CHAPIER

SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
HROUGH THE AGES
uction
pment at the corners of the Indian
any foreign nations have been subcontinent has been prevailing since
ians, Huns and Mongols embraced enamoured of it. The invaders of this nation
. India also has a fair share in many Indian religions such as Buddhism,
enriching the world's material culture. be
distillationof perfumes, the making of ENCE AND
eventhe techniques of algebra and dyes, the TEC HNOLOGY THROUGH THE AGES
conceptsof atom
Smelting of
levidences
and relativity, the
metals. the
indicate game of Chess,
algheroribthalm,systemconcept
theextraction of
that they might martial art and medicine, the of ot zersugaro, ,thethe weaving of
techni que of cotton and
and

pointstothe fact that India have

a originated Kar ate, can tebechfound
etc. nique of su r g ery, the
This
various areas
of caries rich
contribution by scientists fromlegacy of here. in alcheentmy,Indithea
ani
varioussciparts
entibcof iIndideas.a. This chapter
Mathematics discusses the
Alsocalled Ganita bythe general
$ Arithmetic (Pattin name, it indudes:
Algebra (Bija Ganita)Ganita/Anka Ganita)
Geometry (Rekha Ganita)
Astronomy (Khagolshastra)
s Astrology Jyotisa)
Between 1000 BC and
1000 AD, a
mathematicians, which relate to thenumber of treatises on mathematics were
concept of zero probably originated in
The town planning of
Harappa
India. above-mentioned
areas. The aut
of h ored by Indian
techniques algebra and the
and geometry. lheindicates
of
themeasurement
that the people in
form of
geometrical motifs. use of
geometric patterns those times had agood
can also be found knowledgein
in the temples
Biiaganita
means means'theTheother mathematics' as the word
mathematics. as fact
that it was that this name was Bijameans'another' or 'second' and Ganita
chosen for this system of
one which was recognised a
parallel system of comput ation implies
used since long and was till
then computation,
the different from the
mathematics in the Vedic literature which was also only one. It led to the view of theconventional
of computation.existence
of
The earliest book on shorthand method
BC. There is a mathematics
mention
was
of formula for Shulbasutra written by Baudhayana around 6th
to the square root of 2and even some century
Pythagorean
Construction. Theorem in the Shulbasutra. It also contains concepts very similar
related to fire altar
geometry
Apastamba, in the 2nd
acute angles, obtuse century BC, introducedthe concepts of practical geometry involving
Constructions of fre altarsangles and right angles. This nowledge of angles helped in the
in those times.

Aryabhata (476-550 AD)

Aryabhat a around499 AD wrote Ar yabhatiya in which the concepts of mathemat
astronomy were explicitly mentioned. The book writ en in Sanskrit had four sections:ics as wel as
ARRINDIAN ART AND CULTURE

1. Gitikapada - presents large units of time, e.g. Kalpa, Yuga.

2. Ganitapada - covers mensuration, arithmetic, geometry, etc.
3. Kalakriyapada- determines position of planets, etc.
4. Golapada - earth's shape, cause behind day and night,
features of
ecliptic, etc.
Astronomy was also called khagol shastra in those days. Khagol was the
farmous astronomical laboratory in Nalanda (Bihar) where Aryabhata
studied.
In Aryabhata's book, the aimsof studying astronomy were:
To get the accuracy of calendars Aryabhata
To know about the climate and rainfall patterns
Navigation
To look at the horoscope
To understand about the tides and stars. This helped in crossing
deserts and seas by indicat.
the direction during night times.
Aryabhata in his book stated that the Earth is round and rotates on its own axis. He formulated
the area of a triangle and discovered algebra. The value of Pi given by Aryabhata is much more
accurate than that given by the Greeks.
The Jyotisa part of Aryabhatiya also deals with astronomical definitions, method of determining
the true position of the planets, movement of the Sun and the Moon and the calculation of
the eclipses. In his book, the reasons for the eclipses given are that lunar ecipse occurs when
the shadow of the Earth falls on the Moon while rotating on its own axis, and when the Moon's
shadow falls on the Earth, it results in solar eclipse. However, the orthodox theory previously
explained that it was a process where the demon swallowed the planet. Thus, we can say that
Aryabhata's theories were a distinct departure from the orthodox theories of astrology and it
stressed on scientificexplanations than on beliefs.
which was learnt by
It is to be noted that Arabs called mathematics Hindisat' or the Indian art
them from India. The whole Western world is indebted to India in this respect.

g Brahmagupta (598-668 AD)

Siddhanta mentioned Zero as a
Brahmagupta (7th century AD) in his book Brahmasputa described them as debts and
numbers and
number. In his book, he also introduced negative description of Quadratic formua.
clear
positive numbers as fortunes. It also contained frst

The Concept of Zero

voidlexisted in Hindu Philosophy hence
Zero' or Shunya is derived from the concept of a void. The concept of culture throughthe
influenced South-East Asian
the derivation of a symbol for it. The concept of Shunya
merging into the void of etermity.
Buddhist concept of Nirvana (attaining salvation) by
 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THROUGH THE AGES

century AD, there was a famous Persian polymath Al-Khwarizmi who

sth-9th works in mathematics, astronomy and geography. In his popular
the
vastly
influential
In
producedAl-Jabr (book on algebra); he presented the fhrst systematic solution of linear and
treatise equations. He extensively
wrote about the mathematical discipline of algorithm in his
quadratic 'whichlater became popular in
European countries.
Al-Jabr
book AD, Al-Kindi was an Arab pBhilosopher, polymath, mathematican, physician and
century 'Father of Arab Philosophy'. For his contribution to mathematics,
In9th andlis hailed asthe
musician role in introducing Indian numerals to the Islamic world, and
playedanimportant
A-Kindi as Arabic numerals, to the Christian world, along with Al-Khwarizmi.
subsequently, relabelled
century AD,
Mahaviracharya wrote Ganit Sara a Sangraha. It is the earliest Indian
In entirely dedicated to Mathematics. In his
the 9th book, he described in detail about algebra,
and isosceles triangle, rhombus, circde, etc. He was patronised by
text such as equilateral
Rashtrakarta
concepts King Amoghavarsha.

Bhaskárâ-l
Aryabhatiya-bhasya related to Mathematics
pKookorg-I was a 7th century mathematician who wrote zero was first mentioned by Bhaskara-. He
acircle for
dnstronomy. The Hindu Decimal System with commentary over
also nrovidedaunique and
remarkable rational approximation of the sine function in his
1979, honouring the mathematician.
Arvabhata's work. ISRO launched Bhaskara-I satellite in

Bhaskaracharya (Bhaskara-ll) (1114-1185 AD)

century AD. His book Siddhanta Shiromani is
He was one of the leading mathematicians in 12th
divided into four sections:
Lilavati (dealing with Arithmetic)
# Bijganita (dealing with Algebra)
$ Goladhyaya (about Spheres)
8 Grahaganita (mathematics of Planets.)
algebraicequations was introduced by him in
akrawat method or thecvclic method tosolve translated Lilavati and made it known to the
*DoOk Lilavati. In the 19th century. James Tavlor
people across the globe.
Extract from Lilavati third of them.
The young woman saved one
Whilst making love a necklace broke.
Arow of pearls One tenth were caught by her lover.
mislaid
One sixth fell tothe If six pearls remained upon the string.
floor.
One fifth upon the bed. How many pearls were there altogether?
 INDIAN ART AND CULTURE

In the Medieval period, Narayan Pandit

Ganitakaumudi and Bijaganitavatamsa. Nilakantha produced works of mathematics
astronomical treatise which also contains the rules of Somayaji Wrote which
indude
Lilavati was translated into Persian by
make mathematics a subject of study in
In the field of
astronomy,
Paizi in the
Trigonometric Functions
court
Feroz Shah Tughlaq established.
of Akbar. Tantrasamgrorahdera,ed
the education system during Moreover, Akbar
those times.
an

to
Shah Bahamani lan
of Ferozobservatory
at Daulatabad. The in Delhi
invented an astronomical instrument court astronomer
knowm as Yantaraja. Shah Bahamani and Eero2
Stwai Jai Singh set up 5
Mathura. astronomical observatories at Delhi,
,Mahendra Suri,
Jaipur, Varanasi,
Ujain and
Medicine
During1the Vedic times, Ashwini Kumars were the
divine status. Dhanvantari was the God of practitioners of mnedicine and were
Ayurveda medicine. given the
AtharvaVeda was the first book where a mention
can be found. According to it, the about the diseases, its cure and medici
the human body and can be cured by diseases were caused by the demons and spirits entering inte
magical charms and spells. Atharva Veda
diarrhoea, sores, cough, leprosy, fever and mentioned
for many of the diseases which include rura
seizure.
However, the era of practical and more rational cure to diseases
and Varanasi emerged as the centres for emerged around 600 BC. Takshila
medicinal learning.
Ayurveda
The origin of Ayurveda dates back to Vedic era. Most material relating to the health and
are available in Atharva Veda. Historians claim that Ayurveda is a part of diseases
Atharva Veda. The
earliest codified document on Ayurveda is Charaka Samhita. Another codified document is
Susruta Samhita. Before them, Atreya and his pupil Agnivesa had already dealt with principles
of Ayurveda way back in 6th century BC.
From around 500 BC to 500 AD there was a compilation of the different parts of Ayurveda. Ihe
eight parts of Ayurveda include - Kayachikitsa (therapeutics), Salya-tantra (major surgery).
Salakya-tantra (minor surgery), Bhutavidya (demonology), Kaumarabhrtya-tantra (paediatrics),
Agada-tantra (toxicology), Rasayana-tantra (geriatrics) and Vajikarana-tatra (vilification).
The theoriesof Ayurveda were also applied to the plant and animal life. There are medical treatises
on: Plant life (Vriksayurveda), Horses (Avayurveda), Elephants (Hastyayurveda), Bovint
species (Gavayurveda).
The spread of Ayurveda in Arab countries as well as in other parts of the world is evident ro
different Ayurvedic texts or their translation found there. The Susruta Samhita was translaeu
 SCIENCEAND TECHNOLOGY THROUGH THE AGES

title of
Kitab-Samural-hind-i. Ali-ibn Zain translated the Charaka Samhita under
the
under
thenameSarag.
detail the two important treaties:
discussin
Let
us, Samhita (deals with Ayurveda) by Charak, Father of Ayurveda.
Charak Samhita(deals with Surgery) by Sushruta,
Sushruta
Father of Surgery.
e
Charak Samhita
Samhita mainly deals with use of plants and herbs for medicinal purposes. In a way, it
Charak
deals with Ayurveda as a science whose description is divided into eight books.
mainly
Samhita, extensive note on digestion, metabolism and immune system is written.
Charak
In emphasisesthat the functioning ofa human body depends on three Doshas: (1) Bile, (2)
Charak Wind. These doshas are produced with the help of blood, Alesh and marrow and
Phlegm and (3)
between these three doshas makes the body sick. Drugs can be used to restore this
animbalance
balance.Charaka in his book has put more emphasis on prevention rather than cure. Genetics also
mention in Charak Samhita.
fnds a
@V Sushruta Samhita
Sushruta Samhita deals with practical problems of surgery and
öbstetrics. Sushruta studied anatomy in great detail with the aid of a
human dead body. His forte was mainly:
Rhinoplasty (Plastic Surgery)
Ophthalmology (Ejection of Cataract)
Surgery was termed as Sastrakarma during those times. The book Sushruta
Samhita records in detail the steps to be taken for the performance of
a surgery. In this field, one of the greatest contributions of Sushruta
was Rhinoplasty which means restoration of a mutilated nose through Sushruta
plastic surgery. The ejection of cataracts from eye was even done by
Sushruta with ease and using simple surgical tools. Hence, it can be inferred that India also saw
best of the developments in medicine when compared to the world.
Ihe Buddhist monks from India took the Ayurveda System to Tibet and China. The translation
of the two books also took place in Arabic language. Even the Greeks were influenced by the
Indian medicines during theIndo-Greek rule in India in 180 BC-10 AD.
n the medieval period, Sarangdhara Samhita written in 13th century emphasised on the use of
OPium in medicines and for urine examination in laboratories.
The Rasachikitsa system dealt with treatment of diseases using mineral medicines.
The Unani Systemn of medicine came to India with the book Firdous-al-Hikmah written by Ali-
ibn-Rabban.
 AgINDIAN ART AND CULTURE

Alternative Systems of Medicine

System
Ayurveda Details
Discussed above
Yoga Yogg originated in India and was
one's body,propounded
It works on the level of by sage Patanjali
Yoga generally has four broad mind, emotion and energy. around 150 BC
mind), BhaktiYoga (utilise the classifications Karma Yoga (utilise the body),
-
UNESCO inscribed Yoga emotion), Kriya Yoga (utilise the energu). Jnano
Unani
in the
representotive
This medical tradition of medieval |
list of Intangible Cultural
Heritage in 2046
Yoga (utlse the
Islam was
of the Delhi Sultanate. It
was further developed introduced during 13th century AD with
during the Mughal Empire
The system has Greek
(Hellenistic) origin. the establshment
Alauddin Khilijigave royal patronage to Unani
In Unani, there are various system. Many Hakims were there in
means of treating patients like diet, his coiuct
surgery.
One of the most popular methods of
treatment practised by Unani
pharmacotherapy, exercise, massoge and
Bil-Tadbeer). Physicians sis
Siddha This system originated in South Indi.
Regimental Therapy (llaj-
'Siddha' term is derived from the word
As per Siddha system, the human 'Siddhi, which means 'perfection' or 'an obiect to be
body is composed of 96 tattvas or basic principles. nttoinod
Siddha sustem uses various herbal, animal or
mercury, for treating diseases. inorganic chemical compounds, such os sulah.
Practitioners colled siddhars. Nandhisar is considered the first
are
Presently, it is largely practised in Southern Indian siddha and the quru of all siddhore
States (mainly Tomil Nadu).
"Neikkuri' "0il Drop test of Urine' is aunique method in
or
Siddha system of medicine for urine examingtien
Homoeopathy The term 'Homoeopaths' is derived from the
Greek words "Homois' and 'Pathos' (means 'similar ond
'suffering' respectively).
After originating in Germany, it was introduced in India around 1810-1839.
Homoeopoths is based on the Law of Healing 'Simlia Simlibus Curantur' means 'Likes ore Cured bu
Likes.
" Homeopathic treatment is popular for diseases of chronic or prolonged nature.
Sowa-Rigpa It isone of the oldest, living and well-documented medical tradition of the world.
Yuthog Yonten Gonpo from Tibet is believed to be the Father of Sowa-Rigpa.
The term means 'Science of Healing'.
It is commonly known as Amchisystem of medicine.
Gyud-Zi (four tantra) is the fundamental text reloted to Sowa-Rigpo.
The majorityof theory and practice of Sowa-Rigpa is similar to Ayurveda.
" It is widely practiced in Tibet, parts of Ching, Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, Bhuton, Russia and
Mongolia.
Dharamshala in Himachol Pradesh and Ladokh region are the main centres for Sowa-Rigpo Institutions Ih
India.

Physics and Chemistry

From the Vedic times, the materials on Earth have been dlassified into panchbhootas. ne
panchbhootas were identified with human senses of perception.
Earth (prithvi) with smell
 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THROUGH THE
AGES

vision
with
(agni)
Fire with.feeling
(maya)
#
Air
(apa) withtaste
Water sound
(akash)with
Ether that the material world comprises of these five
perceived elements. The
philosophers
been who came later rejected ether as one of the elements and replaced itBuddhist
with life,
Ithas
sorrow. Philosophers
were of the viewthat except ether, all other four were physically
joyand therefore comprised miniscule particles of matter. The last miniscule matter which
palpableand called
be further
subdivided was Parmanu. There are five different types of parmanu
could not
different elements. Hence, it can be inferred that Indian philosophers conceived the idea
forfive
an atom. Indian philosophers Kanada and Pakudha Katyayana in 6th century BC irst
splitting
of theidea of atoms and the material world being constituted of atoms. Kanada explained
coined up of kana which cannot be seen through human organ. They cannot
material world is made
that subdivided and are indestructible as even said bythe modern atomictheory.
befurther
Chemistry
areas of
The development of Chemistry in India was in phases through experimentation. The
application of chemistry were:
$ Metallurgy (smelting of metals)
Distillation of perfumes
$ Making of dyes and pigments
Extraction of sugar
Production of paper
Production of gunpowder
Casting of canons, etc.
In India, Chemistry was called Rasayan Shastra, Rasatantra, Rasa Vidya and Rasakriya, all of which
chemist was
means science of liquids. Chemical laboratories were called Rasakriya Shala and a
referred to as rasadanya.
ne development of metallurgy started in India from the Bronze Age. In fact, the progress from
to developments in metallurgy.
La8e to lron Age to the present owes a great contribution extraction of metals from ore andits
rea of smelting of metals. Indians had an expertise in Mesopotamia. The best evidences
casting. It is possible that India had borrowed this idea from idol of Gautama Buddha
in c metallurgy are Iron Pillar of Mehrauli in Delhi and an
in thousands of years later after its
have not caught rust even after
Sultanganj,
manufacture.
Bihar. They

etamoustheMetallurgist Alchemist
andinto of ancient times was Nagarjuna. He was an expert
in transforming
in base metals gold. Born in Gujarat in 931 AD, Nagarjuna was blessed
with this of 'Eliir of life' as per the
power changing
of base metals into gold and extraction
beliefs of the people.
 INDIAN ART AND CULTURE

Another treatise Rasaratnakara (a book on

with preparation of liquids (mainly mercury).chemistry) mainly deals
The book also
emphasised on the survey of metallurgy and alchemy.
To prepare the eliir of life from
and vegetable products apart frommercury, Nagarjuna used animal
discussed the transmutation of baseminerals and alkalis. He also
gold could not be produced but the metals into gold. Although
method has been useful in
producing metals with gold like yellowish brilliance which even helps
in manufacturing imitation jewellery.
The contribution of Nagarjuna in the feld of
Nogarjuna (Chemist)
transformation of metals seems to be taken by Arabs chemistry had been
immense as
from the Indian books the idea of
Another treatise Rasarnava is a Sanskrit text
deals with Tantrism, Its work on tantra deals written in medieval period (12th

alccent
hemyury)underand
with netallic
chemistry. preparations and
The preservation of ancient literature was
generally done on palm leaves.
paper begun in the medieval period. Kashmir,
Mysore, etc. were well-known centres of paper Patna,
However,
Murshidabad, Ahmedabad. ,
the use of
almost the same throughout the nation. production. The process of
paper making was Aurangabad,
After the advent of Mughals, the
manufacture of gunpowder and its use in guns also started in
India. Saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal were used in
of gunpowder. The casting of cannons is explicitlydifferent ratios to produce different varietia.
mentioned in Tujuk-i-Baburi.
Tufangchis: In the medieval period, the matchlock men were called the Tufangchis. They were held in hioh
esteem during the Mughal rule. For reference, matchlok men is a historical type of
gunpowder is ignited by a burning piece of flammable cord or twine that is touched to firearm wherein the
the gunpowder by a
mechanism that the musketeer activates by pulling a lever or trigger with his finger.
Munjaniq: Acatapult or ballistic device used in the medieval period to throw projectiles.

Ain-i-Akbari discusses the 'regulation of perfume office' of Akbar. Asmat Begum, mother of
Noorjahan, is credited with the discovery of attar of roses.
In the feld of geology, hydrology and ecology, the contribution of Varahamihira cannot be
forgotten. He lived in the Gupta period and was probably among the nine gems in the court of
Vikramaditya. His predictions were so accurate that king Vikramaditya awarded him with the
title of Varaha'. Heclaimed that presence of termites (Deemak) and plants could indicate
the presence of water in that particular area. Alist comprising of six animals and 36 plants was
given by him who could indicate the presence of water.
The Earth Cloud Theory was also propounded by him in his book Brihat Samhita. He related
earthquake to the influence of plants, behaviour of animals, underground water, undersea
 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THROUGH THE AGES
activitiesandthe unusual cloud formation. He also made contributions in Astrology or Jyotish

Shastra.

Rasesvara
philosophicaltradition which advocated the use of mercury to make the body immortal.
AShaiva

ship Building and Navigation

references of maritime activities by Indians
Therehavebeen many during ancient times. Sanskrit
andPali literature had.a mention of ship building and navigation activities.
Yukti Kalpa Taru is a treatise in Sanskrit by Bhoja Parmar, and deals with the various
techniques nsed in ship buiding during anient times. The book contains minute details ab0ut
the types of ships, their sizes and the types of material used to build those ships. Indian builders
ssedgood knowledge about the materials used for ship building during ancient times. The
ships were primarily classified into two classes:
Samanya (Ordinary Class)
$ Vishesha (Special Class)
The ordinary class is for a sea voyage and had two types of ships:
8 Dirgha type of ship - long and narrow hull
Unnata type of ship - higher hull
According to length and the position of cabins, the ships were classifed into:
Sarvamandira - cabins extending from one end ofthe deck to another, used for transportation
of royal treasure and horses.
8 Madhyamarnandira - cabins in the middle part of the deck, for pleasure trips.
Agramandira - vessels used for warfare.
ome of the Sanskrit terminologies used during ancient times for various parts of the ship are:
Anchor of the ship - Nava Bandhan Kilaha
# Sail - Vata
Vastra
i
Rudder of the ship - Jeni Pata or Karna
Keel of the ship - Nava
Tala
Compass of the ship - Machayantra or Fish Machine (in the shape of afish)
 INDIAN ART AND CULTURE

Other Important Contributors of Ancient

and Medieval India

Vararuci

Vararuci appears as a distinguished character in

Kathasaritsagara
by Somadeva
century AD). Parayi Petta Panthirukulamis a popular folktale of Kerala.
was one of the nine gems of the court of Vikramaditya (57 BC-78 AD) It states Bhatta (1lth
that Vararui
Acharya Pingala (3rd-2nd century BC)
He was an ancient Indian mathematician and poet. He wrote
the Chandah[stra
as the Pingala-sutras). It is the earliest known treatise on Sanskrit prosody. Pingala (also known
to use the concept of the binary numbers. He also worked on Fibonacci numbers. was the frst
called Matrameru. Initially,
it was
Lagadha
Lagadha Muni was an ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer. He is believed to have .a
during 1200BC. He wroteVedanga Jyotisha that described the winter solstice for the period
around 1400 BC.

Jivaka
King' and
Jivaka was a legendary physician of ancient India. He was described as the 'Medicine
Jivaka lived in the Sth century
was the personal physician of King Bimbisra and Lord Buddha.
BC in Rajgriha or Rajgir under the Magadha empire.
Chaturveda Prithudaka Swami(830-890)
ancient Indian mathematician. He is known for his work on solving equations. He
He was an
wrote commentary on Brahmagupta's work.
Aryabhaa ll (920-1000)
Maha-siddhanta.
mathematician. He was the author of the
He was an Indian astronomer and

Narayan Pandit (1340-1400)

Ganita Kaumudi
and the author of the
Indian mathematician
Narayan Pandit was a medieval discusses mathematical operations.
(moonlight of mathematics) in 1356. It
 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THROUGH THE
AGES 497

Mahendra Skri (1340-1400)

astronomer of the 14th century and was patronised by Firuz
Jain Shah Tughlug. He
wasa
He t h e Yantraraja (an astrolabe user's manual).
wrote
Mdhava of Sangamagrma (1340-1425)
W
founderof the Kerala schoollof astronomy and mathematics. Madhava made
contributions
wasthe tothe study of infinite series, trigonometry, algebra and geometry.
He
significant
Vatasseri Parameshvara Nambudiri (1380-1460)
ancient Indian
an and
mathematician and astronomer associated with the Kerala school of
He was
astronomy mathematics. Based on several observations, Parameshvara revised astronomical
computational parameters, which came to be known as the Drgganita.

Kelallur Nilakantha Somayaji(1444-1545)

He was a mathematician and astronomer associated with the Kerala school of astronomy and
mathematics. One of his noted works was the astronomical treatise Tantrasamgraha. He also
composed commentary on Aryabhatiya, called the. Aryabhatiya Bhasya.
Chitrabhanu

He was a mathematician in the 16th century of the Kerala school, noted for a concise astronomical
manual, Karana. He was a student of Nilakantha Somayaji.
Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri (1560-1646/1666)
He was associated with the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. His notable works
induded Prakriya-sarvasvam (an axiomatic system elaborating on the classical system of Panini's
grammar) and Narayaneeyam (a devotional composition in praise of Guruvayurappanor Lord Krishna
that is still sung at Guruvayur Temple).

TWo famous Sports of ndia during ancient times were:

Kalaripayattu: It was amartial art from Kerala which wos transmited to Chino in 5th or
6th century AD bya sage called Bodhidharma. The present form of Judo and Karate did
originate from Kalaripayat.
Chausar/Pachisi: The gome was known gs 'Chaturanga' meaning four bodies. It was
Puyed with counters and Aksha (dice). It was played on a board called ashtapada.
Chaturanga finds its mention in the famous epic Mahabharata where this game was
played between Kauravas and the Pandavas. Pachisi was later modified to use a cubic
die with dice cup which is pgtented as Ludo in 1896 in England.
 INDIAN ART AND CULTURE

CHAPTER SUMM ARY

Indig carries a rich
legacy of
measurement and geometry - usescientific ideas - indicated
sincein the
Shulbasutra - the earliest book on of geometric patterns found
mathematics temples Harappan age -
Aryabhatiya-written by Aryabhata around 499 AD-
Kalakriyapada and Golapada.
Brahmasputa
written by
contains Baudhguana.
sfour sections knowledge of

quadratic formula.Sidhanta around 7th century -ADGitikapada,

- written by
During Vedic times, Ashwini
of Ayurveda Kumars
Brahmagupta
were the
medicine -in later periods, Takshilapractitioners of
-
clear
descr
,Ganitopodo,
iption of
learning. and medi c ine
Varanasi became Dhanvant
the a ri i was
Charak Samhita - deals with cent res of the God
herbs - three doshas, Ayurveda- written by
namely, bile, phlegm and wind. Charak - Father of Ayurveda - medicingl
Sushruta Samhita - deals with surgery - use of plants
written by Sushruta - and
Ophthalmology.of Father of
Surgery - Rhinoplasts -
Development metallurgy started in India from the
Mesopotamig Iron Pillar of Mehrauli is Bronze
the best evidence ofAge -
possibly
Nagarjuna - famous metallurgist and possibly
alchemist ancient times -
of
Indian metallurauborrowed from
base metals into gold.
discussed the
Varahamihira
also made
- contributed in the
fields
contributions in Astrology.
of geology, hydrology
and
ecology - wrote Brihat Sambito
transmutation
of

Yukti Kalpa Taru -treatise in

Sanskrit by Bhoja Parmar deals with
techniques used in ship buildino

UPSC Previous Years' Multiple Choice

Questions
1, What was a
munjaniq in medieval period? 2. Which Arab scientist could be given the credit
(CDS, 2022) of christening the mathematical discipline of
(a) Cannon Aot Catapult algorithm? (CDS I, 2019)
(c) Gun carriage (d) Portable armoury (a) Al-Khwarizmi by lonal-Haytham
(c) Ibn Rushd (d) Ibn Sina

ANSWERS
1. (b) 2. (a)

UPSC Previous Years' Questions of Main Examination

(CSE, 2012)
1. Comment onthe significance of Rasarnavain studying the history of Indian Chemistry.