Ancient Indian Mathematics & Sciences

Unveiling the history of Ancient Indian Mathematics & Sciences

Ancient Indian mathematics & sciences

Introduction:

January 14th annually (15th on a leap year) is Makara Sankranthi, and it is celebrated all over the country and wherever Indian culture has spread. It is known as Bihu in Assam, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayan in Uttar Pradesh, Shishur Sankraat in Kashmir, Songkran in Thailand. Thingyan in Myanmar, Mohan Songkran in Cambodia and so on. On this day, the sun, the source of life on earth, transits into Capricorn and moves into the northern hemisphere. The knowledge of this astronomical feat ks as old as the Indian Civilization. 

Indian astronomy has a long history and was a vedanga, an auxiliary discipline associated with the study of the vedas. Dating back to 1,500BCE or earlier. Varahamihru, Aryabhatta, Bhaskaracharya, Brahmagupta and others were astronomers who even mention their scientific instruments. Maharaja jai singh II of Jaipur constructed Jantar Mantars in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi. 

They give us a good idea of the early scientific tools. 

Although we already explored some magnificent facts about Ancient Indian mathematics & Science previously, but still  there are many marvelous facts that we left. In this article, we explore the real facts that hidden behind the modern credits. 

Mathematics:

Ancient Indian mathematical scriptures

India produced great scientists and mathematics. Baudhayana in 800BCE calculated the value of π and discovered what is today known as the Pythagoras theorem. Pythagoras lived in 6th BCE Greece; and the third century CE sophist philostratus says that Pythagoras studied under Hindu sages or Gumbo sophists in India. Brahma Gupta lived in 7th century, Ujjain wrote several book on mathematics and astronomy. India was the source of the number system, now called as the Arabic numerals because the Arabs took it everywhere. This number system is a feat of genius. It enables all to be with just ten symbols the numbers 1 through 9 and the symbol for expressed with just ten symbols zero.  

Without this key, we would have a separate word for each number and be hopelessly confused. It is their brilliance. Indian numeral system that makes mathematics, modern accounting, business deals and computer technology possible; from wall street to the space programme, modern civilization depends on this number system. 

One of the most significant contributions of ancient India to the world of mathematics is the revolutionary concept of zero and the decimal system. Indian mathematicians developed the decimal numeral system, which included the concept of zero as a placeholder. This groundbreaking innovation laid the groundwork for modern mathematics and paved the way for advanced calculations, including the development of algebra and trigonometry.

Brahmagupta was the first to discuss Zero as a number and established the basuc mathematical rules for it. He did a lot of work in geometry, trigonometry and discovered new theorems. He also explained how to find cubes, cube roots, squares and square roots. 

Fifty years before the Indian mathematics Fibonacci wrote about the number sequence, now known as the Fibonacci numbers, a sage named Hemchandra wrote about this sequence, but even he was not the first Indian to do so. An earlier Indian mathematician named Gopala has also studied these numbers. And several earlier Indian mathematicians also known about them. In 500CE, Aryabhatta, and later Brahmagupta understood that the earth is round. They talked about gravity, saying that it is the nature of the earth to attract objects, causing them to fall towards the ground. 

Bhaskaracharya wrote about Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra and Calculus. Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Vonn Leibniz are given credit for being the first to introduce calculus, but bhaskaracharya had written about it 500years earlier. 

Astro physics:

Aryabhatta & Brahmagupta

Ancient Indian civilization made notable contributions to astronomy and astrophysics. The Rigveda, one of the oldest Vedic texts, contains references to celestial bodies and cosmic order. Aryabhata, an influential Indian astronomer and mathematician from the 5th century, wrote the Aryabhatiya, a significant work that discussed planetary motion, eclipses, and astronomical calculations. 

Brahmagupta, in the 7th century, made important contributions with his work "Brahmasphutasiddhanta," where he discussed concepts like gravity, planetary orbits, and mathematical calculations related to astronomy. Indian astronomers also developed the concept of the Siddhantas, mathematical treatises that addressed various aspects of astronomy.

The renowned astronomer Bhaskara II, in the 12th century, authored the "Siddhanta Shiromani," covering topics like planetary positions, eclipses, and celestial mathematics. These contributions reflect a deep understanding of celestial phenomena in ancient India, showcasing a rich heritage in the field of astrophysics.

Bhaskaracharya had calculated the time taken for the earth to travel around the sun: 365.2588 days. The modern measurement is 365.25636, a difference of just 3.5 minutes. 

He did not work with instruments or computers. He knew that the earth travels around the sun at a time when west 

Ayurveda:

Sushruta giving treatment to his patient

 

But it was not in mathematics alone that that Indians flourished. A great surgeon named Sushruta samhitha who used 125 different surgical instruments and a herbal sprays before an operation to prevent sepsis. His great contribution was in the fields, of plastic surgery and contract removal, when the British arrived, they learned these sciences from Indian doctors, cut off their finger so that the Indians could never practice again, and introduced plastic and contract surgery in British medical colleges as their invention. 

Charaka wrote about herbal treatments that Indians are just discovering now. 

In 300BCE, Patanjali codified the yoga sutras. In 200BCE, Kanada wrote about gravity and he also mentioned that the universe is made up of atoms. He is the first who stated the existence of Atom.

Metallurgy: 

Nagarjuna was a great Metallurgist and Chemist. The list is endless. Indian science and technology began at Mehr graph (now in Pakistan) and continued throughout the countries history. People developed different systems of agriculture, irrigation; canals and water storage systems including artificial lakes, by 3,000 BCE. Cotton was cultivated by 5,000-4, 000 BCE. They formed with animal-drawn ploughs in the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) which is also known as harappan civilization. The people of the Indus used weights and measures, large numbers are used in vedas. 

The earliest - known clock in the world, which could berth and service ships, was situated at Lothal in Gujarat. Indian metallurgy was very advanced, steel was made in India from 500BCE.

 King porus gifted Alexander a steel sword in 326 BCE.

King porus giving sword to the Alexander

 The Iron pillar located in Delhi is seven meters high and has never rusted. Over 5,000 years ago, there were dentists in Indus region. A modern scientist who was looking at the teeth of people who had had died there long ago found that ancient dentists had drilled teetha as far back as 9,000 years ago. 

But it should be scientific, logical ans truthful. unfortunately, even centres of higher learning are claiming the impossible. We do not need to resort to false hoods to establish our scientific proves. The truth is sufficiently amazing. India played a central role in all that is know today as mathematics and many sciences, and our civilizations discovered these concepts several millennia before they were known in Europe. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, delving into the rich history of ancient Indian mathematics and sciences unveils a profound legacy that continues to influence contemporary thought. From the ingenious contributions of mathematicians like Aryabhata to the holistic approach of Ayurveda in healthcare, these ancient disciplines showcase a deep understanding of the world. As we navigate the complexities of modern life, acknowledging and appreciating the intellectual feats of our predecessors not only fosters cultural pride but also offers valuable insights for future advancements. The timeless wisdom embedded in ancient Indian mathematics and sciences serves as a beacon, reminding us of the enduring power of human intellect across the ages.