India's medieval period characterised by maritime neglect, exacted huge toll: Ex-prez Kovind

New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) India's medieval period was characterised by "maritime neglect" which happened due to historical circumstances and as a result its naval prowess began to fade, exacting a "huge toll", former president Ram Nath Kovind said on Friday.

However, the country's maritime heritage was not completely lost even during this "maritime dark age", he said while delivering a lecture hosted by the think-tank National Maritime Foundation (NMF) at Manekshaw Centre here.

In his address, he also underlined the legacy of the Martha rulers and their naval prowess, and the impact of colonial rule on India.

"European colonisation led to a complete washout of India's maritime identity. The colonisers used India's maritime prowess for their own benefit, they employed maritime infrastructure as a tool for resource extraction rather than development. Any attempts at industrialisation and development of the local maritime industry were systematically stifled. Our maritime roots were forgotten, and an era, often described as, 'maritime blindness', set in," Kovind lamented.

The former president, in his address, praised the Indian Navy, saying it has "evolved from a coastal defence force to a blue water navy".

And, behind this transformation lie the "efforts of numerous 'karmayogis' dedicated to reclaiming our maritime heritage," he said.

"India's maritime heritage is a testament to its long-standing relationship with the sea, encompassing trade, culture and naval prowess. This rich legacy has significantly influenced our nation's history and its interaction with the wider world," he said.

The roots of India's maritime activities are about 5,000 years old and trace back to the Indus Valley civilisation, Kovind said.

"Our coastal heritage played such a defining role in our civilisation, social culture and economic history. In this light, it is hard to believe that our medieval period was characterised by maritime neglect," he said.

This maritime neglect happened due to "historical circumstances", the former president said, without naming any dynasty or rulers of this era.

"During the medieval period, various land-based empires gained prevalence. Many of such rulers had origins in land-locked regions and were more focused on managing vast land territories. Our collective consciousness started to overlook the sea as an avenue of power and prosperity. As a result, slowly but surely our naval prowess began to fade," Kovind lamented.

"For India, a historical maritime nation, this period... was indeed an anomaly. Nonetheless, this neglect of the maritime domain exacted a huge toll. It was one of the reasons why such huge land empires fell so easily to the European trading companies," he added.

The Vice Admiral K K Nayyar Memorial Lecture 2025, hosted by the maritime think-tank, was attended by Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, former Navy chief and NMF's chairman Admiral (retd) Karambir Singh, senior officials of the Navy, scholars and several college students, besides the family members of the late vice admiral.

Kovind said Vice Admiral Nayyar was an excellent maritime strategist and a visionary who planted the seeds of naval research and strategic thinking across several institutions in India.

In his address, the former president also cited archaeological sites like Lothal, located about 400 km southwest of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, where excavations have unveiled an ancient "sophisticated dockyard".

Archaeologists consider it to be the first man-made dockyard and one of the earliest known dry docks, he said. "We can get a sense of the nautical engineering of that era." He also cited the maritime themes prevalent in Vedic literature.

The Rig Veda, one of the oldest known scriptures of India, mentions 'Varuna' -- the deity associated with the sea, and alludes to merchants undertaking sea voyages in pursuit of wealth. Epics Ramayana and Mahabharata also contain narratives involving ships and sea travel, Kovind said.

"These references indicate the significance of maritime activities in ancient Indian culture," he added.

Underling the maritime prosperity in ancient India, Kovind said maritime trade increased significantly during the reigns of the Nanda and Maurya dynasties.

The establishment of trade links with regions such as Sri Lanka, South East Asia and West Asia facilitated not only the exchange of wealth but also cultural and religious ideas. This period saw Indian merchants and missionaries traversing sea routes leading to the spread of Buddhism and Hinduism across Asia, he said.

In the medieval era, the Chola dynasty emerged as a "formidable maritime force" and their maritime activities have left a "lasting impact" on the history, art, architecture, and administration of Southeast Asian countries, the former president said.

The Navy Chief in his address said, "With seas on three sides and high mountains to the north, the maritime orientation of our nation is intrinsic to its identity." "After Independence, our leaders took significant steps to build our maritime capabilities and we are now at the cusp of transforming into a maritime power. There is a firm acknowledgement in the highest echelons of national leadership that our nation's growth would be driven from and by the seas," Admiral Tripathi said.

He also quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent statement that 'today's India is emerging as a major maritime power in the world'. PTI KND HIG HIG

Source: PTI