The Biggest set back is loosing once esteem. Our Maths, science and technology (however dwarf it is), was brought down by ourselves. Whatever religion that we are in, we criticize the other. We never approve as our past was ridiculed and we let our stands down, and never got back to the fore. No technology is complete, it keeps evolving even the current ones. Too many aggression and invaders (it was then not one India it was in several pieces) destroyed what they felt not appropriate and stole or destroyed our scriptures. As we Indians have short memories and to add salt to the injury we felt not log these in a systematic way. The score now is Western Technology is at peak and moving ahead. NOW, HAVING LEARNT THE LESSON, CAN WE PITCH THIS UP. COME FORWARD AND TAKE IT MORE AGGRESSIVELY IS THE QUESTION
What we were - matter of pride, but what we are-ground reality. We are to learn from advanced nation only, even China has surpassed us due to better disciplinary norms and lesser corruption.
Re: India
by Krishna Bhat on Jan 27, 2016 02:39 PM
Remember those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So we have to learn positives from history as well as negatives. That is why Ayurveda's scientific stock is rising.
Re: Re: Re: India
by piri on Jan 30, 2016 04:27 PM
Yes, little one. Read all about how China led India in terms of global trade all through the ancient and middle ages. Read about how China outstripped Indias gold, diamonds, ivory, spices, timber......with just one commodity - Silk (not that China was much behind India in gold and diamonds nor was behind India at all in timber or pottery or gun powder or ceramics) !
And read about ancient Chinese astronomy and mathematics that helped them develop the first compass, the first sexton (know what it is?).
Professor Narsimha, Can you show me one respectable scientist in the developed world who would agree that India was a leader in Science for one day, let alone 1400 years?
Re: India's lead in Science
by Krishna Bhat on Jan 27, 2016 02:38 PM
When Bertrand Russell was asked what was India's greatest contribution to the world, he said "nothing" i.e. the zero.
Re: Notice
by piri on Jan 26, 2016 09:42 PM
Who were the Arabs then ?
Any dispassionate observer reading about the history of science and mathematics will know the very significant contributions of the Arabs in maths and science. Even this piece refers repeatedly to how the Arabs made their own innovations in Maths and how they served as a bridge between India and Europe in scientific knowledge.
The 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th centuries CE made up the most productive era for Arab and Persian Maths. Muhammad Al Khwarizmi and Muhammad Al-Karaji made very significant contributions in Algebra (polynomial equations, proof by induction, etc.), Nasir Al-Din was the father of trigonometrical geometry and several other muxlim mathematicians advanced or built upon already existing Greek, Egyptian, Indian and Chinese knowledge in mathematics. The development of Scientific knowledge, as this interviewee reiterates, was never linear and rarely stood distinctly apart for any significant length of time. Various practitioners borrowed from and built upon already existing knowledge.
Arab and Persian mathematicians (as well as astronomers) combined the knowledge sourced from both India (whose most famous contribution was numbers as they are used today) and Europe (Greek geometry) and used it to make their own contributions. These mathematicians and astronomers were fostered by the Caliphs upto the 13th century (after which religious fundamentalism overtook the Calphate and all science was proscribed).
Re: Re: Notice
by Krishna Bhat on Jan 27, 2016 01:27 AM
Most of them were in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad. There was no other centre. But in India from the 1100s it is difficult to name one Muslim mathematician or scientist.
Where India is today stands is important. We must look forward and develop scientific temperament. Do away with superstation and caste system. And we should stand united as One nation and improve the image of India abroad .
Re: Living in the past
by Krishna Bhat on Jan 26, 2016 07:09 PM
But can you refute anything he said? THose who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Re: Living in the past
by Geetha RM on Jan 27, 2016 04:44 PM
The state of higher education in India is simply disgusting. Those who are scared of our future are making bogus claims about the past. Who cares as to who proved Pythogorus Theorem first? Why did we force our pregnant women to travel by bullock carts to the hospital if we know how to build and fly planes?
Re: Re: Living in the past
by Krishna Bhat on Jan 27, 2016 06:30 PM
Ok. Then don't bother about sending your children to school. They learn about concepts developed by Indians.
India was under constant attacks from outside for long since 10th Century AD. The invaders first destroyed the regional literature and then looted the wealth. Since the texts were burnt and teachers were not allowed to teach the ancient knowledge, the known skills and knowledge faded. At this time came the neo-modernists who started propagating foreign education for everything and some foreigners started interpreting the available Indian literature in their own ways. This has brought us to today's condition. Even today Indians are second to none in intelligence and skill. If you see any prominent foreign institution, Indians will be working their in prime positions. There is lack opportunity, support and funding in the new social setup where most of the money goes to subsidies and appeasements.
We have to differentiate patriotism from analytical science. Nobody has yet critically anlysed how did ARYA BHATTA/BRAHMA GUPTA/BHASKARA/ deduced theorems. All the Indian theorems are notations only. Nobody has still considered the evolution of treatises. This is where Alberuni criticises INDIAN SCHOLARS i.e., they don't go by geometry of figurative. Even here MANU AND BRAHMAGUPTA criticises ARYABHATTA's conclusion that EARTH REVOLVED AROUND SUN only on the basis of CHANDRAMANDALA bigger than SURYA MANDALA. Here comes the confusion. Soma was not CHANDRA and during prehistoric times there was another STAR possibly equal to that of SUN but with less luminosity that arose only in night and probably earth would have revolved round binary stars. However SOMA receded with the simultaneous birth of Chandra and the famous story of DAKSHA CURSING SOMA AND LORD SIVA GRANTING BOON OF WAXING AND WANING OF CHANDRA. But unfortunately BRAHMAGUPTA OR MANU did not employ geometrical models but deduced only from reasoning. It was to the credit of DESCARTES who created anlytical geometry with the concept of locus that resulted in algebraic equations. What is the use of FOURIER SERIES without analytical geometry and if we assume GREATNESS OF INDIA then one should try any student without teaching geometry and then analytical geometry make him understand calculus and come with theorems. Ramanuja became great only because he attained proficiency in EUCLID GEOMETRY even at the age of ten
Do not fall back on the lost glory. Try and win the future. India should think n this direction. People in middle east also are crying over their lost glory.
Re: As the saying goes...
by natarajan iyer on Jan 25, 2016 05:35 PM
Do not fall back on lost glory.But definitely ,Indians ,especially the generations from 1900 onwards should be aware of our glory atleast so that you do not glorify everything that is western and say we were unfit fools who were made into men by BRITISH ETAL.
Re: As the saying goes...
by Ganesh Nakkathaya on Jan 25, 2016 11:13 AM
Unless you are proud of our history and culture we are only licking boots of westerners. Look at other countries and learn how they respect their ancestors.
Re: Re: As the saying goes...
by gopalakrishnan on Jan 25, 2016 11:26 AM
Nehru's secular DNA spoiled lot of Indian heritage and secularist and left intellectual are for main threat for santhand dharam. Jaijavan and jai kisan . Secular manthra. Here javan and kisan got only lip service and death of the person is still a mistrey.
