Why do certain societies advance and others fall behind? Why did a European discover India rather than an Indian discovering Europe?

Taking India as a specific example, this book affirms that Culture Counts. Some beliefs, though helpful in personal life, can have disastrous long-term consequences on groups. Many popular beliefs blocked India’s progress. They still do. This book spells them out. Divided into four sections, in a stepwise exposition, it defines India’s Disease, describes Symptoms, analyzes Causes and suggests Remedies.

Environment, economics, fate, foreigners, sins or genes did not cause the downfall of this once magnificent civilization into depths of destitution today and despair in the face of foreign aggressions in the past. India’s much vaunted culture---beliefs, values, goals, attitudes---killed her. Surprised? Shocked? As they always say, the devil is in the detail.

Can we Indians reverse the course of history? Yes. We must shed our vanity in our distant hazy past. Fleeting localized successes should not blind us to the grim realities of everyday life in India today. We must transform our culture and religion from a theoretical, pessimistic, defeatist philosophy to a positive, forward looking, action-based outfit. We must modernize our minds genuinely, not just cosmetically.

This book elucidates this unconventional, basically rationalist, approach. It examines in laser light everyday problems that educated Indians casually discuss in their drawing rooms, arrive at a dead end and disperse without direction.

Intellectually robust, boldly challenging, freshly innovative, this book revisits ancient assumptions and myths believed in by a billion people---nuclear armed, shooting for the moon and starving in the streets.  And in the process, it illuminates the way to a brave new world of the future for an ancient culture desperately struggling to emerge into modernity.

The book examines the local culture, its customs, its people and its philosophy before arrival of the outside invaders. It also examines the impact of the arrival of the outside invaders, spread of Islam, coming of the Sikh Gurus, the establishment of the Mughal Empire, and the British. It traces the historical thread that makes the Punjabis what they are today. Surprisingly enough the people of Punjab did not hate all outside invaders. Although the Arabs, the Turks, the Iranians, and the Afghanis were all considered outsiders. The people of Punjab felt pride in learning the Persian language, copying some of the Persian literature, customs and so on.

The book explains the events, bench marks and their impact on the people of Punjab. For example major events took place in 1763 era and no one can imagine how it would have been during that era without reading a lot of history books. However, no one can read hundreds of books to get some understanding of any subject. It is important to understand why Sikhs were not writing history books because they were fighting wars. The 1763 was a pivotal era for the Sikhs, for the Mughals, and to some extent the British East India Company. Although there were also East India Companies from France, Germany, and Portugal, but only the British were able to outsmart everyone. Not only that, the British got rid of the Mughal Empire and the Sikh rule. The British did not favor Hindus or the Muslims or the Sikhs, they merely used them against each other. The divide and rule method was used by the British to suit their purpose. The British had only one purpose; money to be made in India.

The book deals with the Hindus, the Sikhs, the Muslims, the British and their influence over each other in that region. The book gives credit where due and bluntly criticizes the fragmented society. It does not favor one group over the other instead it exposes the narrow-minded aspects of the society. Because some events were taking place simultaneously cross references have been included for the ease of understanding. If the reader wants to learn about Punjab, its culture, its food, its customs, its history and a Punjabi heritage then this book reading is a must. The people from Punjab, their children and Punjabi immigrants will get a charge out of reading this book. It preserves those aspects of the Punjabi culture that tend to fade out with the televisions, cell phones, automobiles, televisions and managed river water.

The Hindu religion, its culture, its religious literature and its spirituality far exceeds any other religion. On one hand there is extremely high caliber spiritual thought and yet on the other hand there is nothing but degradation and fragmentation of the society.

The Mughals were not merely outsiders they left behind the most beautiful architecture, music, Urdu language and poetry. It would be unfair to ignore their contribution to the culture, to the landscape and to the population.

The sacrifice and contribution of the Sikhs exceeds all other groups. This book brings out those certain aspect of the Sikh warriors that had not been fully explored before. Sikhs had been fighting for hundreds of years instead of writing history. The Sikhs did not write history books, even when they knew how to write.

The contribution of the British towards the development of systems in India and in Punjab deserves a lot more than simple praise or thank you. It is the British who united the country, it is the British who created educational system, the public works, the railroads, the telegraph, the civil service and the civil law to name a few.

Because this book is intended to be about a particular region, the author has tried to magnify all aspects of that small region. Simple conversational style of writing has been used to make sure that one does not need advanced college degree to understand it. Because the intent was to present the history as is, editing has been kept to a minimum. This book has been written in a manner as if the writer was right there as the events took place. There has been no intent to make it a glamorous reading because it has been written by an engineer, who is not a professional writer. This is a fascinating book that took several years to complete after reading dozens of other books. The events of 9/11 in America delayed the completion of the book.

The readers will find this book to be one that they wished had existed all along. It is sincerely hoped that the readers will find the history of Malwa and Punjabi culture totally fascinating.

The book examines the local culture, its customs, its people and its philosophy before arrival of the outside invaders. It also examines the impact of the arrival of the outside invaders, spread of Islam, coming of the Sikh Gurus, the establishment of the Mughal Empire, and the British. It traces the historical thread that makes the Punjabis what they are today. Surprisingly enough the people of Punjab did not hate all outside invaders. Although the Arabs, the Turks, the Iranians, and the Afghanis were all considered outsiders. The people of Punjab felt pride in learning the Persian language, copying some of the Persian literature, customs and so on.

The book explains the events, bench marks and their impact on the people of Punjab. For example major events took place in 1763 era and no one can imagine how it would have been during that era without reading a lot of history books. However, no one can read hundreds of books to get some understanding of any subject. It is important to understand why Sikhs were not writing history books because they were fighting wars. The 1763 was a pivotal era for the Sikhs, for the Mughals, and to some extent the British East India Company. Although there were also East India Companies from France, Germany, and Portugal, but only the British were able to outsmart everyone. Not only that, the British got rid of the Mughal Empire and the Sikh rule. The British did not favor Hindus or the Muslims or the Sikhs, they merely used them against each other. The divide and rule method was used by the British to suit their purpose. The British had only one purpose; money to be made in India.

The book deals with the Hindus, the Sikhs, the Muslims, the British and their influence over each other in that region. The book gives credit where due and bluntly criticizes the fragmented society. It does not favor one group over the other instead it exposes the narrow-minded aspects of the society. Because some events were taking place simultaneously cross references have been included for the ease of understanding. If the reader wants to learn about Punjab, its culture, its food, its customs, its history and a Punjabi heritage then this book reading is a must. The people from Punjab, their children and Punjabi immigrants will get a charge out of reading this book. It preserves those aspects of the Punjabi culture that tend to fade out with the televisions, cell phones, automobiles, televisions and managed river water.

The Hindu religion, its culture, its religious literature and its spirituality far exceeds any other religion. On one hand there is extremely high caliber spiritual thought and yet on the other hand there is nothing but degradation and fragmentation of the society.

The Mughals were not merely outsiders they left behind the most beautiful architecture, music, Urdu language and poetry. It would be unfair to ignore their contribution to the culture, to the landscape and to the population.

The sacrifice and contribution of the Sikhs exceeds all other groups. This book brings out those certain aspect of the Sikh warriors that had not been fully explored before. Sikhs had been fighting for hundreds of years instead of writing history. The Sikhs did not write history books, even when they knew how to write.

The contribution of the British towards the development of systems in India and in Punjab deserves a lot more than simple praise or thank you. It is the British who united the country, it is the British who created educational system, the public works, the railroads, the telegraph, the civil service and the civil law to name a few.

Because this book is intended to be about a particular region, the author has tried to magnify all aspects of that small region. Simple conversational style of writing has been used to make sure that one does not need advanced college degree to understand it. Because the intent was to present the history as is, editing has been kept to a minimum. This book has been written in a manner as if the writer was right there as the events took place. There has been no intent to make it a glamorous reading because it has been written by an engineer, who is not a professional writer. This is a fascinating book that took several years to complete after reading dozens of other books. The events of 9/11 in America delayed the completion of the book.

The readers will find this book to be one that they wished had existed all along. It is sincerely hoped that the readers will find the history of Malwa and Punjabi culture totally fascinating.