The chapters in this volume were originally presented in the panels on Scientific Literature at the 12th World Sanskrit Conference in Helsinki, Finland. They represent some of the most up-to-date scholarship on the history of early science in India being done today. The first part of the book focusses on the history of mathematical commentaries and the role of illustration in sanskrit mathematical manuscripts. The second part of the book investigates fundamental ayurvedic theories, ayurvedic rites for childbirth, the cultural history of medicine in the Early Modern period, the anthropology of spirit of one of the oldest surviving ayurvedic texts. This book will be of interest to historians of science, students of classical Indian history and culture, and anyone wanting to know where the cutting edge of the history of early Indian science is today.

"This book reveals the many wonders of Sanskrit as a living experience and has something for all." -- p.2 of cover.

The ?Vedas? are considered ?divine? in origin and are assumed to be revelations from God. In traditional Hinduism, the Vedas were to be learnt only by the ?upper? caste Hindus. The ?lower castes? (Sudras) and so-called ?untouchables? (who were outside the Hindu social order) were forbidden from even hearing to its recitation. In recent years, there have been claims that the Vedas contain the cure to AIDS and the production of electricity.Here the authors probe into Vedic Mathematics (that gained renown during the revivalist Hindutva rule in India and was introduced into school syllabus in several states); and explore if it is really ?Vedic? in origin or ?Mathematics? in content. To gain a better understanding of its imposition, we interviewed students, teachers, parents, educationists and activists. We analyze this problem using models like Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCM), Fuzzy Relational Maps (FRM) and newly constructed Fuzzy Dynamical System (and their Neutrosophic Analogues). The issue of imposition of Vedic Mathematics into the school curriculum involves religious politics, caste supremacy, apart from elementary arithmetic ? so we use fuzzy and neutrosophic techniques to gain acute insight into how students have been affected because of this politically motivated syllabus revision.

This book studies the linkages between science, technology and institution building in Colonial and Modern India. It discusses the advent and growth of modern science in India in terms of a nested three-stage model comprising the colonial-tool stage, the peripheral-native stage and the Indian response stage, each leading to and coexisting with the next. The book gives an account of developments in various fields of science and education in the latter half of the 19th century and the beginning of contributions made by Indian individuals, continuing into the 20th century. It traces the process of colonization and how it led to studies in astronomy, meteorology, natural history, geography and medicine in India. Rich in archival resources, this book will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of history of education, history of science, colonial education, science and technology studies, South Asian history, Indian history and history in general.

The origin of world civilization can be traced to the Sindhu and Sarasvati river valleys (located in present-day Pakistan) as early as 8,000 BC. Here, innovation and originality in every aspect of human endeavor, from mathematics and science to art and sports, flourished. Yet the importance of this civilization, known as the Vedic period, has been deliberately downplayed. Thoroughly researched and including an extensive bibliography, From Bharata to India rectifies this mistake in the perspective of world history and seeks to offer a comprehensive reference source. Author M. K. Agarwal shows how this early culture, where ideation by enlightened philosopher Brahmin kings, brought material and spiritual wealth that was to remain unchallenged until the colonial era. This Vedic-Hindu-Buddhist legacy subsequently influenced peoples and paradigms around the globe, ushering in an era of peace and plenty thousands of years before the Europeans. By using original sources in Sanskirt as well as regional literature, Agarwal compares corresponding situations in other civilizations within the context of their own literary traditions and records to prove that Bharata forms the basis of world civilization. This is in direct contrast to the Greek or Arab miracle hypothesis put forth by numerous scholars. The first of two volumes in this series, From Bharata to India offers a fascinating, in-depth glimpse into ancient Indias contribution to the modern world.

FROM THE AWARD-WINNING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND CO-HOST OF THE CHART-TOPPING EMPIRE PODCAST – A REVOLUTIONARY NEW HISTORY OF THE DIFFUSION OF INDIAN IDEAS 'A master storyteller' Sunday Times 'Richly woven, highly readable ... Written with passion and verve' Spectator 'A more masterful and accessible survey ... would be hard to find ... Enthralling' Literary Review India is the forgotten heart of the ancient world For a millennium and a half, India was a confident exporter of its diverse civilisation, creating around it a vast empire of ideas. Indian art, religions, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics and mythology blazed a trail across the world, along a Golden Road that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific. William Dalrymple draws from a lifetime of scholarship to highlight India's oft-forgotten position as the heart of ancient Eurasia. For the first time, he gives a name to this spread of Indian ideas that transformed the world. From the largest Hindu temple in the world at Angkor Wat to the Buddhism of China, from the trade that helped fund the Roman Empire to the creation of the numerals we use today (including zero), India transformed the culture and technology of its ancient world – and our world today as we know it. Praise for William Dalrymple and The Anarchy 'A superb historian with a visceral understanding of India' The Times 'Magnificently readable, deeply researched and richly atmospheric' Francis Wheen, Mail on Sunday