11. Indian Centres of Learning

I recently visited India to explore how this country evolved and what drives it today. In the 1450 years from about 250 BC to 1200 AD (called The Common Period), Indian religion, trade, science, technology, mathematics, and culture had a profound impact across the world from the Red Sea to the Pacific. Notably, the strength of India’s ideas was key to spreading Indian influence—not through the power of its sword!

Traditional Indian Education System

Indian Centres of Learning

In parallel to the exporting of knowledge, many foreigners travelled to India to learn alongside locals. This peaked around 1800 years ago when Greeks and Persians travelled in numbers to study in India.

One of the most notable centres of learning was Nalanda University, a Buddhist monastery operating for almost 800 years in North-eastern India. It was the first residential university in the world, with around 2000 teachers and 10,000 students. Nalanda was the leader among a network of universities and was regarded as the most profound scholarship centre in Asia during the period. The libraries were 9 storeys high and were described as the greatest repository of knowledge in the world.

Arguably, India’s greatest gift to the world was the development of what is today commonly referred to as the Hindu-Arabic Numeral System, which is the universal language as it is used everywhere. The Hindu-Arabic numeral system is a base-ten system that uses the symbols 0–9 to represent numbers. It's the most common system for writing numbers today. 

How did they originate?

• Indian mathematicians invented the system between the 1st and 4th centuries.

• The symbols are based on the Indian Brahmi numerals. 

• The system was introduced to Europe in the 12th century by Middle Eastern mathematicians, including al-Khwarizmi and al-Kindi. 

  
  

Leonardo of Pisa, also known as Fibonacci, was a key figure in the adoption of the system in Europe.

Evolution of Hindu-Arabic Numeral System

Leading Indian Scientists and Mathematicians

There is a long list of notable Indians who have contributed to science and mathematics. Here is a shortlist of some of the more outstanding figures:

• Brahmagupta

  Brahmagupta was a 7th-century CE Indian mathematician and astronomer. He made substantial contributions to mathematics, notably algebra and number theory.

  
  

• Aryabhata

  Aryabhata, the ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer, is celebrated for his remarkable contributions to mathematics. One of Aryabhata's most notable achievements was his introduction of the decimal system and the concept of zero. He used a place-value notation system and symbols for numbers, which laid the foundation for the numerical system we use today. His recognition of zero as a numerical placeholder was a pivotal moment in the history of mathematics, enabling complex calculations and the development of algebra.

  Aryabhata also made significant advancements in trigonometry. He provided accurate approximations for the values of trigonometric functions, including sine and cosine, and calculated the value of π (pi) to an astonishingly precise value of 3.1416.

  
  

• Bhaskaracharya made substantial advancements in algebra. In his work "Lilavati", he solved various algebraic equations and arithmetic topics, including methods for finding square and cube roots, divisibility rules, and techniques for solving problems related to interest rates and mixtures.