Contributions of the highest order made India remain powerful
Ancient India was not contented with devising and practising superior economic and socialsystems for achieving material prosperity and secured life for her citizens. Continuous efforts were made by the society to explore different fields, which resulted in constant improvements based on additional inputs and fresh knowledge. As a result the society was driven towards perfection in different walks of life. On the one hand the newer ideas led to the development of innovations and new practices that resulted in more efficient methods of functioning. On the other hand, new insights and thought processes led to contributions of highest intellectual output. Many such practices and contributions were truly pioneering and far ahead of their times.
For one who is not adequately aware of the background and greatness of the country, it will be hard to believe that so many developments had been taking place over many centuries in diverse areas of human activity. It is accepted that the Indus-Saraswathy Civilization is one of the most planned urban settlements of the earliest periods in the world. It is surprising to know that there were private bathrooms in many houses even during those periods. There were also large scale sanitary sewerage and water systems, along with common bath and storage facilities. It only shows the advanced nature of urban life that existed about five thousand years ago. Moreover the inhabitants of the civilization had knowledge of several fields.
The contemporary Indian gets a feeling that ancient India added value to all the activities with which it was connected. Agriculture was the major economic activity in the earlier days. We could see the use of sophisticated techniques and advanced management systems when we study the agricultural history of India. Experts note that irrigation was developed as early as around 4500 BCE. Artificial reservoirs dating back to 3000 BCE were in existence at Girnar. It is learnt that there were the early canal irrigation systems from around 2800 BCE. All these developments led to the increased agricultural output resulting in the economic prosperity and overall well being of the people.
When the modern minds look at the India of the earlier years, what surprises us- apart from the economic prosperity and the social systems- , is the list of contributions and achievements in intellectual spheres. All over the world we study how the great empires concentrated on wealth, power and enjoyment, though in the process some of them have also made a few contributions. But India’s output, in different spheres of life , remains extraordinary by any standards in the history of mankind.
Five thousand years ago, India could explain the nature and principles of the soul, primal matter and its creation. Acharya Kapil, born around 3000 BCE and founded the Sankhya school of thought in the ancient Indian philosophy, was a pioneer in this field. He made extra sensory observations and revelations on the secrets of creation. His outstanding contributions in the field of cosmic studies have made the world recognize him as the father of cosmology. Indians were the earliest to specialize in sophisticated fields such as shipping and aviation involving higher technologies. Acharya Bharadwaj, who lived about 2800 years ago, had in his work Yantra Sarvasa made outstanding discoveries in space science. He explained different techniques to make flying machines invisible to escape from the eyes of the others, to listen to conversations taking place in another plane and to see what was happening in other planes.
In the medical field, India developed advanced techniques in highly specialized areas such as plastic surgery and anesthesia, and Indians were the pioneers in amputation, caesarian and cranial surgeries. Shusrut Samhita of Shusruta, who lived around 600 BCE, is the first ever work describing the surgical procedures and is considered the encyclopedia of surgery. He had explained the details of 300 types of operations and described a number of stitching methods. He had used 125 surgical instruments for operations and performed advanced surgeries including the restoration of damaged noses. A giant in the field of medical science, he is respected as the father of plastic surgery. Indians realized the importance of diet and activities for the mind and body of the individual and the relationship between spirituality and physical health in the earlier days. Charak (600 BCE) explained the concepts relating to human anatomy, embryology, pharmacology and diseases such as diabetes and tuberculosis. He described the medicinal qualities of one lakh herbal plants. His prescription of the ethical charter for the medical practitioners was much before the Hippocratic Oath.
India understood and explained the principles relating to atoms and molecules paving way for the development of the atomic theory. Western historians acknowledge that Kanad (600 BCE) and other Indian scholars as the global masters in this field. One can go on continuously mentioning about the intellectual contributions of ancient India, as there are too numerous and encompass several fields. But what is important is that these contributions have helped people living in parts of the world enormously to further their knowledge and understanding relating different fields of activities. These contributions have also helped the world to move forward and make progress at a faster speed in different disciplines. Speaking of just one aspect India’s contribution to mathematics, the noted scientist Einstein mentioned: “We owe a lot to Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made”. There are many more contributions even in the field of mathematics.
Of all the contributions of India, several thinkers and scholars all over the world proclaim that the thoughts and inputs relating to life, its purpose, approach towards life and humanity as the most important ones. Nowhere in the world has the human mind and life so thoroughly discussed and analyzed in detail as in India of the ancient periods. Beginning from the earliest texts of India namely the Vedas, many of the monumental works such as the Upanishads and the Bhagawat Geetha concentrate on the meaning and purpose of life and the various issues connected with it. These thoughts have made Indians unique in their thinking and life in India far superior than the rest of the world.
The intellectual achievements of India had enabled the country to emerge and remain as a powerful nation in two ways. One was to make advancements in different fields such as mathematics, medicine, science, technology, architecture which in turn helped the country to grow further and richer. The other was to make citizens more matured and better human beings, families and societies more vibrant and peaceful. As a result India grew and remained a powerful nation – in a state of prosperity and inner peace - with continuous efforts towards perfection in different spheres of life.
( Published in Yuva Bharati – Voice of Youth, Vivekananda Kendra, Chennai, December 2010)
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