In the ancient ages India was technologically and scientifically very advanced. Why in middle ages we fell behind? Though both India and Europe were almost at same level in scientific innovations in ancient ages, why did we fall behind?
If I think through it, there were 3 major reasons why Europe post the middle ages raced ahead of India in science and technology. That blame goes to the barbaric hordes.
First, Business class. Before the advent of Islam India had a very thriving business class who had a robust trading network even spanning to far away lands like Indonesia, Philippines, Egypt and Europe. After the Islamic rule, especially the Mughals took away the businesses from Hindu businessmen by force. But please note, the Mughals were nothing but uncivilized dacaits before coming to India. Essentially they were the criminal elements of their own Society. For e.g. Babur was nothing but a looter. Such elements cannot foster scientific discoveries. Had the Hindu business class remained, they would have fostered scientific discoveries and an Industrial revolution may have occurred in India before Europe.
Second, Books. What triggered the scientific discoveries in Europe? After fall of Constantinople to Ottomans in 1453, many Roman scholars escaped with books to Italy. The West Europeans used the knowledge in the books as a spring board to scientific innovation. Where as in India, the barbarians burnt the universities and slaughtered the professors/Gurus in the universities. It is said that Nalanda burnt for 6 months. Those books and Gurus held knowledge which had been accumulated over 3000 years. Had those books been there and the Gurus been there, knowledge would not have been lost and the age of discovery would have started first in India.
Third, Capital. In order to face the Muslims the Pope gave vast sums of money to build ships, canons and other weapons. This triggered innovation. For e.g. the Naval ships built for the battle of Lepanto, 1571 gave Europeans the knowhow to build advanced ships. Please note any innovation first occurs in Army. Internet was invented by US Army, GPS was developed by Army and many others. In India, temples were huge centers of wealth which was looted. Had that wealth stayed in India that would have circled back to pump up scientific discoveries.
In nutshell, had the barbaric hordes not come to India, then may be India would have spearheaded the Industrial revolution not Europe.

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