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(Saurav Pathak) writes:

> Lewis Perin ) wrote on 21 Mar 2005 18:14:54 -0500:
>
> + [...]
> + Please forgive my whimsy, or sarcasm, or whatever it was. I'll be
> + more explicit now: as far as I know, you won't find tea mentioned in
> + Indian literature before the 19th century, because tea was simply
> + unknown to mainline Indian culture.
>
> what is there to be sarcastic about? it is accepted that tea was unknown
> in mainland india. if you want to sugar-coat it while saying it, you
> are welcome. but there is really no need.

You're right; I should have restrained myself. I suppose I was just
feeling irritated at (what I wrongly perceived as) excessive
nationalism. You know, the kind that persuades Indians to claim that
tea culture was invented in their country; Han Chinese to pretend that
ethnic minorities had nothing to do with the origin of tea culture;
and Americans to say ritually that their country is the greatest on
earth.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html