> jump-starting a giant civilisation, say, 1000+ years into the future is not straightforward either.

Not sure what you are suggesting here.

It's pretty clear lol. OP definitely thinks we were living in mud huts before the British gifted us railroads.

	▲	philipallstar 2 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		1000 years ago is not mud huts. Although in terms of civics and rights I would say India seems quite a lot further back than 1000 years, if you take the ancient Greeks as your yardstick.