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• Monday, January 12, 2009 02:55 PM

  @Majorajam

  My point in throwing out the Moguls and Persian cultural influence and military antagonisms east, was to address the distinct impression that you have special rules for the West and for everyone else; that Westerners occupy a special place in Adam's garden where free will exists. One wonders, for example, why the Greeks managed to get singled out, when it's less than clear that the Egyptians were big fans. Or why Persian cultural influence (imperialism?) on the West is evidence of some profound truth while its more profound influence elsewhere doesn't merit mention. Images of Mogul civic works are indelibly etched in my brain, so I ran there for anecdote. I did not claim that 'the Moguls brought Persian influence to South Asia', only that they are a particularly notable instance of said, and a particularly notable instance of concomitant resentment.

  You think I'm incredibly arrogant and dismiss all theories about ancient emnities. If I got the impression that there was deep mistrust between Western cultures and those of the Iranian plateau or the steppes, it was because I read pop comic books. Check.

  You, on the other hand, know more about the complexity of relationships and that they only have to do with warring enemies. Check.

  You believe I was rattling about Persian influence on the West being more profound than its influence elsewhere although I believe I said the opposite. Check.

  The Moguls, who claimed descent from Tamarlane, were a particularly notable instance of Persian influence on South Asia, regardless of the Aryan cultural transfers, the Sufis during the Delhi Sultanate, the Silk Road, or any of that other minor influence. Because of their public works projects. Check.

  Thermopylae, the Alexandrian conquests, and the Roman dislike for Persian culture are nothing compared to the Egyptians, whose influence on Western European culture far outweighs that of the Greeks or the Romans. Check.

  Crusades have nothing to do with feelings in any part of the Eurasian world, it's all just realpolitik about current warfare considerations. Check.

  Did I leave anything out? I humbly apologize for thinking that the Moguls weren't the most notable Persian influence on a culture whose language is chock full of Persian words, whose Hindu and Hindu derivative religions bear many pieces in common with ancient Zoroastrianism, whose flavors of Islam are mainly due to Sufism off the Iranian plateau and central Asia, and whose cultures have been in trade and cultural contact with the Persians for thousands of years. I retreat before your expertise. By all means, let's strangle Iran. They're universally hated down at the Ayodhya temple.

  —ondelette Read ondelette's other letters
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