Golden Age of Incredible India

TAXILA:  centre for learning , for specialised training. The learned grammarian Panini taught in Taxila around the 4^th century BC. Atreya taught medicine around the 6^th century B.C.  Arithmetic  was well developed. Numbers in multiples of 10 going up to as high powers of 10, as one million million were known and used.  Sulvasutras contain several instances of addition, substraction, multiplication,division and squaring of fractions. Quadratic equations, indeterminate equations, permutations and combinations also appear in Sulvasutras.

By the 5^th BC., the Indian metal workers had attained a high degree of perfection in the techniques of producing iron and steel.

By 6^th century B.C. , Ayurvedic  system of medicines was taught in Taxila.  The origin of Caraka-Samhita, and the surgical text Susruta-Samhita, is generally estimated to bearound 600 B.C.

Jaina mathematicians made great contributions overalong period between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D.

Gupta period emerged out as a powerful school of Arithmetic, algebra and numerals. The formulations became the basis for astronomical calculations to the extent that the great astronomers of the period such as Brahmagupta, Varahamihira and Aryabhatta were known as mathematicians.

Works, such as Sthananga-Sutra (1^st century B.C.), Suryaprajnapti, Bhadrabahavi Samhita (300 B.C.), Ksetrasamasa by Umasvati (150 A.D.) and others deal at great length with mensuration, surds, fractions, permutations and combinations, geometry, law of indices, classification of numbers etc.

As a distinct branch of mathematics, algebra appeared from about the time of Brahmaputra ( 598 A.D.) Indian algebraists,possibly for thefirsttime in history,used abbreviations of names of colours orgems, as symbols of unknown quantities and operation like powers, roots etc. They distinguised nEgative quantities by a dot.

The KHAROSTI numerals are found in Asokan, Saka, Parthian and Kushana inscriptions of the period from the 4^th century B.C. to the 2^nd century A.D.

Present day numbers	22	74	122	274
Can be witten  as:	2+20	4+70	2+ 20+ 100	4+ 70+ 200
Kharosthi  Symbol	I I 3	X 7 3 3 3	I I 3            I	X 7 3 3 3 ২    l l

The decimal or zero system was first found in a Gujratgrant-plate inscription of 595 A.D. and later in other stone inscriptions from Gwalior, Mahipala, Bauka

The Kushan Empire

 

The Kushan Empire was build under Kujula Kadphises, it was an empire in South Asia formed nearly in 1st century AD. The Kushans spread fromthe Kabul river valley to defeat other Central Asian Tribes

 and reached their peak under the 

Buddhist Emperor Kanishka (127-151) 

whose power was spread from Turfan in the Tarim Basin to Pataliputra in the Gangetic plane.

Under Kaniska I (flourished 1st century ce) and his successors, the Kushan kingdom reached its peak. It was acknowledged as one of the four great Asian powers of its time (the others being China, Rome, and Parthia). The Kushans were instrumental in spreading Buddhism in Central Asia and China and in developing Mahayana Buddhism and the Gandhara and Mathura schools of art.

The Kushans became affluent through trade, particularly with Rome, as their large issues of gold coins show. These coins, which exhibit the figures of Greek, Roman, Iranian, Hindu, and Buddhist deities and bear inscriptions in adapted Greek letters, are witness to the toleration and to the syncretism in religion and art that prevailed in the Kushan empire. After the rise of the Sāsānian dynasty in Iran and of local powers in northern India, Kushan rule declined.

Sunga Empire

Shunga Empire was a Aryan dynasty from Magadha that had captured vast areas of the Indian Subcontinent from around 185 to 73 BCE. The dynasty was established by Pusyamitra Sunga, after the fall of the Maurya Empire. Its capital was Pataliputra.

Pushyamitra Sunga ruled for 36 years and was succeeded by his son Agnimitra. There were ten Sunga rulers. The empire is noted for its numerous wars with both foreign and indigenous powers. Their battles were with the Kalingas, Satavahanas, the Indo-Greeks, and possibly the Panchalas and Mathuras.

Art, education, philosophy, and other forms of learning flowered during this period including small terracotta images, larger stone sculptures, and architectural monuments such as the chaitya at Bhaja Caves, the Stupa at Bharhut, and the renowned Great Stupa at Sanchi. The Sunga rulers helped to establish the tradition of royal sponsorship of learning and art. The script used by the empire was a variant of Brahmi and was used to write the Sanskrit language.

The Sunga Empire played an imperative role in patronizing Indian culture at a time when some of the most important developments in Hindu thought were taking place. Patanjali`s Yoga Sutras and Mahabhasya were composed in this period. Artistry also progressed with the rise of the Mathura school of art.