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Science in Ancient India ( question answers & summary)

 Summary:

In ancient India study of astronomy was merged into astrology.

Dhanwantari the legendary founder of Indian science of medicine.

The best books of that time were by Charak on medicine and Sushruta on surgery.

These textbooks enumerates large number of disease, their diagnosis and treatment, Various surgical instruments and operations are mentioned by Sushruta.

Their approach was experimental and wounds were sterilized by fumigation, a technique of Ayurveda in which fumes of certain drugs were inhaled by the patient.

In third or fourth century B.C. there was hospitals for animals. This was probably due to influence of Jainism and Buddhism with their emphasis on non-violence.

In mathematics some epoch making discoveries were made in the field of mathematics in ancient India notably that of zero sign, decimal place value system, use of minus sign and us of letters of alphabet in algebra to denote unknown quantities.

They had a long series of number names for very high numeral up to 10 of the power 18 and minute division of time which the smallest unit was approximately one seventeenth part of a second.

The old Indians had a vast sense of time and space. They thought in a big way.

The vast period of geology or distance of stars was not surprise to them. because of this background Darwin's and other theories could not create a turmoil in India which they produced in Europe.

science-ancient-india
Question and Answers:

Q.1  Who is known as the legendary founder of medicine?

Ans. Dhanwantari is known as the legendary founder of medicine.

 

Q.2  Who is the earliest person who wrote on medicine in ancient India?

Ans. The earliest person who wrote on medicine in ancient India was Charak. His book "Chark Samhita" described a large number of diseases and gave methods of their diagnosis and treatment.

 

Q.3  Who is the earliest writer of the books on surgery in ancient India?

Ans. Sushruta was the earliest writer of books on surgery in ancient India. In his book Sushruta Samhita he described various surgical instruments and various operations of limbs, abdomen and eye etc.

 

Q.4  How were the wounds sterilized in ancient India?

Ans. In ancient India wounds were sterilized by fumigation. In this method fumes of some drugs were inhaled by the patient.

 

Q.5  What was probably due to the influence of Jainism and Buddhism?

Ans. Due to the influence of Jainism and Buddhism probably the hospitals for animals were built because of the emphasis of these religions on non violence.

 

Q.6  Which epoch making discoveries were made in the field of mathematics in ancient India?

Ans. The epoch making discoveries made in the field if mathematics in ancient India were of zero sign, decimal place value system, use of minus sign and use of letter of alphabet in algebra.

 

Q.7  Which figure formed the basis enumeration in ancient India?

Ans. Ten formed the basic enumeration in ancient India.

 

Q.8  Which was the smallest unit of time known to ancient India?

Ans. The smallest unit of the time known to ancient India was approximately one seventeenth part of a second.

 

Q.9  Why were the discoveries of Darwin not able to make such turmoil in ancient India?

Ans. The ancient people of India had a sound knowledge of science . Their sense of time and space was very vast, therefore the discoveries of Darwin were not able to make such turmoil in India.

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