India has a great history which we seem to have been forgotten these days. Agreed that we should live in the present but there’s often pride to be taken in the past! The rich scientific past of India is something the world will never be able to compete with.
From the ancient ayurvedic medicines to the involvement of herbs in treating serious illnesses, India was actively progressing in the field of science and research centuries before modern laboratories were set up.
India’s most significant contribution to the world remains the discovery of zero, a discovery that taught the world how to count!
While America and Brazil continue to fight over which of the two is the cosmetic surgery capital of the world, Indian physician Sushruta was the first one to formulate plastic surgery.
You will also be surprised to find that the Theory of Atom was also provided by Maharshi Kanad in 850 BC.
From great scientific inventions like these to some of the very small but useful inventions like buttons were made in India.
Here are some of the inventions by our Indian ancestors:
1. The Heliocentric theory: The father of Indian Astronomy, Aryabhatta came up with the notion that planets move in an axis around the sun. This theory later went on to become famous as Heliocentric Theory, with further details and explanations inked by Copernicus. He is the first ever astrologer in this world to discover that planets revolve in their own axis around the sun. Further, his studies also led to the discovery of how lunar and solar eclipses occur.
2. Theory of Atom: Centuries before John Dalton was born Maharshi Kanad, who is considered as the First Nuclear Scientist of India, introduced the theory of atom. Maharishi Kanad’s theories date way back to second century. In the book Darshan-Grantha, one can find a well written description of Kanad’s concept of Atoms. It was Kanad, who first opined that elements are formed mainly because of electrons arranged in a specific and synchronized manner. The world recognizes John Dalton as the father of atomic theory, but we definitely can’t take anything away from Maharishi Kanad.
3. Wireless communication or radio: The entire world talks about Marconi and credits him with the invention of wireless telecommunication but the technology emerged from our own backyard. Radio or Wireless Technology is the brainchild of the Indian scientist and mathematician, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. This remarkable breakthrough was achieved by Sir Bose on course of his extensive research carried out in the area of Microwaves. He went on to generate extremely short waves and also brought in some considerable modifications on Hertz’s detector of electronic waves. Bose first demonstrated the use of radio in Calcutta, in 1895, two years before a similar demonstration by Marconi in England. More than a century after the feat, Bose has been belatedly credited for his achievement.
4. The ‘Zero’ (0): It is widely known how Aryabhatta taught the world how to count. Little needs to be written about the ‘zero’, one of the most important inventions of all time. This mathematical digit and concept also has a direct link to the ancient philosophy of ‘nothingness’.
5. Plastic surgery: America and Brazil may be quarrelling over who is the world’s plastic surgery capital, but plastic surgery was first formulated by Sushruta. What’s widely believed to be the offshoot of modern science and technology is actually an Indian invention. We are talking about Plastic Surgery that was actually formulated by an Indian surgeon Sushruta. Sushruta’s famous book ‘Sushruta Samhita,’ which is considered as one of the oldest discourse, vividly deals with several methods of performing plastic surgery. In fact, Sushruta Samhita is looked upon as one of the most precious treasure in the history of Indian medical literature.
Many more inventions like that of buttons, chess, rocket artillery, the in-vitro fertilization (famous/infamous IVF) were made in India.
However today in our schools we are not taught about them and the rich culture of our country. We did have a very rich history and it should be put forward to the younger generations to motivate them to invent things and find reason in life!
The next Google and Facebook can very well, again, come from India!
