When we think about ancient India, the first thing that comes to our mind is the Ramayana or the Mahabharata; there is this other part of our history that we completely ignore. Today, we’re going to look at some of those parts of ancient India, that you may not have known. So, here are top 10 facts of that era, which will surprise you!
1) No Slavery
In the age where slavery was prevalent throughout the world, India was the only country that did not participate in any form of human trafficking; this might not sound like a big deal now, but it has saved our country from those dark shadows, which are very much prevalent today.
2) Most advanced civilization
It is a pretty well-known fact that the Indus valley civilization was perhaps one of the most advanced civilizations at that time. They designed and constructed the first multi-story buildings, toilets, drainage lines etc.
3) Pioneered modern medicine
Ayurveda is very popular in the modern world right now, for not having any side-effects and providing a very holistic way of treatment of the patient. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Ayurveda originated from ancient India, and has been around there for over thousands of years!
4) Modern mathematics
We all know Aryabhatta’s contribution to the world by inventing ‘0’ was huge, but that is not the only thing India is known for in the field of science and math. India is also responsible for the foundation of mathematical fields like Algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.
5) Pro Chess Players
Although we might not have invented chess, it was one of the most popular board games to be played in India at that time. So it isn’t really surprising that an Indian held the title of being the best chess player in the word for many years.
6) Water Harvesting
As we discussed earlier, the Indus valley civilization was well ahead of its time and has pioneered many great inventions. We were one of the first civilizations in the history, to harvest water by building an irrigation system and dams.
7) Use of Anesthesia
The use of sedatives and anesthesia might sound like modern concepts, but they too date back thousands of years. According to researchers, the use of anesthesia was very well known in ancient India.
8) Complicated surgeries
Surgeries are scary, but it is even scarier when you are living in a time before the invention of a scalpel (Small instrument used for surgery); you will be surprised to know that Indian physician Sushruta used to perform cataract, cesareans, kidney stone surgery with great efficiency during that time.
9) The golden bird
When people talk about India before the era of The East India Company, they always mention how rich it was. From ornaments and jewelry constructed out of pure gold, to beautiful rare diamonds, we had everything. Unfortunately, this attracted many invaders and looters who bled us dry over the years.
10) Hub of education
Sure, we now have IITs and NITs, but the tradition of a good education goes all the way back. Ancient India had many important education hubs all over the country, which hosted thousands of students all over the world.
So what do you have to say about ancient India? Shouldn’t we be thankful?
