Since 1600, the world has changed in the first quarter of every century

It's reboot time for the world: almost as if someone has set a timing device that sets off epochal changes in the West.

After the ignominious exit of America from Afghanistan three weeks ago, everyone is wondering about the shape of things to come. In terms of historical parallels, it is on par with the defeat Russia suffered at the Japanese in 1894 and in Afghanistan in 1989.

Ruminating over this, last Saturday T N Ninan, a distinguished former editor of this paper, wrote that the world was witnessing a major transition wherein the 500-year dominance of the Western Hemisphere was getting rapidly eroded.

That’s absolutely true. But it is also worth reiterating that this has been happening with unfailing regularity