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Comment by LarsDu88

1 hour ago

China, India, and most of the Middle East had effectively been conquered by descendants of horseback quasi-nomadic peoples at the start of the British colonial era. The Qing Dynasty (Manchurians), the Mughals (descendants of Tamerlane and the Mongol aristocracy of Genghis Khan), and the Ottoman Turks (former vassals to the Mongolian Ilkhanate and also Tamerlane). It can be argued these Central Asian warlord societies were not conducive to technological development.

> It can be argued these Central Asian warlord societies were not conducive to technological development

Why not? Their technology is part of what helped them conquer so much in the first place. What would make them so hostile to technology?

All 3 societies were among the leading powers of the world up until the 1800s, in addition to being productive and prosperous.