A Brief History of Science In India

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In post-independence India, science and technology has remained anchored to terms like 'scientific temper', logical and rational thought pitted against 'superstition' and 'illogical' social mores. Science is still considered a byproduct Western civilization's industrial development. This requires a thorough examination on merits. A Brief History of Science in India by Sabareesh.P.A answers countless questions on Bharat's contribution and glorious achievements in science and technology, through time immemorial. Besides, it also emphasizes how science and society could co-exist in harmony.

Sabareesh P.A. is currently a PhD research Scholar at the Centre for Studies in Science Policy, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). New Delhi. His multidisciplinary academic research at the JNU includes areas of traditional medicinal knowledge, intellectual property rights and Indian philosophy of science with related research publications. Before joining INU, Sabareesh P.A. has worked as a consultant with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Earth Sciences and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA). Sabareesh's ancestral roots belong to Rajahmundry of the East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. He was born in Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu and educated in Kerala and Karnataka. He can speak multiple languages. Sabareesh is also a student activist in JNU and is associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and has contested for the position of General Secretary in the JNU Students Union-2019 elections.

This book, A Brief History of Science in India, is for readers who are T interested in having a basic knowledge and understanding of the evolution and journey of science in India, starting from the ancient pre-Vedic era until modern times in the briefest possible way. It would be fair to say that this book is but a miniscule work amidst the vast ocean of India's scientific knowledge and portrays the history of science in India in the simplest possible way so that readers of science, as well as those with a social science background, can get a glimpse of the subject in the minimum possible words and reading time. Having said that, the book has attempted to include facts, concepts, descriptions and comparisons in a narrative form to make it more interesting to read and understand.

The information available today on India's science history is either scattered or too voluminous in nature, and therefore is advantageous to only medium and long-term academic researchers or lifelong passionate learners. This is a cause for concern as a large number of young. interested and curious science readers are left out from knowing about India's scientific journey and technological history. The book also aims to address this desperate problem and shall therefore immensely benefit readers who might have heard of India's glorious scientific past but have not got the opportunity to gather a basic understanding of India's scientific history.

After listening to an uncompromising and inconclusive debate between two contrasting sets of senior scholars on India's ancient history in a fledgling and famous university, he was confused as to which version of Indian history was true. The youth himself being a student of science, had no idea as to how one could verify the claims that were debated by the fiery scholars of Indian history. The debate had several aspects related to ancient, medieval and modern history, but too little about science. It was his stint as a civil service aspirant that evoked an interest in history irrespective of being a student of science. So, after hearing both the versions of history, he decided to explore more about Indian history from the twelve-floor exhaustive library that the university flaunted. The library assistant was not able to guide him because the youth was too vague about his interest in reading a book pertaining to the discipline of history. Because he neither knew the title nor the author of the book, except for saying "history books, the library assistant was helpless. In a final attempt, the library assistant, in a casual way, asked, "Are you a science student wanting to read history?" It clearly seemed that the assistant had, over the decades, picked up the varying and diverse reading interests and habits of student scholars of what India calls a 'top-ranking multidisciplinary/transdisciplinary university. The youngster nodded with a sigh of relief and replied, "Yes." The assistant was not only quick to understand the exact need of the seeker but also precisely located the floor, shelf, and serial number of the book through the library-network software. This help from the library assistant took him to a shelf of books that unexpectedly led the student's entry to a totally new sub-discipline of 'science history!

It was a dusty shelf in a corner of the ninth floor of the library. Yet covered with a thick sheath of dust on that grimy shelf was seemingly a volume of encyclopaedias. After approaching the shelf, and on giving the first of the set of hardbound books, which were in volumes, a little swipe with his unusually long forefinger, the cover shone to reveal its title: History of Science in India. There was no looking back for this author after that!

The story of India, the world's oldest continuing and working civilization is nothing less than an incomparable and unseen phenomenon. A recorded and living civilization as this-that enjoys cultural infiniteness beyond its finite political borders; that permeably assimilates, absorbs and enriches even the minutest diverse thought that it comes in touch with; a historic quest and traditional thirst for knowledge in all spheres as a means of self-enlightenment-is also home to vibrant scientific achievements. Questioning and criticizing are the two tools through which the human mind thinks and opens up new avenues of thought in the fields of science, social science, arts, and humanities. Critical knowledge and education are known for expelling superstitions from the human mind. The role played by Indian society in such knowledge-generating activities is immense and crucial as it has also importantly provided a cultural continuity.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages