science and tech in ancient india

8/7/2019 science and tech in ancient india

1/13

Science and technology in

ancient india

By Kiran.A.Chikodi


2/13

Aeronautical

In the Vedic literature of India, there are manydescriptions of flying machines that are generallycalled Vimanas.

There are no physical remains of ancient Indianaircraft technology but references to ancientflying machines are commonplace in the ancientIndian texts.

The Arthasastra of Kautilya (c. 3rd century B.C.)mentions amongst various tradesmen andtechnocrats the Saubhikas as ' pilots conductingvehicles in the sky'


3/13

Aeronautical

Reference to Flying vehicles asVimana occur in the Mahabharata inabout 41 places of which the air

attack of Salva on Krisna's capitalDwaraka deserve special notice.The Asura king Salva had an aerialflying machine known as Saubha-pura in which he came to attackDwaraka. He began to shower hails,and missiles from the sky
http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Dwaraka.htmhttp://www.hinduwisdom.info/Dwaraka.htm


4/13


5/13


6/13


7/13

medical

Ancient India saw great advancements in medical science. Some of thesefields were dental surgery, cataract extraction and plastic surgery. It isamazing that even in the absence of anesthesia some of the complexoperations are performed. Around 800 B.C the first instances of surgerywere recorded. It was considered as one of the eight branches ofAyurveda.Shushruta- Samhita is the oldest treatise dealing with surgery.

The main medical practitioners were Atraya, Charaka andShusruta.Shushruta studied human anatomy with an aid of a dead body.He had described in great detail surgery in eight parts which includedchedya,lekhya,vedhya,esya,ahrya,vsraya and sivya.He excelled in plasticsurgery and ophthalmology (removing cataracts).The restoration ofmutilated nose or rhinoplasty was one of the greatest contributions ofShushruta.The success rate was very high attracting people from all thecountry and outside. He meticulously carried out the operation almostsimilar to the steps followed by modern day plastic surgeons.


8/13

Surgery and required instruments

Surgical Instruments described by Susruta - Mukhopadhyaya G. History of Indian Medicin

Read more at Suite101: Surgery in Ancient India: Pre-Christian India Contributed Much toModern Surgical Knowledgehttp://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-
http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866http://www.suite101.com/content/surgery-in-ancient-india-a169866


9/13

Ayurveda plants

Research suggests that Terminalia arjuna is useful inalleviating the pain ofangina pectoris and in treatingheart failure and coronary artery disease. T. arjuna mayalso be useful in treating hypercholesterolemia.

Azadirachta indicabelieved to have immunopotentiating

abilities and used often as an anti-infectivehas been found

to enhance the production ofIL-2 and increase immunity in

human volunteers by boosting lymphocyte and T-cell count

in three weeks

Black pepper and long pepper are combined with ginger to

form the traditional trikatumixture in ayurveda. This mixture

increases appetite, promotes the secretion of digestive

juices, and cures certain gastric disorders, particularlyachlorhydria and hypochlorhydria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angina_pectorishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angina_pectorishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminalia_arjunahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_failurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_diseasehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_diseasehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_diseasehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_diseasehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_failurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_diseasehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercholesterolemiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercholesterolemiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercholesterolemiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercholesterolemiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azadirachta_indicahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IL-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphocytehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-cellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pepperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_pepperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gingerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_juiceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_juiceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achlorhydriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypochlorhydriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypochlorhydriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achlorhydriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_juiceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_juiceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gingerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_pepperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pepperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pepper091.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pepper091.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-cellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-cellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-cellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphocytehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IL-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IL-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IL-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azadirachta_indicahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azadirachta_indicahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azadirachta_indicahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercholesterolemiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_diseasehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_failurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angina_pectorishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminalia_arjunahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminalia_arjunahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminalia_arjuna


10/13

Sesame and sunflower oil are used in ayurvedicmedicine. Both contain linoleate in triglyceride formand may have antineoplastic properties.

Hundreds of plant-based medicines are used in ayurvedicmedicineincluding cardamom and cinnamon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linoleatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linoleatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglyceridehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antineoplastichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antineoplastichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antineoplastichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antineoplastichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglyceridehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antineoplastichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cardomom_plant.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cardomom_plant.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antineoplastichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglyceridehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linoleatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_oil


11/13

Space Research

Ancient India's Contribution to Astronomy:

Astronomy is one area which has fascinated allmankind from the beginnings of history. In India

the first references to astronomy are to be foundin the Rig Veda which is dated around 2000 B.C.Vedic Aryans in fact deified the Sun, Stars andComets. Astronomy was then interwoven with

astrology and since ancient times Indians haveinvolved the planets (called Grahas) with thedetermination of human fortunes.


12/13

Celestial Observatory Tool for keeping track

of the constellationsAryabhata

Sun Dial

Jantar Mantar in Jaipur


13/13

science and tech in ancient india

Documents

Transcript of science and tech in ancient india