Dr. Umar Khan
Dr. Khan belongs to a Lahore based Think Tank.
Diagonally different lessons learnt at Vienna and Kyoto
“Oh God, save me from the devil and the Turk”. Popular prayer in the European churches of medieval ages.
In 1683 Ottoman Khilafat was at its peak of power spread across Asia, Africa and Europe. It had already conquered nearly half of Europe and had eyes on the “Golden Apple” Vienna, the greatest city of continental Europe after Rome. Apart from prestige trade routes would be attained bringing financial and political benefits. Europe was divided in religious wars after reformation and had clipped the wings of clergy restraining it from interfering in political matters. On top of it Vienna had just suffered a terrible endemic of plague causing enormous loss of life and suffering. Right time to strike. No wonder Khalifa Sultan Mehmet chose his brilliant Grand Vizier Kara Mustapha Pasha for this noble cause and provided him with war resources abundantly. Marching towards Vienna with over 150 thousand brave men apparently the fate of city was sealed, it was only a matter of time and the Golden Apple would fall in the lap of the great general. Some portions of society had already started preparations of celebrations.
Fate had other plans and it turned otherwise. German and Polish help arrived in time while Ottomans became complacent due to over confidence and got beat badly despite numerical superiority. Now Europeans were the aggressors and Turks the defenders and this scenario lasted centuries.
Such a disastrous debacle was taken seriously by the Sultan and Turkish society. Causes of this tragedy were investigated and conclusions drawn. To begin with death penalty was given to the Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha. Being heavily influenced by Muslim Clergy the causes enumerated in medieval Turkish wisdom were about distance from religion and non adherence to the tenants of Islam specially regularity of prayers 5 times a day. Lack of jazba and longing for martyrdom (shahadat), and love for this world were also identified as reasons for this disaster and instilling more of them in the younger generation was recommended through education and indoctrination. In short, closer adherence to the past was recommended and modernity or change was discouraged. These recommendations were followed with zeal all over the empire.
Around 170 years later in 1853 US Commodore Mathew Perry went to a secluded sleepy island nation of Japan still living in the feudal age and threatened it with big ships and fire power. Japanese were wary of foreigners and guarded their borders but its sovereignty was under threat and the proud Japanese were humbled. They had already seen what technology; dependant on education could do to its powerful big neighbor, China. Opium wars had just concluded in 1840s and China was humiliated and forced to buy opium from powerful Europeans and let them destroy its generations.
Foreseeing this tragic fate, Japanese conceded to Perry’s demands and bought time to think and face reality.
During this turmoil a young teenager Prince Matsuhito became Emperor Meiji and transformed the society. Causes for Japan’s weaknesses were explored, identified and recommendations for its remedy enumerated. It was called Charter oath which was signed on 7th April 1868 with 767 prominent signatories and it changed Japan for ever.
“By this oath, we set up as our aim the establishment of the national wealth on a broad basis and the framing of a constitution and laws.
1. Deliberative assemblies shall be widely established and all matters decided by open discussion.
2. All classes, high and low, shall be united in vigorously carrying out the administration of affairs of state.
3. The common people, no less than the civil and military officials, shall all be allowed to pursue their own calling so that there may be no discontent.
4. Evil customs of the past shall be broken off and everything based upon the just laws of Nature.
5. Knowledge shall be sought throughout the world so as to strengthen the foundation of imperial rule.”
Books can be written about Meiji revolution but I will try to summarize,
- Class system was abolished.
- Modern education was promoted and knowledge was gathered from across the globe.
- Military was reformed and nationwide conscription instituted.
- Economy was industrialized.
- Rational way of thinking was promoted.
Sitting comfortably in the twenty first century enjoying the luxuries the Sultans and Emperors couldn’t imagine, observing the effects of these two diagonally different approaches make a very interesting study.
Turkey then a world power, started retreating and this retreat lasted over 200 years. In those 200 years Turkey was repeatedly beaten and humiliated by different Christian nations ultimately labeled as the sick man of Europe. It was only after the young Turks took over during the First World War and fought very hard that ultimately a small Turkey survived, a shadow of the original one.
Much of Muslim world which was being led by Turkish Khilafat was regularly humiliated and subjugated until all but 2 Muslim nations became European colonies. The 2 exceptions were also hardly sovereign.
Muslims who once led the world in sciences, arts and other fields lagged behind other nations with negligible contribution allowing critics to claim the Islamic contribution towards humanity in last 500 years was insignificant.
The entire Islamic world today is unstable and nearly an international pariah suspected and demeaned.
I won’t go and further and let the reader find his/her own realities.
On the contrary Emperor Meiji’s steps resulted in a totally different Japan. In short term during Meiji’s reign Japan won wars against Chinese and Russians and in the Second World War they made the world’s super power go through the biggest embarrassment in surrender of Singapore. Unfortunately they associated with the colonial powers and not their Asian neighbors.
After the terrible defeat and destruction of the world war Japan resurrected from its ashes and within no time became a world economic giant beating the west in its own playing field, industry. In these achievements it finally broke the aura of the white man helping all non whites giving the message that it’s not race but rationality and hard work that makes you effective and successful.
Ultimately Japan today is richer, more prosperous than the west and somewhat enjoys the kind of status the Europeans enjoyed in Asia a hundred years back, everyone enticing them to invest in their country.
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. History can’t be changed but certainly learnt from. I think it is imperative that every Pakistani child must be taught these two great events that changed the course of history for ever.
We must teach our younger generation true history and not the fancy war stories my generation was fed with giving a strange confusing message. That is if we want to change the four hundred years old direction of history.
“Yeh ummat rivayat mein kho gayi
Haqeeqat kharafat mein kho gayi”