Bohr did his atomic theory work in the 1900 (1912, I think). Maxwell, 1885 or so. Newton, around 1600. Europe was a democracy during Maxwell and Bohr's time and Newton lived in democratic england (though the monarchy had a few more powers than now). There was more "royal patronage" then than there is now - states fund research activity now too. Most of India's nobel prize winners are from the British era - Tagore, Raman, Hargobind Khorana (tecnically 1962, but his education was in British India, and then to the US). Even Chandrasekhar Subramaniam may have been educated during the British Era.
Maybe India messed up our education system. In any case, our rhetoric of being second to none is hardly reflected in our recent contributions to science. Everytime, people hark back to the golden age of the Gupta dynasty when Aryabhatta, Sushruta, et al lived and contributed to math and medicine. Sure, that's all fine, but what did we do recently? Be proud of what you were, but also be aware of what you are. Because without that knowledge, there can be no progress
