RIFLE RANGE BOY: Knowledge without Wisdom!

Capture of Delhi 1858
Wiki Commons

Having an extensive amount of knowledge is not enough. One must assess the information and use it critically. It is like having a lot of money but no brain to manage it. In the end, it would be like the Emperor's new clothes, and everyone else would have a good laugh at the Emperor's expense.

This idea came to me while listening to a podcast about the 1857 Indian Sepoy Mutiny, also known as the Indian Rebellion or, more recently, India's War of Independence. About a hundred years after the Battle of Plassey, which marked the start of British rule in India, Indians were becoming restless. Christianity was increasingly influential in Indian daily life. British commanders included Christian prayer in their morning briefings. There was a sense that the British were actively proselytising Indians.

So, when the rumour spread that the bullets in the new Enfield rifle were greased with pork and beef fat, and required the sepoys to bite open its greased paper cartridges, Indians, both Hindus and Muslims, were provoked. It all began in Meerut when 85 soldiers defied their superiors. They refused to handle the bullets and were imprisoned. The other soldiers freed them, signalling the start of the rebellion.

Like wildfire, hushed, coded messages were sent between towns in the form of capatis (similar to Chinese mooncakes with hidden messages). Peasants rose up to oppose their colonial masters, especially around Lucknow. The natives rebelled against foreigners in Calcutta, Cawnpore, Delhi, and Lucknow. The problem was that they were not united. They fought in isolated pockets, defending regions such as Jhansi, territories, and their religious beliefs. The British were better organised. They used the telegraph to coordinate their troops and strategies. They also had formidable Sikh and Pathan fighters on their side. The Indians, however, had the numbers. An 82-year-old reluctant pacifist and poetic king, Bahadur Shah Zafar (Bahadur Shah II), was installed as their king. A fierce battle followed. The human tragedy was beyond words. It resulted in a stalemate; both armies remained trapped in trenches.

Aryabhatta -Mathematician-Astronomer
Extraordinaire 476-550 CE

India had advanced knowledge in astronomy. They understood that the Earth was spherical and that their heliocentric model existed long before Europeans could even count. However, knowledge that is not applied or understood in context can be cause for disaster. It is similar to a doctor refusing to attend to a patient and delaying essential care because of a lunar event. Indeed, the lunar eclipse would definitely alter his career path. He could be barred from practicing, seeing patients, and might face removal from the medical register. Such a situation would be a 'cataclysmic turn of events' for him. Remaining inactive when disaster is looming is unlikely to lead to a good outcome.

Suddenly, in early September 1858, the Indian soldiers deserted the battlefield. The Hindus, busy with their routines, had not realised that a full lunar eclipse was occurring. They believed such an event held spiritual significance and signified a disastrous turn of events; therefore, it was expected that prayers and rituals would mitigate its effects. The rest is history. The British gained the upper hand and continued their dominance over India for nearly another 100 years.

It is frequently observed that a lunar eclipse also took place at the time of Jesus Christ's crucifixion in 33 CE.