Our country India is one of those who have contributed a lot of things for the betterment of our world. Our land was the base for many inventions, expeditions and explorations.
It will be interesting to know that:-
India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.
Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.
The art of Navigation was born in the river Sindh 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
The value of "pi" was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.
Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of 12).
According to the Gemological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world.
USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.
The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake called 'Sudarshana' was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.
Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.
When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley Indus Valley Civilization)
The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
One of the most well-known exercise forms in today’s world, yoga is far more than a form of exercise. As a discourse it has its roots in the ancient texts like the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. The word ‘yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word, yuj which means ‘to join’. While your workout at the gym may focus on physical activity, weight control, or strengthening of the body, it ignores the mind. Yoga on the other hand connects the mind and the body to positively enhance one’s total well-being with a view to attain inner peace.
Along with that we also home to some of the tastiest and healthier spices in the world. Spices like cardamom and turmeric have been around for centuries and are used for various different medicinal purposes as well as for eating.
And finally the world’s most popular board game has its roots in India. It’s believed that game originated during the rule of the Gupta Empire in the 6thCentury AD from a game which was called chaturanga (four divisions of the military – infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots) which would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop and rook! Since then chess has gone on to become one of the most popular games in the world with millions playing it every day either on the board or even online and is considered to vital for sharpening one’s mind.
Greatness We are a culture who have imbibed and grown with other cultures - Persian, Mughal and British (to name a few). But India never invaded any country in her 10,000 years of history. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have their roots in India and are followed by 25 percent of the world's population.
Bibliography :- Reference books and Wikipedia
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Ashwin Kumar, IIK Young Reporter |