What have been the impediments to the growth of science in India?

What have been the impediments to the growth of science in India?

Answer:

In the middle of the sixteenth century, the growth of science in India was at the same level as anywhere else in the world, especially, at the same level as European science. But in the following period, European science took a big pace forward and left Indian science far behind. This happened since India had become a British colony and they were able to control this country. The growth of science in any society comes from the necessity of satisfying human needs.

One reason behind the impediment of growth of science in India was that there was no pressing socio-economic needs to demand scientific innovations because there was stability in society. Due to the small population and fertile lands, the Indian peasants could meet the requirements of subsistence even from small landholdings. The impositions of British policies in India led the country into deprivation. There was a peculiar kind of satisfaction prevailed in Indian a society which did not allow pressure to build up for either enhancing production through technological innovation, or to change the society. The rich had no need for change, the poor had no power to bring about change.

 At the level of religion, there was coexistence between Islam and Hinduism and there was give and take and intermingling of cultures. Within the two religious systems, there were no active controversies and no strong movement of reform. The reformist movements like Bhakti and Sufi created very little impact. This was perhaps due to the absence of printing. But the availability of printed words greatly helped the spread of knowledge in sixteenth-century Europe and created a wider and deeper impact on bringing about social change. The absence of printing meant that learning was restricted to a small elite group. The practitioners could not have access to books. Thus, the gap between theory and practice could not be bridged.

At the same time, Indians had the advantage of having a vast storehouse of knowledge which was gained through contact with the Arabs and the Europeans. Indian people showed remarkable willingness to imitate and extend the use of technology, but they failed to imbibe the rational philosophy of the Arabs or appreciate the scientific endeavour taking place in contemporary Europe. Due to this attitude, indifference, neglect, and other factors in the prevailing social conditions resulted in Indian science being left far behind.

In conclusion, a traditional, hierarchical society with a level of discontent and conservatism promoted by both the religions, made scientific advance superfluous and such a society could not bring about a scientific revolution such as was taking place in contemporary Europe in the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries and led to the impediment of growth of science in India.