Kabuki Flamenco's blog: "Rants from the lunatic Fringe"

This is mostly just for me. A repository, if you will. Facts & Quotes Concerning India INDIA’S INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES INVENTION OF NUMERALS “Numerals are found in the 3rd Century BC. This knowledge traveled to Europe and West. In Arab countries even now numerals are known as HINDSE : from India. La place, the French mathematician and physicist, wrote during Napoleon’s time, “It is India that gave us the ingenious method of expressing all numbers by means of ten symbols” -Prof. O.M. Mathew in Bhavan’s Journal INVENTION OF ZERO Brahmagupta was the first mathematician to treat Zero (0) as a number and showed its mathematical operations. INVENTION OF ARITHMETIC Arithmetic was discovered by Indians in about 2nd century BC. Bhaskaracharya’s book Lilavathi is regarded as the first book on modern arithmetic. The Arabs learnt and adopted it from India and spread it to Europe. “In 499 AD Aryabhatta finished his work Aryabhatta, giving rules of Arithmetic”. (Encyclopedia Britannicca) INVENTION OF ALGEBRA In Western Europe the knowledge of Algebra was borrowed, not from Greece but from Arabs, who acquired this from India. Algebra is the only Arabic name for Bijaganitha. “Aryabhatta was one of the first to use Algebra” (Encyclopedia Britannica). INVENTION OF GEOMETRY AND TRIGONOMETRY The brick work of Harappa and Mohenjodaro excavations show that people of ancient India (2500 BC) possessed knowledge of Geometry. Aryabhatta formulated the rules for finding the area of a ‘triangle’, which led to the origin of Trigonometry. DISCOVERY OF ASTRONOMY The knowledge of the motion of heavenly bodies was discovered by Aryabhatta (499 AD) Latadeva (505 AD) and Brahmagupta (628 AD), for calculating the timing of eclipses. In ‘Surya Sidhanta’ Latadeva, talked about the earth’s axis and called it SUMERU. “That the earth is a sphere and it rotates on its own axis”, was known to Varahamihira and other Indian astronomers much before Copernicus published this theory. (Jewish Encyclopedia) INVENTION OF CALENDAR MAKING Discovery of measurement of time and discovery of nomenclature of days, months and years and invention of calendar making was make in India. In his book ‘Surya Sidhanta’ Latadeva (505 AD) divided the year into 12 months. Seven planets of the solar system effect the earth’s atmosphere and their names were added to the seven days of the week, which was accepted all over the world C. DISCOVERY OF THEORY OF GRAVITATION In his book ‘Sidhanta Shiromani’ Bhaskaracharya mentions about force of attraction resembling gravity, discovered centuries later by Newton. (Jewish Encyclopedia) INVENTION OF IRON PRODUCTS IN 3000BC The world AYAS occurs in the four Vedas which denotes iron. Ashoka pillar at Mehrauli, New Delhi and another iron pillar in Karnataka stand proof of India’s metallurgical heritage (A study published in the magazine ‘The Current Science’) INVENTION OF COPPER, BRONZE AND ZINC The copper and bronze artifacts dates back to Indus Valley civilization (2500 BC) according to treatise RASARATNAKAR, zinc was made in around 50 BC at Zawar in Rajasthan (India) INVENTION OF CHEMICALS PROCESSES, DYES AND CHEMICAL COLOURS Chemistry known as RASAYAN SHASTRA was invented in India. Elphinstone wrote in his book ‘History of India’. They (ancient Indians) knew how to prepare the sulphate of copper, zinc and iron and carbonates of lead and iron.” RASAVIDYA or Indian alchemy made its appearance around 5th century A.D. (National Science Centre. New Delhi). INVENTION OF DECIMAL SYSTEM According to Dr. Thomas Arya, a German writer. “The weights used by the Indus valley (2500 BC) followed a binary system and measurement based on the decimal system.” Pierre Laplace said, “How grateful we should be to Hindus who discovered the great decimal systems. INVENTION OF DIGITAL SYSTEM The invention of digital system is India’s contribution to the science of numerals. The Chinese learnt this Indian System from Buddhist Missionaries. The Arabs adopted also this Indian Systems. The western world borrowed it from WORLD’S FIRST CODIFIED MEDICINE SYSTEM Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to human beings. Charka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place throughout the world. PLASTIC SURGERY Modern plastic surgery owes its origin to India. According to the Limca Book of Records, plastic surgery was done by Sushruta, an Indian physician of the 4th Century BC. WORLD’S OLDEST WRITING The 5500 years old sample of writing unearthed at Harrappa is Vedic writing. (Science Reporter, June 1999). SANSKRIT IS WORLD’S FIRST LANGUAGE Comprising 63 sounds and letters in its alphabets. Russian alphabet has 35 letter, Spanish has 35, Persian has 31, English has 26, Latin and Hebrew have 20 each. INVENTION OF GUNPOWDER IN INDIA IN 8000 BC Gunpowder was known as AURBAGNI, being the invention of Aurba, the preceptor of Sagara and the ancestor of Lord Rama as have been described in the work NITICHINTAMANI. BOTANY ORIGINATED IN INDIA The Vedic era’s emphasis on nature led to one of the world’s earliest classification system plants and vegetation. WORLD’S FIRST MECHANISED TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN FOUND IN INDIA Excavation at Harappa and Mohenjodaro shows India was adopting advanced house building and town planning techniques. Including two stadium and water management system in the year 2500 BC. INDIA: WORLD’S FIRST DEMOCRACY The concept of democratic set up of Government, based on elections, originated in India. Rig Veda States “the republic elects you as a king. Kingship may fall away by your bad conduct.” Atharva Veda. “Let all be of one purpose and mind under a common leadership in a spirit of fellowship. WORLD’S TOP THINKERS, HISTORIANS AND SCIENTISTS WRITE ABOUT INDIA’S HERITAGE MASTERLINK “It is now hardly to be contested that the source of all knowledge is to be found in India” MARK TWAIN “India is the cradle of the human race, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Most valuable and the most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.” WILLIAM JAMES “From the Vedas (ancient Indian scriptures) we learn a practical art of surgery, medicine, music, house building under which mechanized art is included. They are encyclopedia of every aspect of life, culture, religion, science, ethics, law, cosmology and meteorology.” MAX MULLER In his book ‘Sacred Books of the East’: If I were to look over the whole world to find out a country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty that nature can bestow --- in some part a very paradise on earth – I should point to India.” P. JOHNSTONE “Gravitation was known to the Hindus (Indians) before the birth of Newton. The system of blood circulation was discovered by them centuries before Harvey was heard of.” EMMELIN PLUNRET in the book ‘Calenders and constellation’ writes: “There were very advanced Hindu astronomers in 6000 BC. Vedas contain an account of the dimension of Earth, Sun, Moon, Planets and Galaxies.” HU SHIH A former Chinese Ambassador to USA Wrote: “India conquered and dominated China for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across its border.” (Bhavan journal 15.05.1999) LANCELOT HOGBEN in his book ‘Mathematics for the millions’: “There has been no more revolutionary contribution than the one which the Hindus (Indians) made when they invented Zero.” MAX MULLER In his book ‘Sacred Books of the East’: “There is no book in the world that is so thrilling, soul stirring and inspiring as the Upanishads (ancient Indian scriptures). SIR JOHN WOODROFFEE “An examination of Indian Vedic doctrines show that it is in tune with the most advanced scientific and philosophical thought of the West.” ADOLF SEILACHAR AND P.K. BOSE One Billion-year-old fossil prove life began in India AFP Washington reports in Science Magazine that German Scientist Adolf Seilachar and Indian Scientist P.K. Bose have unearthed fossils in Churhat a town in Madhya Pradesh, India which is 1.1 billion years old and has rolled back the evolutionary clock by more than 500 million years. ARNOLD TOYNBEE the world famous historian said : “It is already becoming clear that a chapter which had a Western beginning will have to an Indian ending. At this supremely dangerous moment in human history (Nuclear age) the only way of salvation for mankind is the Indian way”. WILL DURANT in ‘The Story of civilization’: India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of mature mind, understanding spirit and a unifying, pacifying love for all human beings.” Sylvia Levi: "She (India) has left indelible imprints on one fourth of the human race in the course of a long succession of centuries. She has the right to reclaim ... her place amongst the great nations summarizing and symbolizing the spirit of humanity. From Persia to the Chinese sea, from the icy regions of Siberia to Islands of Java and Borneo, India has propagated her beliefs, her tales, and her civilization!" Colonel James Todd: "Where can we look for sages like those whose systems of philosophy were prototypes of those of Greece: to whose works Plato, Thales and Pythagorus were disciples? Where do I find astronomers whose knowledge of planetary systems yet excites wonder in Europe as well as the architects and sculptors whose works claim our admiration, and the musicians who could make the mind oscillate from joy to sorrow, from tears to smile with the change of modes and varied intonation?" Schopenhauer: "Vedas are the most rewarding and the most elevating book which can be possible in the world." (Works VI p.427) Wheeler Wilcox: "India – The land of Vedas, the remarkable works contain not only religious ideas for a perfect life, but also facts which science has proved true. Electricity, radium, electronics, airship, all were known to the seers who founded the Vedas." W. Heisenberg, German Physicist: "After the conversations about Indian philosophy, some of the ideas of Quantum Physics that had seemed so crazy suddenly made much more sense." Sir W. Hunter, British Surgeon: "The surgery of the ancient Indian physicians was bold and skilful. A special branch of surgery was dedicated to rhinoplasty or operations for improving deformed ears, noses and forming new ones, which European surgeons have now borrowed." Sir John Woodroffe: "An examination of Indian Vedic doctrines shows that it is in tune with the most advanced scientific and philosophical thought of the West." B.G. Rele: "Our present knowledge of the nervous system fits in so accurately with the internal description of the human body given in the Vedas (5000 years ago). Then the question arises whether the Vedas are really religious books or books on anatomy of the nervous system and medicine." (‘The Vedic Gods’) “In India, I found a race of mortals living upon the Earth, but not adhering to it, inhabiting cities, but not being fixed to them, possessing everything, but possessed by nothing” - Apollonius Tyanaeus quotes (Neo-Pythagorean) Greeks, Scythians, Parthians, Kushans, Huns, Arabs, Mongols, Turks, Muslims, Portuguese, French, English, all went after one civilisation: India and prospered. It lost everything except its soul (spirituality). It will regain its true place in this world and its Sun will rise again. - Aggyatt Manav When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous. - Albert Einstein