Comment by triceratops

Technologies usually aren't invented in the same place at the same time.

Where and when this happens are often accidents or confluences of history and geography.

https://acoup.blog/2022/08/26/collections-why-no-roman-indus... makes a very good argument that the Industrial Revolution could only have happened in England. (EDIT: I wrote "Europe" earlier)

In medieval era travel and communication was slow enough that being behind on technology wasn't too bad because there was time to catch up before someone conquered you. In the modern era that was no longer the case. If you've ever played a historical strategy game you know what I'm talking about.

Additionally India and China were the wealthiest regions in the pre-industrial world. There's a reason Europeans went there instead of them going to Europe. They had things Europeans wanted, rather than the other way around.