- INDIA CAN BE PROUD OF ITS ANCIENT AND RICH CIVILIZATION AND ITS ORIGINAL
- CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE. AFTER 1335 YEARS OF FOREIGN RULE INDIA IS INDEPENDENT FOR 74 YEARS.
“India was the motherland of our race and Sanskrit the mother of Europe’s languages. India was the mother of philosophy, of much of our mathematics, of the ideals embodied in Christianity…of self-government and democracy (PANCHAYAT). IN MANY WAYS, MOTHER INDIA IS THE MOTHER OF US ALL.”
– WILL DURANT, American Historian 1885-1981
India became independent from Britain 74 years ago. India should be grateful to Britain for getting rid of Muslim rule for 1145 years. The East India Company and the British ruled India for 190 years. It is important to note that India became independent of foreign rulers, Muslims and the British, after 1,335 years. 562 Princely States were also integrated into India and Pakistan.
Here again, credit should be given to Britain for giving the option to Princely States to accede with India or Pakistan. More credit should be given to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Secretary, V. P. Menon for successful negotiations with the Princely States. The Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir with Muslim majority and the Nizam of Hyderabad with the Hindu majority acceded to India. Thus, for the first time, India was able to gain full and complete sovereignty and independence of all states and territories in one unit. This was indeed a most remarkable achievement of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
INDIA CAN BE PROUD OF ITS INVENTIONS AND ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
1.According to Google research, Tamil is the oldest language in the world. Sanskrit is the second oldest.
2.According to Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.
3.Chess was invented in India.
4.Sushruta is the father of surgery. Photos of over 125 pieces of surgical equipment that were used in ancient India can be accessed on the internet.
5.The world’s first international university was established in Taxshila 700 B.C. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects.
6.The University of Nalanda in Bihar built in the 4th century B.C. was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
7.In the river Sindh, 5000 years ago. The word “NAVIGATION” is derived from Sanskrit word NAVGATIH
8.The earliest reservoir dam was built in Saurashtra, India in 100 B.C.
9.MATHEMATICS
India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
The Place Value system, decimal system was developed in India in 100 B.C.
Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus came from India. The value of Pie, first calculated by Budhayana explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean theorem. Pythagaros of Greece did not invent this theorem! British scholars have officially published in 1999 that Budhayana’s works date back to the 6th century, which is long before any works of European mathematicians including Pythagoras and Archimides.
10.Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the Sun was:365.258756484 days (5th century). Indian astronomers and astrologists mastered the science long before the West.
11.POLITICAL SCIENCE
Kautilya, Prime Minister to Emperor Chandra Gupta Maurya, wrote the first book on Political Science called ARTHASASTRA in Sanskrit, translated into English in 1905 by Shama Sastri. This was before Aristotle of Greece published his book: The Politics. Machiavelli published his book The Prince much later. I wrote a scholarly paper for my doctoral course in Political Theory. I compared the original writings of Kautilya’s Arthasastra with the books by Aristotle and Machiavelli. My conclusion that Aristotle and Machiavelli lifted everything from Arthasastra was acclaimed by doctoral adviser, Professor Albert d’Grazia, Ph.D. Princeton University. He also advised me to publish a book on the subject. I was simply humbled and overwhelmed. India can celebrate Independence Day with pride that Aryabhatta, Budhayana, Kautilya were the original scientists and scholars. India invented Mathematics, basis of all physical science, and Political Theory basis of all Social Science.
Eminent people the world over have acknowledged India’s great contribution and leadership in several sectors of knowledge.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
“We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.”
GRANT DUFF, the British Historian of India
“Many of the advances in the sciences that we consider today to have been made in Europe were in fact made in India centuries ago.”
WILL DURANT, American Historian 1885-1981
“India was the motherland of our race and Sanskrit the mother of Europe’s languages. India was the mother of philosophy, of much of our mathematics, of the ideals embodied in Christianity…of self-government and democracy (PANCHAYAT). IN MANY WAYS, MOTHER INDIA IS THE MOTHER OF US ALL.”
ROMAN ROLLAND, FRENCH PHILOSOPHER 1886-1944
“If there is one place on the face of this Earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when Man began the dream of existence, it is India.”
MARK TWAIN
“India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most constructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”
HU SHIH, FORMER AMBASSADOR OF CHINA TO THE USA
“India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.” Fahiyan and Hu- En Sang visited India and transplanted Buddhism that has flourished in China, Japan and Korea. India never invaded any country in her 10,000 years of history.
RECOMMENDATION TO UPLIFT AND PROMOTE IMAGE OF INDIA
I truly believe that India must capitalize on its rich history and ancient contributions to science, the basis of human civilization, technology, and modernization. The independent India may be lagging in modernization, but I am confident India can catch up fast once India is determined and make big decisions.
India must capitalize on the high testimonials on India by the world-renowned philosophers from China, England, USA, and France. India must start an aggressive advertising and public relations campaign first within India to educate Indians and later internationally.
I would even suggest that we advertise with large billboards at all the international airports in India to begin with. This will give a very good first impression to all international visitors. India must also advertise using neon signs in all major city centers such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai, Bangalore, Goa, Cochin, Jaipur, Udaipur, etc. May I also suggest that when India celebrates its Republic Day in New Delhi, it should have the most creative display of India’s rich civilization and inventions. Such display of India’s intrinsic strength will outstrip India’s display of fighters and weapons.
INDIANS MUST DICOVER INDIA: If the media in India including especially TV start discussing what I have listed on a regular basis, Indians will feel proud. This is the only way to kill the present national inferiority complex. LET US CELEBRATE INDIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH OPTIMISM AND HOPE AND REJOICE. JAI HIND!
(Ven Parameswaran, MBA, Columbia Business School is a Senior Adviser to Imagindia Institute, New Delhi, a think tank. He is also Chairman, Asian American Republican Committee. He lives in Scarsdale, NY. He can be reached at vpwaren@gmail.com)