Prabhupada: The Britishers, they wanted to rule over India, and they were advertising, at least in India, that "We are making you civilized. Before British rule, the Indians were rude, primitive natives." That's all. That is their propaganda. The whole propaganda was to make the Indians note that "We are giving you life and civilization. Before this, you were not even human being." That is their propaganda.

So they accept this literature, but they date within one thousand years, one thousand five hundred years. Even this rascal, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he dates Bhagavad-gita within two thousand years. That's all. Perhaps I am the first person making propaganda that Bhagavad-gita was spoken five thousand years ago. I am the first person. All other so-called scholars, they have dated within two thousand years.

There was a book, England's Work in India, written by one rascal Indian, M. Ghosh. In that book… That was taught in the schools in our days. The theme of the book is that before British rule, India was not at all advanced in any way. The incidence of sati… Sati, that was very elaborately explained.

Formerly, even Arjuna's stepmother, Madri, he also…, she also died with her husband. That was the system. The wife voluntarily used to die along with the husband. So later on such devoted wife was lacking. So the system was, some cases, they were forced to die. So these things have been elaborately explained in the, that book, and Britishers stopped it. So "The Indians were uncivilized. Britishers made them civilized." Everything was misinterpreted.

Inner meaning is there, but they would not explain that. Simply the dark side they would explain — and prove that the Indian civilization was very crude and primitive; it has no enlightenment. That was British propaganda. Even during National Movement, they bribed one American woman, and she wrote a book: Mother India. She described all the blackmailing of Indian social activities, and Gandhi remarked it, "Drain inspector's report."

These Britishers should have tried to assimilate the mass Indian culture with their help, administrative help, to broadcast this culture. No. They wanted to exploit India, and prove that "Our ruling over India…" Because they have to show something to the outside world…

Brahmananda: To justify the exploitation.

Prabhupada: Yes.

They would not allow anyone to enter India to make trade. And that is the cause of two big world wars. Real cause is India. Because the Germans, they were very intelligent. They were intelligent nation. They wanted to trade with India. So Britishers will not allow them. Actually, Britishers were selling goods, purchasing from Germany and Japan, and when German would go to trade, they will enhance the custom duty very, very large amount.

So that was the grudge of the German nation. Two times they fought with the… "Finish these Britishers — shopkeepers' nation." Yes. Hitler, or the Emperor Wilhelm, some of them, one of them, was calling the Britishers "shopkeepers' nation." Why the shopkeepers' nation should predominate all over the world? Kill them. And actually it is the German people who killed Britishers, British lion. After the Second War…

Brahmananda: British was finished.

Prabhupada: Finished. Everyone in the United Nation pressed on them, "Why you are colonizing? Why you are occupying so much land? You give up." And they were obliged. And there was great national movement of Gandhi. So all United Nation pressed that "They're wanting to avoid you. Why you are, by force, staying there?" Still, they would not go.

But when the soldiers began to join the national movement, they gave it up. "Now we cannot rule it." For their industry, for their political power, they did so many heinous activities in India. That's a great history. For selling their cotton goods, India's weavers were cut this finger so that they cannot weave. This is there in the history.

(Morning Walk — April 21, 1973, Los Angeles)