from the storerooms. The museum did not have an inventory of its collection, not even on a handwritten card index, let alone on a computer. Who stole the museum's best items would take time to find out. Dr George denied that some of the looting was done by museum staff. But it was not just vandalism, he added. It was clear that there were some professional thieves. "They had plans, glasscutters, and knowledge. We found keys brought by the looters. They opened the museum director's safe where they found other keys. " There are reports that some retrieved pieces are copies.

Why the initial reports of the losses were exaggerated remains a mystery but Dr George clarified that it was because of a misunderstanding that the 170,000 pieces were reported missing. He had only given the total number of objects. The reports had outraged the world making it a symbol of the lawlessness of postwar Iraq and America's failure to establish security after its quick victory. Now investigations are under way, with help from Interpol and FBI teams. It is quite possible that the reports of losses were intentionally exaggerated to attract world attention for provision of security by US authorities which was then lacking and to scare away the professional as well as amateur looters

While playing down the numbers stolen, Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, head of the investigating team appointed by USA said, "Almost 3,000 items have been recovered, but over 12,000 are still missing. " He divided the looters into three kinds, those who went through the public galleries, picking out the most valuable or easily transportable items. "They were selective in what they stole," he said. When it came to the items looted from storage chambers, two dynamics were visible. "One was absolute indiscriminate looting. Bags and boxes were taken from one end of the museum and dropped at the other." The "most troubling" thefts were of items "in the most remote corner of the most remote room. Other stuff on the way to it was not taken. You couldn't get there unless you knew it well. This was the priceless collection of cylinder seals and Hellenistic, Roman and Islamic coins". Under amnesty half the items were returned by people who took them for "safe keeping "or given by friends, the other 1,500 were seized after tip offs.

About ancient monuments, experience with US armed forces is not very encouraging. American bulldozers had razed the ruins of Tell al-Lahm, south of Ur, during the 1991 Gulf war. The great arch of Ctesphion, still the widest unsupported brick arch in the world, was cracked by the vibrations of the American carpet bombing. John Curtis, the keeper of the department of the ancient near east at the British Museum, who visited Ur last year had little doubt the Americans strafed the ziggurat - a great, stepped pyramid - with heavy machine-gun fire the last time they passed that way. "Whether this was an accident, I couldn't say," he says. Another European invader Napolean had tested his artillery against Cairo's pyramids. Talibans had bombed Buddhist statues at Bamiyan in Afghanistan a few years ago, leading to international uproar.

On the other hand US and its allies point out that Iraqis have used ancient defences for parking tanks and point out that Iraqi airbase is in the shadow of the great ziggurat of Ur, city of Abraham. Incidentally "the Ur airbase was built by the British in the days of its colonial mandate, when the RAF first demonstrated the civilising capabilities of bombing civilians from the air." Also if you put a machine-gun emplacement anywhere in Mosul, for instance, it will only be next to antiquities. But that doesn't make Mosul a valid target.

There was another reason for the Iraqis placing machine guns outside museums. After the last Gulf war, when Kurds and Shiites of Iraq were encouraged by US president to rise up against Saddam, several important museums and archaeological sites were looted in the chaos. Of the 4,000 precious objects missing (many more were destroyed), most stolen items followed the well-worn route to Israel, Switzerland and, finally, to London, where many Assyrian pieces, broken up for easier transit, ended up on the art market or in the back rooms of antiquarian dealers. As a pariah state, Iraq could not get them back through official channels, but the Iraqis were still trying to buy some of them back from western collectors when the 2003 invasion started." Any responsible government must protect their cultural heritage," said a western expert. Dan Cruickshank, the architectural historian whose film on the subject was screened by the BBC, said, 'It is simply not true that the people of Baghdad looted their own museum,' 'they have far too much respect for their own heritage to do that, he added.

For all his faults, Saddam Hussein was protective of archaeology, promoting it for a national rebirth and a repeat of the glories of the past, and comparing himself to Nebuchadnezzar (what about US presidents as Roman emperors ) who had built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. His rebuilding the old city walls with bricks embossed with his own name next to that of Nebuchadnezzar was a crime against archaeology and aesthetics. But to protect Iraq's heritage as a patriotic duty, five years ago, 10 men from near Mosul who had cut the head off an Assyrian winged bull at Khorsabad, were executed.

But such is the insatiable hunger of western collectors for eastern artifacts that Iraqis continue to loot and smuggle them out of Iraq. Some American and European experts say that most of the 33 missing items were taken in the first few hours of the collapse of Saddam's regime and were stolen 'to order'. Professor McGuire Gibson, an Oriental specialist from Chicago University and a member of the Unesco team investigating the thefts, had received reports that the 'top five' items among the 33 had been smuggled to Tehran and Paris within days of their removal. The loot of eastern heritage has continued since millennia. But ignorant Europeans have derided eastern civilization and culture. One ignorant Englishman gave more weight to works of William Shakespeare than the whole of Indian literature. Recently an uncouth Italian Prime minister described Muslims as culturally inferior.

MESOPOTAMIAN AND EASTERN FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN CIVILISATION

In the arbitrary division of the world in to the West and the East along the straits of Bosporus, Dardanelles and Gibraltar ( from Arabic Jebel el Tariq ) or into Europe ( and USA ) and Asia, the Europeans first came in to contact with Asians and were either civilised or evolved their own civilization after encountering superior and existing civilizations in Asia. These Eastern countries i.e. Egypt, Syria, Iraq , Iran and Turkey, now Muslim countries, have fallen on bad days .In their heydays of the Muslim empires, the Arabs ruled and civilised most of Spain and Ottoman Turks reached right up to the Gates of Vienna . They developed and spread culture and civilised Europe. Classical Greek and Hellenic works were translated into Arabic and thus saved as these had been lost in the west. As conservative fundamentalist forces emerged on top, Muslim empires and civilisation decayed and they were colonised by the west with superior arms for waging wars. As had been done earlier by the Indo-Europeans, Turks and Mongols.

It is rather unfortunate that Muslims, because of Islam 's origin in Arabian Peninsula have classified everything that existed before it, even elsewhere, as Jahilya ( ignorance). Most lands conquered by the swords of Islam or Sufis and saints had ancient and flourishing civilisations. Thus, unfortunately little work has been done by Muslim countries to discover their hoary past, which are such rich sources of ancient history, culture, human thought and philosophy. Only tourism has made them take some interest in their past i.e. Egypt and secular Turkey. Even in Turkey, Government publications on their history start with 6th century Gök Turk empire (in Mongolia) and then come to 11^th century AD after the Byzantine defeat at Manzikert by Turkic tribes. Thus a mis-conceived attempt is made to black out its pre-Greek, Greek, Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine past. The percentage of Turkic blood, mostly Turcomen would not be more than 15% in the Republic of Turkey. Other examples are the governmental attitude to Pharaonic past in Egypt and Indus Valley and Vedic past in Pakistan.

Most ancient Indo-Aryan and eastern writings were brought to world attention by western scholars. But some of them were not so enlightened and writing in 19^th and first half of 20^th century at the height of colonial period, tended to strengthen the notion of ruling white man's civilising mission and hence his superiority and supremacy over the native genius throughout history. The propensity of the Brahmins, the highest caste among Aryans, to control and keep everything to themselves i.e. their close family members or caste men led to lack of transparency and hindrance to the culture of writing. So there are few reliable records. Only the oral tradition remained. Lack of transparency persists even to this day in Indian polity encouraging nepotism, inefficiency and corruption. India is No 71 in world transparency order. Writing has been acknowledged as one of the most important tools of civilisation.

Apart from intrepid Buddhist travelers from China and others like Megesthnese, Alberuni, Ibn-batuta etc we have to rely mainly on Western sources or translations when it comes to the origins of history, religions, culture and civilisations. As for the western bias we can see even today how CNN and BBC moderate, distort and even tell blatant lies about events taking place in Afghanistan, Pakistani, Jammu and Kashmir and now Iraq. Even TV channels like Discovery and National Geographic distort the truth. Truth is becoming a major casualty because of western control of communications and thought, more so after fall of the Berlin Wall. Pravada and Izvestia had exercised some check. But the so-called impartiality, especially of US media has been exposed by independent Arab channels like Al Jazeera etc during the recent US war on Iraq.

How Alexander "the Great " has been glorified as a Western conqueror of the East. He was a small town homosexual boy who was taught the intricacies of state protocol, running of an empire and the divinity of the emperor by older civilisations of Asia Minor, Egypt and Persia. If he had followed the advice of his teacher Aristotle and not learnt from the so called barbarians, his vision would have remained limited and shallow. The desert Arab tribes were civilised by the Byzantine courtiers and princesses in Damascus and Sassanians from Persia in Iraq after being conquered by Muslim Arabs. So were the nomad Central Asian Turks and Mongols (also by Chinese) by the Persians.

As there was little comparable civilisation in Western Europe and certainly USA in pre Christian era, they claim that there civilisation, culture and thought originates from the Greeks of Aegean and Asia Minor (Turkey). According to them, Greek civilisation and culture evolved and flourished in Crete and evolved when Greeks (pirates) coming from the Aegean islands settled on the west coast of Asia Minor (called Ionia-Yunani) There fore Minoan civilisation of Crete forms the basis of Greek and hence Western civilisation. It is too simplistic and illogical, if not downright absurd. Why not Cyprus, Malta, Sicily? At that time, there were flourishing civilisations in Egypt, Asia minor, Mesopotamia, Persia, Sogdiana and India. Persian Empire extended up to western Turkish coast with Sardis as its out post. Most Greek city states in Asia Minor were under the Persians, who could cross over the Dardanelles or the Bosporus at will or occupy Greek lands. The first Greek victory over Persians is celebrated as Marathon race in sports. The first victory of the West over East!

Cretian civilisation is derived from Egyptian and Phoenician. Both are indebted to Mesopotamian, verily the mother of all civilisations, which evolved mostly between Tigris in Euphrates in Iraq and southeast Turkey. The evolution in human progress took off six millennia ago. But fourth millennia BC was remarkable, not only in Mesopotamia but in the Nile valley and the Indus Valley. From family units polity developed into villages and cities, kingdoms and empires. The cities were ruled by a god and in his name by the king. To begin with, the first deity was Earth, Mother Goddess. Civilisations in Mesopotamia were created by Sumerians, Babylonians, Akkadians, Assyrians and others. Nile got cylindrical seals from Mesopotamia and the beginnings of writing. The Nile civilisation is magnificent, well preserved but unidirectional and flourished in isolation, without the stimulus of exchange.

If one studies the Egyptian or Pharoanic civilisation, much has been contributed to it by the Nubians of Upper Egypt. Many Pharao's had thick lips and crinky hair. Or La la, Egyptians are bad enough and now to claim that the Sudanese might have influenced the Greek and hence the Western Judo-Hellenic Christian civilisation. Yes, after the development of civilisations in Mesopotamia and the Nile valley, it filtered to eastern Mediterranean, which became a cradle of civilisations, with exchange of ideas through trade and people. That is how the island of Crete acquired civilisation.

The achievement of a civilization may be expressed in terms of its best points—moral and ethical, aesthetic, scientific, and, not least, literary. Legal theory flourished and was sophisticated. Early on, it was expressed in several collections of legal decisions, the so-called codes, of which the best-known and the earliest is the Code of Hammurabi. Throughout these codes recurs the concern of the ruler for the weak, the widow, and the orphan.

There are 25 firsts achieved by Sumerians. These include wheels, the plough, the loom, the potter's wheels, the brick, and the sail, working with metals and finally writing. Technical accomplishments were perfected in the building of amazingly accurate Ziggurats (temple towers resembling pyramids), with their huge bulk, and in irrigation, both in practical execution and in theoretical calculations. At the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC, an artificial stone often regarded as a forerunner of concrete was in use at Uruk (160 miles south-southeast of modern Baghdad), The ultimate weapon to spread civilisations remains systematic writing.

Judaism, mother of all revealed Abrahmic religions in West Asia is claimed to be the first monotheistic religion. But it could have been perhaps influenced by Avestan/Zoroastrian/ pre-Vedic religions in Mesopotamia. In 14^th century BC it was an Aryan Mitanni (a kingdom at the borders of Turkey and Syria) princess Gilukhepa, perhaps the well known and famous Nefertiti, who fully supported her husband Pharaoh Akhneton's (AmonhotepIV) efforts to bring in (and perhaps inspire) monotheism, for single God Aton (Sun or Mithra like!). This concept was too sudden and undermined the vested powers of the priests. It was dislodged and soon after Akhneton was removed from power. New work in Egypt is moving in that direction. It was from Egypt that Moses led the Hebrews out to lay the foundations of Judaism.

Now let us take the story of Illiad and Odyssey. For Western culture and civilization, they are almost like Mahabharata and Ramayana are for India, making its author Homer one of the most influential authors in the widest sense. The two epics provided the basis for Greek education and culture throughout the classical age and formed the backbone of humane education down to the time of the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity. The Homeric epics had a profound impact on the Renaissance culture of Italy. Since then the proliferation of translations has helped to make them the most important poems of the classical European tradition.

Illiad was finalised probably around 750 BC and Odyssey 650 BC (Greek writing started around 650 BC). It is felt that Odyssey, so different from Iliad was not composed by Homer, the blind bard born in Asia Minor, but probably by a young lady (a Jane Austin) somewhere on the Sicilian coast with time to spare. Let that pass. But there certainly is historical basis for the story of abduction of Spartan King Menelus's wife Helen by Trojan Prince Paris. Menelus's brother King Agamemnon of Achaeans, then decided on a voyage of punishment and retrieval. This is when strangely an artificial line, straits of Dardanelles, has been introduced by the Europeans to divide the world into East and West and the victory over Trojans is taken as of the west over East. Why? Later Alexander made offerings at Troy (also at Egyptian oasis Siva) before embarking on his conquest of Asia. Ottoman Sultan Fethi after conquering Constantinople, also visited Troy.

We need not go into the details of the two epics and Troy. But in the search to find the exact place and the time of the events, credit might be given to Heinrich Schliemann. Inspired by Iliad's description, he started digging at Troy site but damaged the real Troy. He was a mythomaniac and big liar. Paris's father King Priam King of Troy is an hour's walk on the Asian side from the Dardanelles. This strategic site, controlling the sea borne trade from the Mediterranean and Aegean to the Black Sea and beyond has been inhabited since fourth millennium BC. Troy 6, site of Homer's Illiad has been dated to about 1260 BC.

At the same time, there was the majestic and magnificent Asian Hittite Empire (1800 BC to 1200 BC) in central Turkey, whose capital Bogazkoy 's citadel has a circumference of five kilometres. The Troy fortress measures 200 yards by 150 yards. Excavations show that Troy perhaps fell as a result of weakening by an earthquake. It was assaulted and set on fire, women and children taken as slaves. Evidence from Hittite archives indicates that Troy was a small state in alliance or subordinate to it. It was attacked when the Hittite empire was in decline and fighting its new enemy the Assyrians in the East. So all this 10 year long Great Trojan war drama was a storm in a tea cup in the ocean of Hittite Empire, which extended from north of Turkey to Syria and up to Babylon (Iraq.) Hittites were contenders for the control of Syria with the Egyptian Pharaohs and local Aryan kingdom of Mitannis in Turkey and Syria.

The regions linking the river basins of Euphrates and Tigris, Oxus and Jaxartes, Indus and Ganges have contributed more to religion, culture and civilisation than the rest of the world put together. Comprising of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Central Asian Republics, Afghanistan and the Indian sub-continent, there has always been natural interaction in the area through travel, trade, migration and conquest for over five millennia, with many civilisations having also evolved and flourished in desert oasis. The more civilised areas were dominated first by Indo-Europeans charioteers and then the horse riders from Asian Steppes who shaped the Eurasian history. Aryans of India migrated from the steppes of north of the Black and Caspian Seas and Khazakhstan from 3^rd to 1^st millennia BC. Later Turks and Mongols migrated from the eastern Asian steppes to the Indian sub-continent, Iran and Turkey then known as Asia Minor, where as mentioned earlier had evolved and flowered ancient Greek and Hellenic thought, culture and polity as a result of interaction of incoming Greeks with the existing Asian civilisations of Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, and India beyond. Turkey has more Greek sites than Greece and more Roman monuments than Italy.

With a continuous history this area has been the cradle of most civilizations, thought, philosophy and religions; pre-Vedic to Vedic religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Avestan, Zoroasterism, Manichaeism, Judaism, Christianity with its various strands and schisms, Islam and such bye-lanes as Alevis, Alawaites, Yezidis, Druzes and many others. Indo-Iranian, Ural- Altaic and Semitic languages have mingled with each other and local languages to produce such a mosaic of languages and tongues. Culturally, linguistically, ethnically and spiritually there is no region in the world which is so rich and diverse but also has so much in common.

Let us now take western (hence Greek) philosophy, which begins with Thales (who predicted 585 BC solar eclipse). Thales who established the Miletian school (near Smyrna-Izmir, Turkey) speculated that everything consisted of liquid, his disciples Anaximander said there was unity behind multiplicity and Anaximanes that everything was vapour. They are considered spiritual forefathers of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

By 6^th century BC schools of Jain and Buddhist philosophy were well established apart from Upanishads, Yoga, Charakva and Sankhya, which have an even older tradition perhaps going back to 8^th century BC. While religion and philosophy in India are fused; Buddhism, Jainism and some other schools started as philosophy of life without creating or relying on Gods. Socrates with his inner (intuitive) voice and trances with Plato made a team like Ramakrishna Paramhansa with Swami Vivekananda i.e. intuitive speculator and philosopher with his eloquent spokesman. We know about Socrates only from Plato' writings.

The Orphic and Pythagorean and later Parmenides philosophy or cults are similar to Indian philosophy. Perhaps the ideas had traveled via Alexandria, hub of eastern Mediterranean, then held in high regard as a place for learning and wisdom , where Greeks and others used to congregate and learn. Ugarit port on the Syrian coast was another meeting place for traders, travelers and wise men from the west i.e. Cyprus, Crete etc and east i.e. Iraq, Persia and India beyond. Greeks and Indians were employed in Susa, capital of the Persian Empire, which also ruled north India. So exchange of ideas and philosophy was normal. Scylax, a Greek origin Persian subject from Asia minor was commanded by Emperor Darius to navigate river Indus from Kabul to its delta on the Arabian Sea, from whose records Herodotus and West learnt about India.

Earlier Greek writings and thought had everything; logic, speculation, myths, mystery and beliefs. It's a difficult to say when the divergence between East and West commenced. And why? European rationalism and renaissance! Does it have something to do with the colder climate of Europe, which made them think more rationally and did not lend to development of intuitive powers. We can see the divergence even in the evolution of Christianity, Western and Orthodox. Western theology turns towards dualism making a distinction between the spirit and the matter. Eastern theology maintains that spirit and matter are the two interdependent manifestations of the same ultimate reality. Christianity has been influenced by Mithraism (from pre-Vedic cult ), then very popular with Roman legions, senators and even Emperors who built Mithra temples all over central and east Europe and Asia Minor. Christmas is celebrated on 24 December eve, time of Mithra's birth ( when the Sun starts waxing ).

The divergence between conscious intuition of the East and rational thought of the West was perhaps complete after de la Carte announced "I think therefore I am. ' Of course there's no place for intuition in this. But many western scientists have declared that only intuition had led them to the discoveries of science. Zen masters use Kaons, apparently illogical riddles, to unlock intuitive powers. West then took as faith Darwin's theory of evolution that mutations cause species to change at random and the fittest survives and not Lamarck's theory that species change because they make determined effort to change. It has played havoc with human history. Survival of the fittest theory brought in colonialism, imperialism and cultural orientalism. West also evolved divisive nationalism, Marxism, capitalism, ideological totalitarianism. For these causes and ideologies many scores of millions were butchered in, so far the most violent of all , the 20^th century.

And now globalisation (forceful promotion of western corporate interests), under the garb of economic deregulation and integration, creating a system akin to Capitulations ie granting sovereign power to foreign interests and expatriates, roles now played by local presidents, prime ministers and others. Capitulations undermined the mighty Ottoman empire. Globalisation is another ruse to control wealth around the world with out any accountability. No concern of the ruler for the weak, the widow, and the orphan. It started with the mercantilism of Genoa and Venice if not Miletians, when merchants started emerging as power brokers in Europe.

West now believes that there is nothing superior to human rational knowledge. In Greek philosophy, the idea of unwritten laws exists - which ''live always and forever, and no man knows from where they have arisen". Western belief in an external moral universe, to which men owe obedience, has been changed to a rational secular alternative to this moral structure. Isaiah Berlin advice that ''solutions to the central problems existed, that one could discover them, and, with sufficient selfless effort, realize them on earth'' has been lost. Popular religious belief in the West still remains strong, but since mid 20 century its elites have become secularized with radical autonomy and absolute freedom to do whatever one chooses - alone in the universe.

What are a few centuries in human evolution ? Should we not change course. Does West need more stunning events like 11 September, which could be really devastating and catastrophic. The course being followed by US neo-conservatives in Iraq and elsewhere bodes ill for all.

(K Gajendra Singh, served as Indian Ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan in 1992-96. Prior to that, he served as ambassador to Jordan (during the 1990-91 Gulf war), Romania and Senegal. He is currently chairman of the Foundation for Indo-Turkic Studies Email-Gajendrak@hotmail.com)

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Tiny Treasures Leave Big Void in Looted Iraq
also see Al-Jazeerah opinion piece, Destruction of World's Eastern Heritage
in Iraq, by Indian diplomat K. Gajendra Singh. July 18, 2003. ...
work.colum.edu/~amiller/antiquities.htm - 10k - Cached - Similar pages

Alexander the Great on the Web | Images of Alexander | other ancient history sites | contact

Destruction of World's Eastern Heritage in Iraq" by K Gajendra Singh, on Al-Jazeera.info (not the TV station). Wandering text wanders eventually to Alexander, where he comes in for grudging praise for disregarding Aristotle and learning from barbarians. His identification as a "small town homosexual boy" demonstrates all is not sweetness and light. http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/alexander/19.html

presidents on us coins - US Coin Collecting
Destruction of World's Eastern Heritage in Iraq, By K Gajendra Singh ... seals and
Hellenistic, Roman and Islamic coins". Under amnesty half the items were ...
www.uscoincollects.com/presidentsonuscoins/ - 52k - Cached - Similar pages

http://www.bloomsburypress.com/books/catalog/the_house_of_wisdom On contributions of Islam to civilizations.

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DESTRUCTION OF WORLD’S EASTERN HERITAGE IN IRAQ: Eastern foundations of Western civilization

2010-02-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

FOUNDATION FOR INDO-TURKIC STUDIES

Tel/Fax ; 0040216374602 Amb (Rtd) K Gajendra Singh

Emails; Gajendrak@hotmail.com Flat No 5, 3^rd Floor

KGSingh@Yahoo.com 9, Sos Cotroceni,

Web site. Bucharest (Romania ).

www.tarafits.com 9 July , 2003

South Asia Analysis Group Paper 733 9 July, 2003

DESTRUCTION OF WORLD'S EASTERN HERITAGE IN IRAQ: Eastern foundations of Western civilization by K Gajendra Singh http;//www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers8/paper733.html

'It would be a good idea.' Mahatma Gandhi, when asked about his views on western culture.

During the peak of anarchy, chaos and looting US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had commented "Free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things,"

MESOPOTAMIAN AND EASTERN FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN CIVILISATION

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Illustrated ;A Sweep through history and Time -.Asia Minor/Anatolia/Turkey

2010-02-26T05:18:00.001-08:00

A SWEEP THROUGH HISTORY AND TIME

15 DAYS IN TURKEY

TAAC Newsletter, 97 December
... Excellent reading about the region. Back to top. Full article is available on the
web. A sweep through history and time - 15 days in Turkey. by K. Gajendra Singh ...
www.taaca.org/data/199712-html.html - 36k - Cached - Similar pages

A sweep through history and time - 15 days in Turkey by K. Gajendra Singh

Mr. Gajendra Singh is a former ambassador of India To Turkey who settled in Ankara after retirement. He represents major Indian papers.
In his article Mr. Singh takes the reader through a tour of Turkey while narrating the history of localities. It is a must reading for people interested in history, ancient ruins and peoples.
Download this article from our WWW location and give it to people who are interested more about what Turkey can offer: Hittite, Urartian, Byzantine, Roman, Greek, Seljuk, Ottoman Islamic to Christian, Cleopatra with Anthony...

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TURKPULSE ............................AUGUST 26th, 2000

( Also published by Turkish Daily News,Ankara , without daily program in 1997)

A SWEEP THROUGH HISTORY AND TIME

15 DAYS IN TURKEY

Amb (Retd) K. Gajendra Singh

(Guest Writer)

A cascade of slim minarets piercing the Istanbul skyline comes to mind, when most people think of Turkey or the memories of the terrible Turks from the days of Janissaries and Crusades, when in 1453 the Byzantine capital Constantinople became the Ottoman Istanbul, with the 6th century magnificent St. Sophia Church converted into a mosque (but the Ottoman architects could never get away from its conceptual construct). Apart from the famed Topkapi and the Dolmabahce Palaces with their unmatched treasures and other Ottoman monuments, Istanbul has monuments and ruins from its millennium and half long Roman and Byzantine past (Turkey has more Greek monuments than Greece and more Roman sites than Italy). But this sweep does not encompass Istanbul nor all historic Christian places, ie Chalcedon, Nicomedea, Nicea or all the churches of revelation; for, Asia Minor as Turkey was then known was also a cradle of Christianity. Nor Testament's Mount Ararat and Noah's Ark with ruins of beautiful Armenian Churches and Urartian monuments in the region of Kars and Van. Nor the fabled Pontus Trabzon nor Sumela monastry on the Black Sea coast of the Golden Fleece, whence emerged Xenophon and his ten thousand after an arduous journey through Kurdish speaking lands. Nor Divrigi, with its masterpieces of pre-Ottoman architecture. Or Amazon Queen founded Sinop, the birthplace of cynic Diogenes who told off Alexander the Great for shutting out his sunlight. Nor even Bursa and Edirne, the first two capitals of the Ottoman Sultans.

Starting from the Republic's historic capital Ankara, we pass by the Phyrigian Gordion (of its knot and oracle), the capital city of King Midas of the golden touch; birthplace and tomb of Nassreddin Hoja (Shiekh Chilli); Sardis in West Turkey, the Lydian capital and Persian Acheamenean Empire's outpost in Ionia (from which came the word Yunan ), of rich as King Croesus and the golden fleece; Troy of Helen, Achillies, Paris and Priam and across the Dardenelles Galipoli; where thousands of Indian soldiers lie buried from WW1; Assos, facing the island of Lesbos, where Aristotle taught; Bergama of physician Galen, a rival city to Ephesus, Antioch and Alexandria, the first two being in Turkey. Also Izmir, the old Smyrna, Homer's birth place (where Aristotle Onasis also lived) and the richest architectural site Ephesus, the Carian city of St Paul's church, Virgin Mary is believed to be buried nearby (Scylax, from whose navigation of Indus for Darius, the West knew first of India, was from Caryanda, also a Carian city); Priene, the spectacular Ionian city, whose oracle along with neighbouring Didim's was as well known as Delphi's.

We then move to Miletus of 6th century BC, of the first thinkers. Thales, Anneximender, Anneximenes, spiritual forefathers of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, where the Greek and Western philosophy germinated, also of Hecataeus, who in touch with Persians wrote about India, and then come to Bodrum, the ancient Halicarnassus, birth place of Herodotus, father of history, with a Crusader castle and the first funeral monument called Mausoleum in memory of King Mausolus. Not far is Aphrodisias, excavated only in the 1980s with temples of Aphrodite and Hierapolis and its cotton castles. We pass by old Lycian cities, Knidos, Telmessus, Pinara, Letoonia of goddess Leto, Artemis; Xanthus, where women committed Jauhar (set themselves on fire) against the Persians in 5th century BC, Patara of its famous oracle, also the birthplace of St Nicholas (Santa Claus), whose Church is not far away at Demre. Then soon in Pamphylia comes Yanartas, with remains of fire snorting Chimera killed by Belerophon flying on a winged horse Pegasus (Mobil's logo). Then to Phaselis with Roman and Byzantine harbours; Antalya founded by Attalus II, ruled in turn by Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Seljuk and Ottoman Turks as were so many places in Turkey, with a fluted minaret, like a section of Delhi's Qutub Minar; Perge, with ruins of temples of Zeus, Artemis; Aspendos, and its theatre ,where today's concerts hold 20,000 persons; Side with temples of Athena, Appollo; Alanya's castle and its golden beach - Mark Antony got the sand from Egypt to charm Cleopatra.

Then after a beautiful drive come up to the plateau plains of Konya (old Christian Iconium of first Lady Saint Theckla), of whirling Dervishes of Jalaluddin Rumi, the capital of the Seljuks, with their masterpieces; Catal Huyuk of proto-earth mother goddess, 8000 years old, one of the earliest towns. Then down past Alharan monastry, along river Goksu, where Holy Roman Emperor drowned ending the 3rd Crusade. Go further down to Cilicia; Silifke and ethereal Kizkalesi with its legends; Olba, of temple of Tyche, goddess of Fortune, mausoleum of Priape, god of fertility and illegitimate son of Zeus and Aphrodite. Nearby is the site of Heaven and Hell with its Chapel of Virgin Mary and the cave of scaly fire breathing monster Python; Viranshir (Soli), birth place of Chrisipus, founder of the earliest Stoic school in 3rd century BC.

After passing by the modern port of Mersin, come to Tarsus, birth place of St Paul, where Cleopatra seduced Mark Antony. Up north in the mountains are Cilician gates, from where Alexander ( & other conquerors going east or west) passed through to the Cukurova plains, littered with Crusader castles; Issus, where Alexander defeated Darius III in 333 BC. After crossing the Syrian gates and passing by Ottoman mosques and medresses, come to Antakya (ancient Antioch) on river Orantes founded by Sileucus Nikator (who knew well Chandra Gupta Maurya), with its most magnificent collection of mosaics. Here followers of Jesus were called Christians for the first time, St Peter and St Paul first preached here. It changed hands between Persians, Arabs, Byzantines and others. Down south Cleopatra married Mark Antony and there is a village where Moses came to meet prophet Hizir.

After Gaziantep, comes later day 8th BC capital of Hittites, Carchemis, conquered by Assyrian King Saragon II and then Urfa, where prophet Abraham stayed before going on to Cannan (buried in Hebron), it is also ancient Edessa, founded by Alexander's Macedonians, where the first large Christain community grew, seat of Crusader Kingdom of Baldwin I.Here Greek works were translated into Syriac and Aramaic and later into Arabic and thus preserved, veritably a city of mosques and churches. To the south is Harran with its beehive looking houses, the play ground of prophets Jacob and others, where Roman Emperor Crassus was defeated by the Parthians. This is upper Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisations, where the prevedic Sanskrit speaking and Aryan gods worshipping Indo-Aryans ruled their Mitanni Kingdom from 1500 to 1200 BC.

Go up north via Nemrut Dagi, of King Commagene, who brought together eastern Persian and western Roman gods, with larger than life size statues of Apollo, Tyche, Zeus, Hercules and Mithradates on a mountain top, also a temple of goddess Cybel. Leaving Salahaddin's Diyarbakir after a long drive past carpet making center Bunyan and Kayseri (old Ceasara Mazaca) come to the famous Cappadoccia with its moon-like landscape, fairy chimneys and 3000 rock churches with six-level underground cities, where Christians hid from Roman persecution. Then after visiting Sivas, take a detour via Zile, where Julius Ceaser uttered 'Veni, vidi, vichi' and on to the old Pontus Kingdom Amasya, on river Yesilirmak reminding of Srinagar, birth place of geographer Strabo and an important Hellenic, Byzantine and Ottoman center. Then to Bogazkoy, with its magnificent capital and impregnable Citadel, the center of Indo-European Hittite civilisation from 1900 BC to 1100 BC, who ruled right up to Babylon, Palestine and the Aegean Sea. Cuneiform tablets found here (and Tel Amarna in Egypt) throw light on the Mitanni Kingdom and preserved treaties refering to gods Varuna, Indra, Mitra etc and a Mitanni treatise on horse training using Sanskrit phrases (can be seen in Istanbul Archeological Museum). The supposed Mitanni capital Wassukkani between Mardin and Diyarbakir is yet to be discovered.

DAY BY DAY PROGAMME

DAY-1 ANKARA ( Capital since 1923) - Polatli - Turko Greek War memorial. GORDIUM - Alexander the Great cuts the Gordian knot in 333 BC. PHRYGIAN kingdom capital, Tomb of KING MIDAS (around 800 BC), the tomb and an adjoining Museum can be visited. Also the city of Gordium, being excavated. Village of NASRETTIN HOCA Sivrihisar (old 19th century Armenian church) PESSINOS (20 km off Sivrihisar) centre of Roman GALATIA, temple of CYBELE- MIDAS CITY (Yazil Kaya) Aslantash. AFYONHISAR. Afyon Castle - wooden SELJUK mosque. Lunch at Ikbal Restaurant. SARDIS - inhabited for 5000 years - capital of LYDIAN EMPIRE. Prostitution allowed to earn dowry. Later major Roman city - Temple of many-breasted ARTEMIS (200 BC). Last of the KING CROESUS (rich as Croesus), first minted coins of gold and silver - legend of the GOLDEN FLEECE. One of the Seven churches, Akhisar, the old THYATRA - another Lydian city. Go to BALIKESIR. Rest.

DAY 2 GRANICUS (GONEN river); ALEXANDER Kills Darius III's two Persian commanders - Canakkale on straits of Dardanelles - across Gallipoli of WW1. Troy of Trojan horse and war, ILLIAD, HELEN, AGAMEMNON, CLYTEMNESTEA, PARIS, ODYSSUS, Troy VII was city of PRIAM. There are at least 7 layers of cities on Troy controlling the entry to DARDANELLES and MARMARA sea and BLACK SEA COAST. BABAKALE - Westernmost point of Asia Minor, Bahramkale (ASSOS) - Temple of ATHENA - Socrates taught here - can see across to the Greek island of LESBOS - AYVALIK - a Greek town (till 1923) - Bergama (PERGAMUN) – old HELLENISTIC city - rival to EPHESUS, ANTIOCH and ALEXANDRIA (in Egypt) in ancient times.

DAY 3 Visit to Pergamun Ruins (originals in Berlin Museum). Parchment invented after Egyptians cut off - AESCLEPIOS - God of Medicine. Birth place of Galen- physician and medical authority of ancient times - temple of Egyptian deities - BEYAZIT I (1398-99) monuments. Visit to Acroplis Sanctuary of DEMETER, Temple of ZEUS and ATHENA Polias Nikeperous - in DORIC style. Temple of TROJAN, theatre for 10,000. Candarli - with 13th century GENOESE fortres. Aliaga - AOELIAN city. Foca - 'PHOCAENS were pioneer navigators so said HERODOTUS. Manisa - old MAGNESIA - Izmir - old SMYRNA Ionians settled in 9th century BC. Others ie Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Seljuks, Crusaders, Ottomans and Tamurlane also came. Homer's birth place. He wrote Illiad and Odyssy here. Also city of Aristotle Onasis and French PM Ballandur – Kusadasi - Rest.

DAY 4 EPHESUS - Founded by Amazons - country of Carians. Temple of ARTEMIS (564-546 BC) - ALEXANDER visited in 334 BC Library of CELSUS - Church of EPHESUS built by ST. PAUL in AD 53 - Church of VIRGIN MARY - built in 2nd century AD - first church for Virgin Mary. Temple of SERAPIS - Temple of Hadrian, SELJUK Mosque - BASILICA OF ST. JOHN - ISA BEY MOSQUE. PRIENE - spectacular IONIAN city - 4th century BC. First Hellenistic city, temple of DIONYIAS Temple of Athena. Miletus of THALES, ANAXIMENDER, ANAXIMENES, Didyma -TEMPLE OF APPOLO - Head of MEDUSA. Alexander declared son of Zeus by local oracle. Lake Bafa - across HERAKLEA and Latmos

DAY 5 Bodrum - ancient HALICARNASSUS - birthplace of historian Herodotus - father of history, according to West. In ancient times part of DORIAN Confederacy. Crusader castle of ST. PETER (Petronium - from which comes Bodrum). Castle of Knights of ST JOHN - a major landmark. Also the first MAUSOLEUM (funeral monument) - one of the SEVEN WONDERS of the world - in memory of King MAUSOLUS, built by his widow. Now a popular Bohemian resort MILAS, temple of ZEUS. APRODISIAS - named after Goddess APHRODITE - excavated in 1980s so most things are intact. Huge theatre, stadium for 30 000. Beautiful statues in the Museum. Pamukkale (cotton castle), shimmering white cascades formed by limestone laden hot springs which have formed stalactites potholes and cotton made architecture. Nearby HIERAPOLIS - ruins over miles, founded by Eumenes II of Pergamun. This was destroyed in first century, but rebuilt in 2nd/3rd centuries and we see the ruins from there. Sleep at Pamukkale.

DAY 6 Mugla-Marmaris - Beautiful harbour and resting point for yachts.

DATCA - Knidos. Temple of APHRODITE by PRAXITELES (390 -30 BC). Dalyan - famous beach for giant LOGGERHEAD TURTLES. Pass by Fethiye big resort town - KAYA( known as Kormylassos) - an eerie ghost town of Greeks who left for Greece in 1920s (1.5 million left for Greece and half million Turks came) Oludeniz (Dead Sea). Sleep Fethiye.

DAY 7 Visit TELMESSUS an old LYCIAN city (6th century BC) old name of Fethiye - rock tombs - now a beautfiul city in a calm protected bay.

PINARA - an ancient city existing since Trojan war (1200 BC) church, theatre, tombs in mountain heights. LETOON -Temples of Goddess LETO, ARTEMIS

and APPOLO. Mosaics of Lye, the sun, bow and arrow, only LYCIAN mosaics.

LETO, mistress of Zeus, whose wife HERA hounded her to exile. Gave births to ARTEMIS and APPOLO. XANTHUS- Ampi-theatre, HARPIS Tomb. PILLAR TOMBS - Lycian sarcaphagus covered by 250 lines of Lycian Greak poem. Earliest 'Johar' - when Persians attacked Xantus in 540 BC, Lycians set ablaze their wives and children then fought to the last man. Lycians repeated it in 42 BC, when Brutus arrived to raise money. PATARA - Birth place of SAINT NICHOLAS (SANTA CLAUS) Ruins of harbour, Granary of HADRIAN. Was famous for ORACLE of APPOLO, as famous as of DELPHI. Resort town of Kas. KALE (Myra) - here ST. NICHOLAS, the original Santa Claus was Bishop in 4th century AD. Myra has St. NICHOLAS 's Church, an Amptitheatre, most impressive rock tombs in whole of LYCIA. Sleep at Kale.

DAY 8 OLYMPUS: located in a gorge between two mountains, once a pirate hide-out. Piracy stamped out by Roman General Pompey 2000 years ago. Needs excavation. Ahmet tried to drive over the sand-got struck - had to bring a tractor to take out the car. Go on dust track to go to CHIRALI and walk up 40 minutes to YANARTAS, where tiny flames appear from rocks, which children try to stamp out. According to legend, these are the remains of CHIMERA, a snorting monster, with lion's head, goat's body and serpent's tail- killed by LYCIAN HERO BELEEROPHON, who flew over the mountains on his winged horse PEGASUS (Mobil Oils symbol). PHASELIS - an ancient Greek city at the top of peninsula - founded by RHODIANS in 690 BC or even earlier. Two harbours - ROMAN and BYZANTINE. Main avenue, theatre, baths, market temple etc. lovely warm water in end March, when one can see snow packed Olympus nearby. ANTALYA - a modern city with 5-star hotels and lovely beaches nearby. Founded by ATTALUS II, King of PERGUMUN (159-136 BC) ruled by ROMANS, BYZANTINES, SELJUK, TURKS, CRUSADERS and OTTOMANS since 1391. Italians occupied it (in 1919-21). Known for FLUTED MINARET ( built 1230 by Seljuk Alaeddin Kekubat). Many medresses, tombs and mosques. Ruins of TERMESSUS - a city Alexander could not conquer. During Roman and Byzantine days, a city of 150,000 - a city of PISIDIANS. Tomb of ALCETAS, Alexander's General defeated and killed here in 319 BC. Ruins of Temples of ZEUS, ARTEMIS etc. PERGE. -ASPENDOS - most well preserved Ampitheatre, seating 20,000 people, where concerts are held nowadays. Resort town of SIDE - very popular with Germans. Founded in 13th - l4th century BC. LYDIANS and PERSIANS occupied it. Conquered by ALEXANDER in 334 BC - Ruled by Selucid Ptolemies. Has Ampitheatres, temples of ATHENA and APOLLO. MEN (moon Goddess) - Visit ALANYA castle and Dalmatas Cave- Sleep Alanya.

DAY 9 Drive back. See ALARHAN ( Seljuks built it in l3th century). Drive

towards Konya through beautiful scenery. BEYSEHIR lake city has very old

wooden mosques. SILLE - ruins of CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL and spring dated 1732. KONYA - capital of Seljuk Empire between 1071 and 1308. Known as ICONIUM, ST. PAUL visited it many times. Visit ALAEDIN MOSQUE, KARATAY MEDRESE and Tekke of MAULANA JALALEDDIN RUMI, famous mystic, born in Afghanistan settled here (died 1273) whose WHIRLING DERVISHES have headquarters here. CATAL HOYUK - a stone-age town going back to 8000 years - STATUES OF MOTHER GODDESS AND FERTILITY - KARAMAN - ALAHAN - monastery of TARASIUS. MUT - here on river Goksu, Holy Roman Emperor BARBAROSSA drowned in 1190, while bathing, thus ended the THIRD CRUSADE. SILIFKE - old name SELUCIA and CALYCADMUM -one of 9 cities founded by Selucus Nicator in 3rd century BC. AYATEKLA, burial place of St. THECLA, Virgin and martyr, St. Paul's first woman convert. Sleep east of Silifke. Looking from your hotel at KIZKALESI. Ethereal when illuminated.

DAY 10 Visit OLBA ( 30 km north of Silifke) conglomeration of HELLENISTIC. ROMAN, BYZANTINE remains. Temple of TYCHE, goddess of Fortune - Mausoleum of PARIAPE- God of Fertility - Priape, illegitimate son of Zeus and Aphrodite. Zeus's zealous wife Hera deformed the child giving him a Phallus equal to his height. NARLIKUYU mosaic of THREE GRACES, daughters of Zeus - HEAVEN AND HELL. Go down 452 stairs to chapel dedicated to VIRGIN MARY. In the end come to PYTHON'S Cave, home of scaly, frightening, fire breathing monster. Also this gloomy pit is known as HELL. Viransehir (POMPEIOPOLIS) earliest place for Stoics. Also known as Soli, birth place of Chrysipus, founder of Stoic school of philosophy in 3rd century BC. He wrote 750 books on Stoicism. MERSIN, a big port. TARSUS birth place of St. PAUL - history going back to 14th century BC. Visit St. PAUL ARCH. CLEOPATRA's GATE, Cave of Seven Sleepers. Here CLEOPATRA seduced MARK ANTONY. Just north of Tarsus is mountain pass CILICIAN GATES, Xerxes and his 100,000 men and Alexander the Great passed through it. ADANA in the middle of CILICIAN PLAINS, called CHUKUROVA. Great Cotton Textile and Industrial Centre. Visit Roman Bridge built by HADRIAN. Ulu Cami (1507) by ruler of Ramzanoglu Turks - 90 miles South East of Adana - port of Ayas, visited by MARCO POLO. East of Adana are many Crusader Castles, like Toprakkale, Gulek Castle etc. DORTYOL (ISSOS). Here Alexander defeated Persian Armies under Darius III in 333 BC. Darius fled leaving behind his harem. It opened the whole of Asia for Alexander. PAYAS - OTTOMAN mosque, Madress complex of Sokullu Mehmet by Mimar Sinan. Also 13th century CRUSADER CASTLE. A few more on the way - Syrian Gates or Balen pass. Bagras castle (Byzantine) - Antakya (Antiochus) on river Orantes.

DAY 11 Antakya (by Selecus Nikatar in 300 BC). Roman province in 81 BC. A great city of antiquity. Mosaic museum. Perhaps the best in the world.

Jesus' followers first came to be known as 'Christians' here. St Paul's first

Ministry. Grotto where St Peter first preached. His church. Occupied by

Byzantines, Persians and Arabs and Crusaders. Shrine of DAPHNE, 20 km

towards Samandag. Here CLEOPATRA was married toMARK ANTONY. Monuments to God APOLLO Samandag - Mountain of St. Simeon. Also visit the port Seleucia Pieria. Kept in order by flushing of water brought through a canal hewed out of rock. TUNNEL OF VESPIAN. And tombs of Roman notables in the hills. Also HIDIRBEY village, with Prophet HIZIR'S TREE. Moses met Hizir in this place. Time now to go to Gaziantep via Hassa and Islahiye. Ataturk added GHAZI TO ANTEP, when this town fought valiantly against the French Troops in WWI. Stay for night.

DAY 12 Visit CARCHEMISH - modern day Barak. HITTITE CAPITAL till eight century BC - conquered by ASSYRIAN KING SARGON II (722-705 BC) Battle ground between Pharaoh Neco against NEBUCHADNEZZAR, CHALDIAN KING OF BABYLON. Two thousand years later Khedive Ismail of Egypt gave Ottomans a crushing defeat. Pass by Nizip - Birecik - old Apamea. MARK ANTONY made a disasterous campaign against PARTHIANS in 36BC. URFA - the old EDESSA. Here PROPHET ABRAHAM stayed before he left for CANAAN. Mosque complex around Abraham cave, pool which saved ABRAHAM when thrown into it (a fire) by King NIMROD. Edessa is full of history. Eastern capital of NICATOR kingdom. GREEK WORKS TRANSLATED INTO SYRIAC/ARAMAIC - later into Arabic.Thus knowledge

saved. Crusader City under BALDWIN I. Mongols destroyed Edessa in 13th Century. One can visit the Citadel, old churches and mosques. First biggest community of Christians after Antioch. HARRAN South of Urfa - Old Northern Mesopotania. Famous for Beehive houses. FIRST MOSQUE IN ASIA MINOR. The play ground of Prophets - Jacob and others. Temple of Sin-Moon God (first university in ancient times). Here REBECCA drew water for JACOB, Roman Emperor CRASSUS defeated by PARTHIANS. With waters from Ataturk Dam, will become a breadbasket again.

DAY13 Start early. Pass by to see Ataturk Dam, biggest hydro-electric

project in Turkey. Go to Eski Kahta. NEMRUT DAGI (MOUNT NEMRUT),

COMMAGENE's ruler Antiochus I's final resting palace. A tiny independent

state between ROME and PARTHIA But marvellous life size statues of KINGS and GODS - WESTERN AND EASTERN, APOLLO, TYCHE (Fortune) ZEUS and HERCULES. GOD MITHIRA of light and darkness - caves for worship of CYBELE. A Roman bridge built by Emperor SEPTIMUS SEVERUS and in use an old SELJUK bridge. Come back to Adyaman and drive to Kahraman Maras, famous for ice cream, and to stay.

DAY 14 Another early start - drive by BUNYAN - old carpet centre -KAYSERI - ancient CEASAREA MAZACA. Go around CAPPADOCIA - Urgup - Derinkuyu - AVANOS. Part of Hellenic kingdoms and Roman Empire. Amazing landscape. Nearby Erciyes, (1300 ft. high mountain - ARGAUS), 3rd highest in Turkey, converted the surrounding landscape with the torrent of lava, in one of the great upheavels on earth. Later, nature's jewellers rain, snow, floods, winds and heat created deep valleys, fissures, cones and columns and high chimneys. Veritably a lunar landscape. Several of earliest church fathers lived in this area. There are 3000 ROCK CHURCHES caved out of THESE COLUMNS and FAIRYTALE SCULPTURES. Ihlara, deep valley has churches on the sides. Then there are underground cities (8 storeys) hewn inside the rock for Christians to escape Romans, later Arab invaders. Drive to SIVAS and sleep there.

DAY 15 Start early again. Visit the Mosques and drive to TOKAT and a

detour of ZILE (where Julius Ceaser on defeating son of MITHIRADATES in 4

hours said: "Veni Vedi Vici". An old Seljuk mosque. Drive along Yesilirmak

river. Lovely scenery. Lunch at AMASYA - birth place of Geographer STRABO - A scenic ancient town on Yesilirmak - reminds of Srinagar houses on Jhelum. Rock tombs of PONTUS KINGS. Important HELLENESTIC, BYZANTINE and OTTOMAN centre. Vast old Mederese, Turbe of Danishmand period. Complex of Beyazit II mosque and Mederse, etc. Leave via Chorum to ALACAHOYUK, YAZILKAYA and BOGAZKALE. Central area of Hittite civilisation from 1900 BC to 1100 BC. In 1930 was discovered at Alacahoyuk, SUN DISK now symbol of ANKARA. The Sphinx Gate. Yazilkaya (written on rock) from 1275 BC to 1220 BC, Shrine of Hittite emperors. Succession of dieties wearing. long conical caps march out. Hittites had 1000s gods. Many Gods have Hurrian and Hatti names. From Bogazkoy (Hattusa), Hittites' capital, they ruled a vast empire, south up to CYPRUS & AEGEAN. A majestic city. Visit KING'S GATE and LION'S GATE. Yerkapi 200 feet long tunnel under the wall. Well protected CITADEL. GREAT temple. More than 3000 cuneiform tablets found. One tablet on Treaty of Peace quoted pre-Vedic Indian Gods like Varuna, Indira , Mitra, Natasya etc. Another has a treatise on horse-training by a MITTANI, closer to pre Vedic SANSKRIT. MITTANIS, an Indo Aryan aristocracy ruled in South East of Turkey and North Syrian region. Return to Ankara - really tired but exhilarated. What a lot to see and comprehend in just 15 days.

What more can one see and learn in 15 days; for, Turkey was cradle and center for over 40 civilisations and intermingling of culture from Europe, Africa, Central Asia & the Middle East , some of them being, Hittite, Mitanni, Assyrian, Upper Mespotamian, Phyrigian, Urartian, Armenian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman etc, with 3000 ancient cities and over 50,000 ancient monuments, graves, caves, mounts etc even in a fast action packed itinerary. The author has visited all places mentioned (many more than once), though not at a stretch. Often at equally hectic pace. To go around Turkey again was a major attraction for the second posting as Ambassador during 1992-96, (the first was in 1969-73). But there are still many places to visit; Van, Ani of the Armenian Churches, Kars of mystic Gurdjieff, Divrigi of pre-Ottoman masterpieces and Dogubeyazit, with its 'fossil' Ark and a climb up to Mount Ararat (although videotaped and photographed from air).

K.Gajendra Singh –Former Indian Ambassador to Turkey (1992-96) year 1996 ,Ankara

Prints

1 Inside Harem of Topkapi -Istanbul

Bosphorous and bridge connecting Europe and Asia

Covered bazar-, Istanbul

2 Priene, the spectacular Ionian city of Greeks

Whirling Dervishes of Jalaluddin Rumi of Konya (old Christian Iconium)

3 Antakya (Antioch) Grotto where St Peter held the first mass

Trojan horse at Troy of Helen, Achillies, Paris and Priam

4 Mardin, an ancient city on hill – , beyond the plains of Euphrates and Tigris

Salahaddin's Diyarbakir, Kurds stong hold – street scene with Armenian and other chuches

Hassn Kief of Salahaddin's dynasty –on river Tigris , now submerged by a dam

Hittite ( from1900 -1100 BC) Bogazkale impregnable Citadel on windy highlands ( my hair !!)

5 Amasya founded by an Amazon Queen , birth place of geographer Strabo

Ephesus library -the richest architectural site, the Carian city of St Paul's church

King Midas ( of golden touch ) City

6 Urfa, ancient Edessa where prophet Abraham stayed before going on to Cannan

Sinop founded by an Amazon Queen ,the birthplace of cynic Diogenes

Sumela monastry on the Black Sea coas, where Xenophon emerged with 10,000.

7 Sardis of King Croesus, the Lydian capital and Persian Acheamenean Empire's outpost

Kizkalsi on Cilicia with romantic legend

Theatre down the hill -Bergama of physician Galen

9 Theatre at Hierapolis near Pamukkale

Miletus of 6th century BC, of the first Greek thinkers. Thales, Anneximender, Anneximenes

10 Nemrut Dagi, of King Commagene, Self among Persian and western Roman gods

Note! some of the prints may not be very good becuase of poor film and development !!

Travel to Timbuctou

2010-01-22T11:09:00.001-08:00

1. Mopti on River Niger 2. Djinguereyber -Oldest Mosque, south of Sahara

3.With the Governor of Timbuctou in front of his office 4.University of Sankhore

5 River Niger from the boat on way 6. Street in Timbuctou

7 &8 Houses in which Major Gordon Laing of West India Regiment, and Frenchman Rene Caille,

stayed and street scenes

It has been used by Turkish Daily News, Ankara in 1996 and Asian Age, New Delhi, 2002

FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY TILL FIRST PUBLISHED

THE AMBASSADOR'S JOURNAL @

S.S. Timbaktou

Mopti November 8, 1979.

So, finally I am on my way to Timbaktou. Aboard a German built river vessel - aptly named Timbaktou. Only wish had done it 160 years ago. Things could not have been all that bad then. This is supposed to be a luxury cabin, but the Grundig all-world receiver doesn't function, the frig is too small, the cool blast from the air conditioner could have been colder. And since the boat is anchored, nothing is functioning now. But I am not complaining. The life of an explorer is, after all, hard. I begin the last phase of my hard journey at 2000 hrs. Everyone on board has been warned in advance about the VIP explorer. So I lose the aura of mystery and charm of anonymity.

I left Bamako on 6th morning for a two-hour drive to Segu, an important industrial centre. There was little traffic and the road running parallel to river Niger was excellent. The topography reminded me of North M.P. region bordering U.P, dry shrubby interspersed with some mango trees. An ideal climate for grapes and citrus cultivation. Saw only millet being cultivated sporadically. The water potential of river Niger for irrigation is immense. As it flows mostly through flat lands, with small barrages or irrigation pumps, agriculture could bloom which could easily make Mali not only self-sufficient but an exporter of agricultural products. In contrast, the Egyptians have exploited every drop of water from Abu Simbel to Alexandria or for that matter the Iraqis, the waters of Euphrates and Tigris. Lack of population pressure, perhaps explains the scanty utilization of Niger's water. (So would have concluded Professor Arnold Toynbee).

Segu is a small and dusty town with dry land architecture of a medium-sized district town in Rajasthan, barring the absence of milling and jostling crowds, which only Indian towns have. Called on the Governor, a rather taciturn and humourless bureaucrat one often comes across in India. I made my call as businesslike and brief as possible and left with an escort, a Police Inspector, to visit the State-run textile factory, built by the Chinese. The machinery is sturdy and not too modern and seems to be well run by the Malian technicians. There are supposed to be still 50 Chinois, although I espied only one. No more loitering around than in any Indian factory. Rated capacity 10 million yards per year. Didn't embarrass the Director-General, who was busy holding a conference, about capacity utilization.

Next on the menu was a sugar factory, again gifted by les Chinois, located another 60 kms. away of unsurfaced and dusty track. Crushing capacity 1000 tonnes per day. Once again not too complicated machinery, being competently run by the Malians themselves. Again saw only one Chinese, although nearly 40 still continue to be there.

The Police Inspector and the guides were full of pride at Mali's industrialization. I dutifully listened to the intricacies of spinning, weaving and dyeing, thinking of my 5 months apprenticeship at Delhi Cloth Mills in Delhi in 1957. Didn't give our own textile or sugar production figures, as the Malians would not have believed it any way. Complemented the guides, including a petite Malianne, on their industrial progress and know how. Got myself group photographed and returned to the Officers' Rest House. In the evening visited the ancestral home of Malian Ambassador (in Dakar) Guisse, established by a Faith spreading priest from Senegal in the last century. Rambling big old house with women and children milling around exactly like in an old joint family house in India. Neither the patriarch nor any one else could give the exact number of children in the family.

The Rest House was like any Circuit House in a medium Indian District, with aging mattresses, torn mosquito-nets and rattling air-conditioners. Sat out on the porch in the evening. Many Malians joined me and enjoyed my bad French and company; so I thought, till the bottle of Scotch was finished. I had a reasonably cooked meal. Complimented the cold and stern but rather good-looking Bambara Directrice of the hostel. By the time she had thawed, was too tired and went to sleep like a log. In the morning again visited Malian Ambassador's ancestral home. Had group photographs, for which the women turned out in all their festive finery. Left for Mopti, elated by the goodwill created.

The over 400 kms. drive between Segu and Mopti was no different except for the length of distance and time & for a few desiccated hilly outcroppings. The road was reasonably good. Reached Mopti around 1.30 P.M. Called on the Governor, who had received the message of my visit and was patiently waiting, A friend of the Malian Ambassador Guisse, I handed over his letter. A Military Officer till the coup 11 years ago, the Governor has successfully turned himself into a civilian administrator. But still believes in the authority imparted by the uniform of the Commandant (Lt. Colonel). Mischievous mention of my NDC course made his military training to almost bring him to attention and made him even more polite. Discussed possibilities of cooperation between India and Mali. Found him rather knowledgeable about India till I realised that none of us had had lunch, He went to his adjoining bungalow on the Niger and I to my expanding Motel in Sevare 12 kms. away.

Mopti is an ancient trading centre, surrounded by the overflow of the confluence of river Beni and Niger and marshes. Les Chinoises are present here also, teaching intensive rice cultivation. So are the Americans with their Peace Corps volunteers. There were the usual bureaucratic boards proclaiming new projects, in case one did not notice the new methods of cultivation. In the evening, the Governor provided his Technical Counsellor as my escort. He was like our BDO, who can reel out statistics by yards. Took a few photographs (as proof of my visit) of the town with traditional ochre coloured banco houses and the 60-year old mosque. Visited a centre for fisheries, small atelier for construction of perouques traditional narrow long boats. Returned to the Motel after being suitably illuminated on the historic and commercial importance of Mopti.

Next morning, after bath and breakfast, left a gift of silver cuff links and a Panipat table napkins set for the Governor. Bought a patterned woolen blanket for 5000 Malian Francs (Rs. 95). I am now waiting without an AC or even a fan in my cabin for the boat to depart. Still another three-and-a-half hours to kill. Shall try to concentrate on 'Black Holes' in the universe and 'Love and Addiction', the latter a typical American best seller, which reduces love to a profit loss relationship. Sickening and pitiable.

November 9, 1979 2200 hrs.

The boat has stopped at a largish village called Dire, where under the flash lights of the boat, a thriving market between the local population and the boat travellers has sprung up. There is much haggling and shouting. The local people wear pleasing and exotic local designs mixed up with imported designs, mostly stripes. The big boat's arrival (only for 4 months during Niger's flooding) is apparently a great occasion for the villagers, for which everyone seems to be festivally dressed up. Nevertheless, such a market has flourished here for centuries. Went down with a plain looking Canadian social worker from Bamako and her rather vivacious mother. Ate peanuts and returned through the milling crowds. Understand there is an experimental solar pump working nearby.

Tomorrow morning, will arrive at Timbaktou's port of Kabara, 12 kms. from the town. Have so neatly organised the expedition that there should be no slip now. I had purposely joined the Malian table in the boat's dining room. All of them are very solicitous and hospitable. The ship has about 12 French and other non-descript European travelers. Struck acquaintance with some. Found them disappointing, complaining about lack of maintenance of the boat and over-crowding; afraid that the boat might sink. Enquired if they know swimming, adding I did not. Sarcasm went flat.

The boat, especially the crowded lower decks, is a world of its own, with people cooking and eating even on the top deck and the corridors. Not that I expected Maxim or Tour d'Argent standard, but the cuisine could have been better. The ship and its services are totally Malianized. Adequate and austere. No frills. That is the hardy lot of our explorer in the tradition of Mongo Park and Livingston. Shall recommend that tins and spices be carried by my successor explorers.

The boat journey has been tranquil - no rolling or heaving. More or less uniform scenery with mud huts and Savannah land flora. Occasionally sand dunes encroach right up to the river. Took some photographs. Hope they are printable. Noticed a curious thing at one stop called Tonka. Old portable steam engines with boiler shells lying around. Of 50/60 year old vintage. Must investigate. Possibly an unsuccessful attempt at industrialization? Once again no serious attempt at sedentary cultivation. With various international funds and Arab organizations flush with surplus money, ideal place for a Punjabi farmer-entrepreneur. Have packed up and wrapped up a Moradabadi vase etc. for the Governor of Timbaktou. This, along with Ambassador Guisse's letter should make things easier. I hope that the uncertain flight on Sunday morning to Bamako takes off. Four days out of nowhere, even in a well-known place like Timbaktou might be too much. Keeping my fingers crossed. Took another two tablets of quinine. No point in getting down with malaria, if it can be avoided.

Timbaktou November 10, 1979.

So, I have reached Timbaktou. Disappointed. No. Was prepared, having gone through illustrated books on the ancient Eldorado. The mystery and the attraction was for the Euro-peans, which the Berbers (North Africans) ferociously guarded it as an endless source of slaves and for exchange of one ounce of gold dust for a pound of salt in normal times and par exchange in times of scarcity. The Berbers and the Arabs knew Timbaktou, had spread Islam and converted the Pagan rulers to the faith, in fact, making Timbaktou one of the greatest centres of Islamic learning.

Very little now remains of the past glory. From a peak population of over 100,000 it has now dwindled down to barely 20,000. Only two years ago made into a region ruled by a Governor (something like India's pre-independent district). Located 12 kms. away from Niger, on the edge of the Sahara desert, extending from North Africa to its outskirts, where at the modest hotel I have been lodged into. The streets are sandy, reminding one of the Loharu or some such town at the edge of the desert in India, before Bansilal's dynamism got the roads paved and agriculture-based affluence changed mud huts into brick houses.

As the Protocol's telegram had not reached the Governor ,not surprising, arrived at the Governorate from the non-descript river port of Kabara. The Governor was extremely pleasant and helpful. Been on civilian duty for a year only. During training in USSR made friends with Indian officers. Straightaway arranged my flight back to Bamako next day, much to my relief. Arranged the sight-seeing with the Department of Tourism and sent his Information Officer Toure as an additional escort. The Governor was delighted with the Moradabadi vase. (The UP handicrafts can pitch its export sales on the slogan cf 'Our handicrafts reach Timbaktou'). Straightaway started the tour of the old city starting with the growing library of Ahmad Baba, a great historian and religious scholar who, out of hundreds kidnapped by the Moroccans in the l6th century and taken to Marakesh was the only one to survive and return to Timbaktou.

The library is a fitting tribute to the Baba, whose library in l6th century boasted of several thousands of volumes, when most European scholars could count their collections in tens. So far it has retrieved nearly 1500 volumes, including one as old as 1292, found in a Bedouin tent. I have photographed it for posterity. The library also boasts of an excellent collection of currently published books on Islam, and history of Timbaktou and the region. Noted down names of books which interested me. Could easily spend weeks going through these volumes. However, the real ancient heritage in the form of books and writings is jealously guarded by the old established families of Timbaktou. Thousands of these works were carted away by the Moroccans and hundreds are in Paris. The owners here are highly reluctant to expose them to the visitors. One of them, my friend Toure informed me, had a hall full of them stacked upto the ceiling.

Also visited the oldest Djinguereyber mosque south of Sahara ,built in the l4th century. It was designed by Es Saheli, an architect of Spanish origin with its typical architecture of stone and banco, reinforced with palmyra logs, with its crenellated walls and conical towers. The ostrich egg at the top represents the moon, symbolising perennial light in the land of Islam (Daru-Islam). The palmyra logs apart from enhancing the esthetic beauty, provide scaffolding for the annual repairs after the rains. The third oldest mosque used to be the University of Sankore, a flourishing centre of learning from l4th century onwards.( Leo Africanus refers in his chronicles to 20,000 students and 130 Koranic schools in Timbaktou.)

Also visited the plaqued houses, where the first-ever Europeans to come to Timbaktou had stayed. Major Gordon Laing of West India Regiment, who did reach Timbaktou by the Saharan route from Libya in 1826, was murdered on the city's outskirts while trying to return. Barring converted Europeans and renegades, who formed part of the Moroccan armies, Rene Caille, disguised as an Arab, was the first European to go back alive next year, after visiting Timbaktou by the Saharan route, but on reaching Fez, had to hide in the French Consul's house, till safe passage could be arranged. Such was the hostility of the Berbers and Arabs against European attempts to trace the Eldorado. The name of Timbaktou derives from , the place of old woman (tin) who used to guard the water well (baktoo) for the caravans coming and going across the Sahara. Only a touristic board now indicates that hallowed spot. All places of historic importance have been duly photographed for posterity and as a proof against detractors (of my visit).

Let me now digress a little on the history of the region, with the middle reaches of river Niger as its artery. From Bamako to Gao, 1400 kilometres of the navigable waterway has assured, from ancient days, movement of people, merchandise and ideas. At the fringe of the Savannah land in West Africa, easily accessible to tropical forests in the south, its strategic location at the edge of the formidable but camel navigable Sahara extending upto Mediterranean and thence to Europe gave birth to flourishing trading centres like Djenne, Gao and Timbaktou. With affluence followed arts, culture, conquerors, adventurers, religious crusaders and thinkers, making Mali a cross-road of civilizations. The earliest to establish themselves in the area was the Empire of Ghana (no similarity with the present-day Ghana), beginning in 3rd/4th century AD, possibly founded by North African Berbers. Around 8th century, the local Sonikes took over and ruled it till overwhelmed by the crusading zeal of the puritan desert Berber (Touaregs - blue veiled men) converts, but it ended in general disruption and decay.

Once again it was the crusading zeal of newly converted Pagan Mandingo tribal rulers, which laid the foundation of the Empire of Mali in ll th century, reaching its zenith in the l4th century, under Mansa Mousa. He dazzled the world with his riches when he performed his historic Haj in 1324. The monarch was preceded by 500 slaves, each carrying a gold stuff weighing about 20 kilograms of gold and followed by nearly 100 camels each bearing about 150 kilograms of gold for purchases, gifts and alms. His generosity along the route so depressed the price of gold that it took a generation for it to recover.

After the fall of the Mali Empire came Songhais from Gao; and Moroccans from the North , not satisfied with profits from the trade in gold and slaves, but to capture the goose itself. The first Moroccan expedition was led in 1590, by Judar Pasha, a converted Spanish eunuch with a force of 4000, equipped with artillery and fire arms (little known in the area). Nearly 3000 perished in the Sahara but the surprise and the superiority of the arms won the day. Moroccans poured in nearly 25,000 soldiers, thousands of them Europeans, converts and renegades. But the source of gold were down south and finally the Moroccan forces, in the usual fashion by inter-marriage and inter-mingling became part of the local population. The destruction caused by the Moroccan intervention and the opening out of the sea-routes to the Guinea coast in West Africa by the Europeans, led to the ultimate decline and decay of the region.

Bamako November 12,1979.

Returned back to civilization yesterday noon. It was bit of a relief. Hotel De 1'Amitiee, built by the descendants of the Pyramid builders (Egyptians) on the lines of Oberoi Intercontinental, is possibly the best maintained and run in this part, including Dakar hotels and d'Ivoire in Abidjan. On l0th evening in Timbaktou, with the Governor's tacit encouragement, my escort Toure took me to a typical only male gathering, which meets regularly on Saturdays. There were eight of them, mostly married and Government servants, dressed in typical booboos (long flowing robes which can cost upto as much as Rs. 4000 each with months of intricate hand-crafted embroidery), They were sprawled or reclining on a large duree which covered the first floor roof. Normally they discuss, gossip or listen to music.

Wish I had taken a cassette recorder to tape the haunting local music, akin to desert Tuareg music. I drank a few cups of sweetened lemon water spiced with ginger. This was the only time I drank un-bottled water during my safari and paid the penalty for it, in the tradition of Ibn-Batua , not that I could have refused this part of the hospitality. As is the local tradition, ate bread (like the Egyptian or Syrian-fermented and round like thick chapatis-Indian bread) with meat curry prepared with 12 local condiments of Timbaktou. the taste and smell was absolutely delicious. In the traditional Hamitic (North African - Berber) tradition, which has permeated down to the land of the black (Bled-As-Sudan), I was offered the choicest morsels of meat. There were no knives or forks. I generally discoursed on India, the industrial advances (doing my duty), democratic functioning and our secular set-up.

Returned on foot through sand covered unlighted streets of Timbaktou, reminding me of my own childhood walks through Indian villages in the dark. Soon after return, started feeling the repercussions of drinking unfiltered Niger water and by early morning had involuntary purgings of my stomach and felt rather fatigued, further aggravated by lack of sleep that night and the night before. The hotel had a power cut (like Delhi nowadays) and it was quite something to pack or to shave in the morning at 5 A.M). with a single candle filched from Hotel De L'Amitiee. Left three bottles of water for the Canadian social worker and her mother. This gift of water in a desert, that too bottled, for the Europeans was highly appreciated. Mr. Toure presented to me in exchange for silver cuff links I had given him, necklaces and bangles made of weeds, a typically local handicraft - highly intricate, delicate and painstaking work, though not of lasting nature.

At the Timbaktou airport bought two pairs of chappals with Timbaktou emblazoned on them. Returned to Bamako accompanied by the Governor, who had to attend a Government meeting on the usual bureaucratic tussle between powers of judiciary and the executive. The flight, inspite of the forebodings of my friend, the Alitalia Manager, Sir Richard, who had strongly advised me to avoid it, if possible, was smooth and comfortable. It was a Russian aircraft, austerely converted to seat 52 passengers. The extra attention, because few Ambassadors based in Dakar or even Bamako visited Timbaktou, by shapely Bambara Hostesses, was rather flattering.

(Gajendra Singh)

Ambassador

PS . This travelogue was essentially written for Tinoo and Bulbul. I hope you also enjoyed it.

@(The author has no objection to the readers reproducing parts or the complete narrative, in or out of context, or even passing it off as their own travelogue)

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A SWEEP THROUGH HISTORY AND TIME

15 DAYS IN TURKEY

Amb (Retd) K. Gajendra Singh

DAY BY DAY PROGAMME

Travel to Timbuctou

1. Mopti on River Niger 2. Djinguereyber -Oldest Mosque, south of Sahara

THE AMBASSADOR'S JOURNAL @

Webs-THE DECLINE and COMING FALL OF US HEGEMONY

The Decline And Coming Fall Of US Hegemony

 The Decline and Coming Fall of US Hegemony by K. Gajendra Singh

 THE DECLINE & COMING FALL OF US HEGEMONY :: www.uruknet.info ...

· US Crusade

· Canada Watch - Home

· We The People

· The Decline And Fall Of US Hegemony? - DiscussAnything.com -

· U.S. Crusade News

· www.drugpolicycentral.com/bot/index.cgi?concept=$opium&xml=1

1. ReBelle Nation: THE DECLINE & COMING FALL OF US HEGEMONY

2. Canada Watch - The Decline And Coming Fall Of US Hegemony

3. THE DECLINE & COMING FALL OF US HEGEMONY :: www.uruknet.info ...

4. ZioPedia - All There Is To Know About Zionism - The Decline & Coming ...

5. The Decline and Coming Fall of US Hegemony by K. Gajendra Singh

6. HiddenMysteries - The Decline And Coming Fall Of US Hegemony

7. www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19656.htm

8. World-News: The Decline And Coming Fall Of US Hegemony

TAAC Newsletter, 97 December
... Excellent reading about the region. Back to top. Full article is available on the
web. A sweep through history and time - 15 days in Turkey. by K. Gajendra Singh ...
www.taaca.org/data/199712-html.html - 36k - Cached - Similar pages