Daily Times

Sir: The US president has signed a $750 billion bill to create a US space command. While signing the bill, President Trump boasted that the “Space Force” would give America dominance over rivals in China and elsewhere. He boasted, “We will be so far ahead of them in a very short time, your head will spin.”

History tells that nations have to pay a heavy price for arrogantly under-estimating their enemies’ power, potential, and intentions (read Toynbee’s `Challenge and Response’ and Ibn-e-Khaldun’s asabiya). During 1792 to 1860, China under Qing’s dynasty was at its peak. Its territory was double the size of the old Ming Empire.

With a robust self-sufficient economy, China was then an eminent military power facing no external threat to its borders. At that time, during the reign of King George III, the British government dispatched Lord McCartney, with shipload of gifts marked as `tribute’ to the Chinese court. His mission was to convince Emperor Qianling to:

(a) open new ports for British trade,

(b) to get preferential tariff rates for British goods (‘most favoured nation’ treatment) and

(c) allow stationing of permanent ambassador in Beijing to resolve everyday disputes.

McCartney was compelled by Qing courtiers to kow-tow before the emperor to earn the favour of an interview. Kow-tow was a ritual series of kneeling three times, followed by nine prostrations. McCartney reluctantly knelt as he did before King George III, but in vain. Qianling refused all of the British requests.

By June of 1840, the British House of Commons endorsed an expedition (Opium War) against China. China surrendered and signed an `unequal treaty’ ‘to end the war and open its ports to British vessels. Over the next few years, China had to sign similar ignominious treaties with France and America.

India under Nehru arrogantly threatened China. Chinese leaders told Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, former Sri Lankan Prime Minister, `China did not want an inch of India’s territory, but if it invaded India in 1962, it was only to punish it for being arrogant’.

Tiger Niazi vowed to fight `to the last man, last round’. He said, ‘Dacca will fall only over my dead body. They will have to drive a tank over this (showing his chest)’ (Siddiq Salik, Witness to Surrender, p.202). `Stories about the fall of Singapore, Paris or Berlin were not repeated here’ (ibid. p.210). `The surrender deed was signed by Lieutenant-General [Jagjit Singh] Aurora and Lieutenant-General Niazi in full view of nearly one million Bengalis and scores of foreign media men’ (ibid. p.211).

Religious books, including Quran and Bible, and history of civilisations reprimand against arrogance. Let Americans learn from religion and history. Just count how many empires vanished because of arrogance?

M ASGHAR

Lahore

Published in Daily Times, August 18^th 2018.