Question

1. why did the technological development of europe over take that asia so decisively in the 16th to 18th centuries?

Answer 1

Today, we take for granted intense close-order and extended-order (combat) drills in the world's military. Military drilling, however, was a relatively modern invention. First introduced by the ancient Romans in the training of their legionnaires, it was largely forgotten until the 16th century when it was rediscovered by Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange (1567-1625), who laid the foundations of modern army drill routines.In an attempt to beat the Spanish Empire in the Low Countries, Maurice introduced systematic drills based on Roman precedents, forcing his soldiers to unisonly load and fire their matchlock muskets (42 separate, successive movements). Also, Maurice regularized marching, allowing his soldiers even on the move to maintain close-order formation. His men are able to move forward quickly with every person ready to fire at the same time by staying in step.

Moreover, based on the manipulations of Roman legions, Maurice divided his army into smaller tactical units. In doing so, he created battalions of 550 men divided into companies and platoons, each unit being able to execute orders on the basis of a single command by unison. In addition, he improved the effectiveness of his troops by perfecting the countermarch with the introduction of volley fire. During the 17th, 18th and the first six decades of the 19th century, it was the determined charge of well-trained European-trained soldiers with bayonets attached to their muskets in massive formation, often preceded by close volley fire, which was perhaps the most important tactical factor in deciding the outcome of battles in Asia. In particular, the bayonet charge could only succeed with superbly drilled troops, depending on its mass impact and shock.

Indian armies were able to deploy superior firepower during many decisive commitments in the 18th and first half of the 19th century. For example, eight cannons were used by the British East India Company during the Battle of Plassey in 1757, while 53 artillery pieces were fought by the Mughal Empire, the majority of which were superior to the British guns. During the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, when Seringapatam's town fell in 1799, the British East India Company seized more than 900 canons while the British forces and their allies had less than a hundred.

Obviously, these major reforms would not go very far in the absence of necessary political changes, such as establishing a sufficiently stable regional leadership, efficient administrative strategies, and peacekeeping mechanisms that would ensure social stability and conditions conducive to the radical social changes enforced by a foreign power. The installation of new or modifications of old legal systems that would facilitate the operation of a money, business, and private land economy was consistent with these purposes. Tying it all together has been the imposition of the dominant power's culture and language.