What you should know about India.
These
facts were recently published in one of the German Magazines, which deal
with WORLD HISTORY. Its a shame they are not more widely known along with
contributions by other Eastern nations.
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India never invaded any country
in her last 10000 years of history.
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India invented the Number System.
Aryabhatta invented zero.
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The World's first university
was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all
over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda
built in the 4th century CE was one of the greatest achievements of ancient
India in the field of education.
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Sanskrit is the mother of all
the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for the
computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
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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 an important
place in our civilization.
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Although modern images of India
often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country
on earth until the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher
Columbus was attracted by her wealth.
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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'.
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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.
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Budhayana first calculated the
value of "pi", and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean
Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before European mathematicians.
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Algebra, trigonometry and calculus
came from India. Sridharacharya propounded quadratic equations in the 11th
century.
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The largest numbers the Greeks
and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as large 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).
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According to the Gemological
Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds
to the world.
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USA based IEEE has proved what
has been a century old suspicions in the world scientific community that
the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.
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The earliest reservoir and dam
for irrigation was built in Saurashtra. According to Saka King Rudradaman
I of 150 BCE a beautiful lake aptly called 'Sudarshana' was constructed
on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.
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Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada)
was invented in India.
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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.
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Usage of anesthesia was well
known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipments were used. Deep knowledge
of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics
and immunity is also found in many texts.
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When many cultures were only
nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan
culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
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The place value system, the
decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
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The earliest evidence of civilisation
in India, can be dated from around 3,500 BC
QUOTES ABOUT INDIA
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Albert Einstein said "We owe
a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile
scientific discovery could have been made."
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Mark Twain said "India is, the
cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of
history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition.
Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man
are treasured up in India."
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French scholar Romain Rolland
said "If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of
living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began
the dream of existence, it is India."
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Hu Shih, former Ambassador of
China to USA said "India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20
centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.
"
