My OperaIndia Primer
Tuesday, March 14, 2006 8:55:19 PM
Quotes on India:
"We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made" - Albert Einstein
"India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. " -Hu Shih (former Ambassador of China to USA)
"While it is complex in theory and practice, Indian music is not just an art but a description of life itself." -William Butler Yeats
"India is the motherland of our race and Sanskrit is the mother of Indo-European languages. She is the mother of our philosophy, of our mathematics, mother of ideals embodied in Christianity and other of our Democracy." -Eminent Historian Will Durant (in his 27 volume series, The Story of Civilisation)
"the Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good, whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown by barbarians invading from without and multiplying from within. Almost all the Muslims of South Asia are descendants of weaker elements of the population who had succumbed to forcible Islamic conversion." -Will Durant
"If there is one place on the face of 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." -Romain Rolland (French scholar)
"India is the cradle of the human race, the mother of history,the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Most valuable and the most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only." -Mark Twain
W. J. Grant wrote:
"India indeed has a preciousness which a materialistic age is in danger of missing. Some day the fragrance of her thought will win the hearts of men. This grim chase after our own tails which marks the present age cannot continue for ever. The future contains a new human urge towards the real beauty and holiness of life. When it comes India will be searched by loving eyes and defended by knightly hands."
"No Greek was more splendid in his scientific fidelity than the quiet company of Indian thinkers who made the Upanishads and traced the whole beauteous outline of the Eastern spirit. "
"There are cities in India whose grace and charm are matched only by the sweetness of an immemorial religion. Nowhere else in the world have I been so exquisitely invaded by the mystic quality of life."
Facts about India
India has the world's fourth largest economy, possesses supercomputers (developed indigenously), a space program and nuclear weapons and supersonic cruise missiles. Much of the west outsources its R&D/engineering/IT to India and it is expected to become the world's next superpower along with China.
It has given the world the decimal system, trigonometry, calculus, the number zero, chess, sanskit, yoga, buddhism, hinduism, jainism, gypsies and the kama sutra among other things.
Most of the tales from the Arabian Nights originated in India. These were taught to the Persians and then passed on to the Arabs who changed the characters' names when they were translated.
Contrary to popular opinion, in fact India was once the richest place on Earth (until the British invasion) and was the only source of diamonds until the 1800s. The biggest diamonds in the world came from India. Incidentally, the Peacock Throne, stolen by Nadir Shah of Iran is worth close to $1 billion.
Silicon Valley would not be possible without Indian engineers, who founded tech companies that became household names and generated a collective market cap of $235 billion for the US economy. (Fortune magazine) Link
Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal is the world's third richest man. (Forbes Magazine) Link
Shaolin Kung Fu/martial arts originated in India and was taught to the Chinese Buddhist monks so they were able to defend themselves and also endure the rigors of an austere lifestyle. Link
You might've encountered the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) which describes how India was "given" its language and culture by some invading, nomadic race. It is a complete fabrication and misinterpretation of Hindu Vedic texts by British linguist Max Muller and is a result of colonial arrogance.
There was no such race aside from the Indians who lived there for over 10,000 years. So if anyone has the right to call themselves Aryan it is not the Germans or the Persians, but Indians-who invented the term. The AIT has been thoroughly discredited by notable scholars like Dr David Frawley. Link
Jesus's life and teachings are a carbon copy (plagiarization) of Buddha's and Krishna's who pre-date him by many hundreds of years. Christianity/Catholicism borrowed heavily from Lamaism (a sect of Buddhism). Link In-depth
A recent archeological discovery of an ancient underwater city off the coast of India was carbon-dated to almost 10,000 years old. It indicates that the cradle of civilization was in fact India, not Mesopotamia (which is 5,000 yrs old) as people long thought. Link
Although Abu Biruni [973 AD] of Iran is credited with being the first to determine the diameter/circumference of the earth, in fact that was done 400 years earlier by the Indian astronomer/mathematician Aryabhata [500 AD]. Birooni learned this information while studying in India and translated it into persian. Biruni Aryabhata Indian Math
These facts were recently published in one of the German Magazines, which deal with WORLD HISTORY. Its a shame they are not more widely known along with contributions by other Eastern nations.
-India invented the Number System. Aryabhatta invented zero.
-India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.
-Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for the computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
-The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century CE was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
-Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining an important place in our civilization.
-Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by her wealth.
-The art of Navigation was born in the river Sindh 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
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: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
-Budhayana first calculated the value of "pi", and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before European mathematicians.
-Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Sridharacharya propounded quadratic equations in the 11th century.
-The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as large as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10**12(10 to the power of 12).
-According to the Gemological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world.
-USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicions in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.
-The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 BCE a beautiful lake aptly called 'Sudarshana' was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.
-Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
-Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery.
-Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipments were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.
-When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
-The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
-The earliest evidence of civilisation in India, can be dated from around 3,500 BC
Some great links to learn more about India:
Sacred Texts (Hinduism, Vedas)
A Tribute to Hinduism (excellent site)
HinduBooks.org (a great information resource)
"We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made" - Albert Einstein
"India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. " -Hu Shih (former Ambassador of China to USA)
"While it is complex in theory and practice, Indian music is not just an art but a description of life itself." -William Butler Yeats
"India is the motherland of our race and Sanskrit is the mother of Indo-European languages. She is the mother of our philosophy, of our mathematics, mother of ideals embodied in Christianity and other of our Democracy." -Eminent Historian Will Durant (in his 27 volume series, The Story of Civilisation)
"the Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good, whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown by barbarians invading from without and multiplying from within. Almost all the Muslims of South Asia are descendants of weaker elements of the population who had succumbed to forcible Islamic conversion." -Will Durant
"If there is one place on the face of 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." -Romain Rolland (French scholar)
"India is the cradle of the human race, the mother of history,the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Most valuable and the most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only." -Mark Twain
W. J. Grant wrote:
"India indeed has a preciousness which a materialistic age is in danger of missing. Some day the fragrance of her thought will win the hearts of men. This grim chase after our own tails which marks the present age cannot continue for ever. The future contains a new human urge towards the real beauty and holiness of life. When it comes India will be searched by loving eyes and defended by knightly hands."
"No Greek was more splendid in his scientific fidelity than the quiet company of Indian thinkers who made the Upanishads and traced the whole beauteous outline of the Eastern spirit. "
"There are cities in India whose grace and charm are matched only by the sweetness of an immemorial religion. Nowhere else in the world have I been so exquisitely invaded by the mystic quality of life."
Facts about India
India has the world's fourth largest economy, possesses supercomputers (developed indigenously), a space program and nuclear weapons and supersonic cruise missiles. Much of the west outsources its R&D/engineering/IT to India and it is expected to become the world's next superpower along with China.
It has given the world the decimal system, trigonometry, calculus, the number zero, chess, sanskit, yoga, buddhism, hinduism, jainism, gypsies and the kama sutra among other things.
Most of the tales from the Arabian Nights originated in India. These were taught to the Persians and then passed on to the Arabs who changed the characters' names when they were translated.
Contrary to popular opinion, in fact India was once the richest place on Earth (until the British invasion) and was the only source of diamonds until the 1800s. The biggest diamonds in the world came from India. Incidentally, the Peacock Throne, stolen by Nadir Shah of Iran is worth close to $1 billion.
Silicon Valley would not be possible without Indian engineers, who founded tech companies that became household names and generated a collective market cap of $235 billion for the US economy. (Fortune magazine) Link
Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal is the world's third richest man. (Forbes Magazine) Link
Shaolin Kung Fu/martial arts originated in India and was taught to the Chinese Buddhist monks so they were able to defend themselves and also endure the rigors of an austere lifestyle. Link
You might've encountered the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) which describes how India was "given" its language and culture by some invading, nomadic race. It is a complete fabrication and misinterpretation of Hindu Vedic texts by British linguist Max Muller and is a result of colonial arrogance.
There was no such race aside from the Indians who lived there for over 10,000 years. So if anyone has the right to call themselves Aryan it is not the Germans or the Persians, but Indians-who invented the term. The AIT has been thoroughly discredited by notable scholars like Dr David Frawley. Link
Jesus's life and teachings are a carbon copy (plagiarization) of Buddha's and Krishna's who pre-date him by many hundreds of years. Christianity/Catholicism borrowed heavily from Lamaism (a sect of Buddhism). Link In-depth
A recent archeological discovery of an ancient underwater city off the coast of India was carbon-dated to almost 10,000 years old. It indicates that the cradle of civilization was in fact India, not Mesopotamia (which is 5,000 yrs old) as people long thought. Link
Although Abu Biruni [973 AD] of Iran is credited with being the first to determine the diameter/circumference of the earth, in fact that was done 400 years earlier by the Indian astronomer/mathematician Aryabhata [500 AD]. Birooni learned this information while studying in India and translated it into persian. Biruni Aryabhata Indian Math
These facts were recently published in one of the German Magazines, which deal with WORLD HISTORY. Its a shame they are not more widely known along with contributions by other Eastern nations.
-India invented the Number System. Aryabhatta invented zero.
-India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.
-Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for the computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
-The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century CE was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
-Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining an important place in our civilization.
-Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by her wealth.
-The art of Navigation was born in the river Sindh 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
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: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
-Budhayana first calculated the value of "pi", and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before European mathematicians.
-Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Sridharacharya propounded quadratic equations in the 11th century.
-The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as large as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10**12(10 to the power of 12).
-According to the Gemological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world.
-USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicions in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.
-The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 BCE a beautiful lake aptly called 'Sudarshana' was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.
-Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
-Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery.
-Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipments were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.
-When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
-The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
-The earliest evidence of civilisation in India, can be dated from around 3,500 BC
Some great links to learn more about India:
Sacred Texts (Hinduism, Vedas)
A Tribute to Hinduism (excellent site)
HinduBooks.org (a great information resource)
