Most Americans know very little about Ancient Indian inventions. In recent years, many strides have been made in high school and college in teaching more about traditionally neglected parts of the world.
Perhaps due to its proximity to its northern neighbor, China, many Americans have only a slight understanding of Indian history and achievements. China is well known as a culture of inventions (i.e. paper and the printing press). However, centuries of European explorers sought to exploit the riches of India and her people.
The following contains some of the most impressive ancient Indian inventions and developments that are not only great within their own rights, but whose impact can be seen and felt even today.
The cotton gin is commonly known as one of the causes of the American Civil War. However, the cotton gin was not an American but an Indian invention. Historians have found a cotton gin dating back to 500 A.D. According to theindianhistory.org, the development of this “charkha” went through many stages. First it was powered by hand, then eventually by water and steam. The cotton gin developed by Eli Whitney was simply a difference in degree rather than kind as he added steel teeth to the machine.
Stirrups
There exist numerous inventions whose impact is hard to imagine due to their sheer ubiquity in the world. Due to its utilitarian nature, the stirrup, another ancient Indian invention, should not overlooked. Contrary to popular misconception, the stirrup was not invented in China but in India. Although the exact date is impossible to know, the single-towed stirrup (in which the rider’s big toe is secured) developed in India hundreds of years before the more recognizable Chinese full-footed version.
Today the stirrup is found throughout the world in different shapes and sizes. The uniting feature has to do with the increased stability given to one atop a horse. The advantage in battle is easy to conceive as a more stable rider has an extended range of motion and ability. Today it riding a horse on a trail or watching the Kentucky Derby without the stirrups would be a far different experience.
Chess
Perhaps the most intriguing game humankind has developed is the game of Chess. Although it has gone through many changes over the past fifteen hundred years, according to http://www.whoinventedit.net/who-invented-chess.html chess was originally developed in India. The game underwent a series of changes as it traveled to Persia (modern-day Iran) and thence to Europe in the Thirteenth Century. As of 2010, according to the United States Chess Federation, there are over eighty thousand members. In addition, players compete in over twenty championships each year. In fact one of the most noteworthy events in the history of chess occurred in 1997 when IBM’s Deep Blue defeated world champion Gary Kasparov indicating that artificial intelligence was a force gaining in strength.
Playing cards have been a staple of American culture since the founding and settlement of the continent. No images conjure up Americana more than a gambling boat steaming down the mighty Mississippi River or a group of cowboys sitting in a Western saloon cards in hand. Playing cards, more specifically the game of Blackjack, are played in Casinos in nearly every state. When not attempting to beat the odds, one may consider that the origin of playing cards dates back to India. According to defenceforumindia.com, the playing cards spread to China and onwards to Europe via the Silk Road, Europe passed the game on to her inhabitants who brought it with them to America.
Hinduism and Buddhism
According to adherents.com, there are approximately 900 million Hindus and 376 million practitioners of Buddhism in the world. Both of these religious traditions began in India. As with so many other Indian inventions, Buddhism spread to China and onward to the rest of Asia while Hinduism remained more firmly entrenched in India. For years Westerners have been seeking guidance and wisdom from these Eastern traditions.
Resources and Additional Information:
http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/religion-culture/1404-achievements-inventions-discoveries-ancient-india-2.html
http://www.whoinventedit.net/who-invented-chess.html
http://www.theindianhistory.org/ancient-indian-inventions-discoveries.html
