History of Science and Technology in Indian Subcontinent

Hand-propelled Wheel Cart (3000-1500 BCE)

source

Some of the earliest developments in science and technology are credited to the Indian subcontinent and this makes me feel proud.

1) Going back to the pre-historic period. Indus Valley Civilisation (3300-1300 BCE) existed in this part of the world and a number of inventions were made during this period. The elaborated drainage system, brick houses, urban planning, metallurgy and handicrafts from Indus Valley Civilisation have been studied for a long time. Agriculture got systematic planning in this age. Sophisticated irrigation and drainage system also highlighted Indus Valley society.

2) The ancient religious texts included huge numbers, Yajurvedasaṃhita containing numbers as big as 10^12.

3)The earliest Indian astronomical text ‘Vedānga Jyotiṣa’ (1400 -1200 BCE) has details of astronomical calculations and calendar studies. 27 constellations, 7 planets, 12 zodiac signs and eclipses were also known to Indians at that time.

4) ‘Sushruta Samhita’ (6th century BCE) is an ayurvedic text that has 184 chapters with 1120 illnesses explained. About 700 medicinal plants have been mentioned with the preparation of medicines. Sushruta was the first person to perform cataract surgery.

5) Panini’s morphological analysis was followed by people around the world until the twentieth century.

6) Iron smelting began in India as early as the 11th or 12th century.

Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro on the bank of Indus river.

source

7) Kautilya’s Arthashastra (3-4 century BCE) mentions the making of bridges and dams. Mining of diamonds also started first in India.

8) During 1st century BCE, the school of Atomism, Vaisheshika was founded with the philosophy that atom is the smallest particle that cannot be divided further.

Ashoka pillar, Vaishali, Bihar (272-231 BCE)

source

9) Most probably, the spinning wheel that helped in many inventions in future was originated in India.

10) India is proud to be the first to describe 0 as an individual number. Aryabhata was the person to use the number for the first time. All inventions after the invention of 0 were technologically advanced.

11) Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was the first person to use semiconductor junctions to detect radio waves. He also invented a device called a crescograph that could detect very small motions within plant tissues.

You can find all of India’s inventions and discoveries 👉 here.

This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z and Global AtoZ blogging challenge. I’m writing 26 posts in the month of April on the theme Glimpse of India. Follow my work on social media platforms with hashtags #AditiWrites, #CelebrateIndiaWithAditi

#BlogchatterA2Z #AtoZChallenge