Top 10 Innovations & Inventions by Indians

Indians have had this practice of cultivating and coming up with new technology since an era of time now. Right from the Stone Age to the Harappa civilization  traces of lot many developed technology and other manuscripts have been discovered, which talk about a lot of Indians brains, who during at that time came up with ideas and development creativity, which is still into use today in many parts of the world. Those geniuses at that time had developed their ideas into sorts of machines, accessories and equipment which are used largely today. India has always been a place of science and nature. Some of the greatest mathematicians and scientists belong to this very land, producing some great equipment of work and service.

So here is a list of the best 10 inventions that have been done by Indians, and which took the world by a storm.

10. Cotton Gin

The picture of this machine was first discovered engraved in the Ajanta caves way back in the 500 B.C. in Western India. This gives us the evidence that the Cotton Gin was first innovated and used by the Indians. Cotton Gin is a machine which reduces manual labour going into separating cotton from its seeds. This machine very systematically and smoothly separates out all the cotton from their seeds. It also sorts out the seeds which are damaged by eliminating them completely, whereas the undamaged seeds are put aside to grow them again as cotton plants. The cotton gin, therefore, has been a very easy and manageable tool used to separate the cotton from their seeds. This became a widely used machine in the later years due to its less cumbersome nature and easy usage reducing a lot of manual labour.

9. Pi, infinite series

The symbol of pi, which is now widely used under any mathematical and geometrical expression was first given and introduced by the Madhava of Sangamagrama in Kerala. Introduced and discovered way back in the 1340’s, the infinite series of this very special variable named ‘Pi’ was introduced by the Madhava in his school in Kerala. He made use of the series expansion and with the help of logic and calculation, had become successful in deriving an accurate decimal number for the infinite series of ‘pi’, just to make calculations easier and apt. Today, the numerical value of pi has been helping some great mathematicians as well as some scientists in their respective fields. ‘Pi’ is very commonly used to derive solutions out of arithmetical problems and has been an incessant part or branch of mathematics. Subjects like science and mathematics would remain incomplete if this value of ‘pi’ in infinite series did not exist.

8. Steel

The Europeans very famously call it the ‘Crucible Steel’. It was produced by putting pure iron metal with glass and charcoal in a container. Then the container was put to heat so that all the carbon melts and we get the so called Crucible steel. Producing this type of steel had gone so popular that this whole technique of producing Crucible steel came to be known as the Crucible technique. This was first used and put to practice in India in the early ages of 300 B.C. India hence was able to produce some quality steel with tough strength and ductility, which was later used by the Europeans.

7. Ruler

Ruler is one of the most important tools when it comes to academic purposes, and also for other mathematical and geometrical purposes. The use of ruler today which has made our life so easy with measurements and mathematics was first invented by the Indian, dated way back during the Indus Civilization and the Harappa civilization. Rulers of really small sizes, sized about just 2 millimeters were found  and traces of them being used during the Harappa civilization have been discovered, making it evident that Indian had conceptualized the usage and application a ruler for various purposes. The oldest and ancient Indian traces of rulers have been found to be very small in sizes and proportions, yet one of the most important tools invented in the ancient times.

6. Surgery

A surgeon of Indian belonging to the very ancient times of 5000 BC, Susruta, had come up with the cataract surgery and plastic surgery. His method of cataract surgery was used with a curved needle which he applied to remove the cataract from the eye by pushing the lenses. The eyes were then kept immersed in warm butter and were taken care of until they had healed properly. This activity of surgeries developed by Susruta back then was adopted by the Europeans and became famous worldwide. The method of cataract surgery developed of Susruta has been extensively adopted by a lot of countries thereafter, and the usage and application of such surgeries increased extensively with time and place.

5. Diamonds

The mention of diamonds and its properties has been witnessed in a lot of ancient books written in India. The old age Indians were aware and have penned down the properties of diamonds such as its refractive property, its sparkling effect, its cutting edges and its use as a knife or scissors, and its durability. Diamonds were initially first mined only in India till the 18^th century. Indians largely knew of the properties of diamonds and also knew its uses and the location where they were found, hence comes the existence of diamonds in the land of India. It was the only place where they were found and thus were exported to different countries abroad, helping in its foundation as a precious stone today.

4. Snakes & Ladder

This game called Snakes and Ladders which has grown so popular among people of all age groups was first introduced as a teaching method in the old schools of ancient India. It was basically to teach them the effects of good deeds in relation the bad deeds, by depicting the ladders as good ones and the snakes as bad ones or omens. It was invented by some Hindu spiritual teachers by the name of Moksha Patamu. It was a fun and crisp game, which was later adopted by the population of United States, popularizing it worldwide. Today, this game is played widely by people belonging to different age groups. A tool of excitement and pastime, though the educational factor of this game no longer persists in the societal knowledge, yet this game remains one of the very oldest and fun games which people still play till date.

3. Ink

The Indians invented the Ink in the late 4^thcentury BC. The Indian ink was simple black ink, which was produced by burning tar, pitch and bones. A lot of this black ink has been used in writing a lot of ancient books and manuscripts during the very old times. Evidences and traces of this ink have been discovered in the earliest ages when Indians had learnt to write manuscript and used the Indian Black ink to pen down its usage and existence. This is one of the most important things given or gifted to the mankind by the Indians, which has become a sole important asset in the world today.

2. Incense Clocks

Indians have been believed to be the true inventors of incense clocks, though the early traces of ancient incense clocks have been found in China. In the really old times, incense clocks were believed to have been transported from India to China. Many incense clocks which still exist and remain in the country of China have been claimed to be introduced or made in India, due to some pure evidences of the ancient Indian script, Devanagri. Devanagri scriptures have been found carved on a lot of incense clocks, which was first invented in Indian and then were gradually transported to China by the monks, who went around spreading the religion of Buddhism in different parts of China.

1. Zero

One of the greatest and biggest Mathematician and Astronomer of India, Aryabhatta, invented the digit zero, which holds prime importance in the subject of Mathematics today. Zero is the smallest digit when it comes to Mathematics numerals and holds a very important role in Arithmetic calculations today, and this digit is extensively used in different branches of Mathematics and Science. Though this digit holds no value when used singular, it changes or breaks the game when used with another digit, hence it plays a very vital role and has a lot impact in the field and subject of Mathematics.

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