Old NCERT Summary (RS Sharma): Legacy in Science & Civilization | Additional Study Material for UPSC PDF Download

Religion and Formation of Social Classes

• Religion influenced the formation of social classes in India.
• Each varba was given a social as well as ritualistic recognition.
• People were dedicated to perform their duties in compliance of Dharma.

Philosophical systems

• Indians developed a materialistic view of the world.
• Ancient India contributed    to philosophy    and    spiritualism.
• Sankhya: By Rishi kapila, he believed that soul can attain liberation only through real knowledge. And it can be acquired through observation, inference and words. They do not recognize the existence of God.(Idealism)
• Charvaka- The materialists- Lokayata- they believed that what is not experienced by human through its sense does not really exist. (Materialsts).

Crafts

• Indians were experts in making various kinds of colors and dyes.
• They were also great in art of making steel.
• Indian steel came to be called Wootz.

Polity

• India made experiments with some kind of democracy.
• Ashoka adopted a policy of peace and non-aggression.
• Several kings practiced religious toleration.

Science and Mathematics

• Astronomy made great progress.
• Science of Grammer and linguistic arose.
• Production of Sanskrit Grammer-Pannini-Ashtadhyayi
• Indians invested decimal system and Zero.
• Indian notational system was adopted by Arabs and then travelled to west.
• Apasthamba produced practical geometry.
• Most famous work of this time was Suryasiddhant.
• Aryabhatta calculated position of planets.
• He discovered the cause of solar and Lunar eclipse.
• He also discovered that sun is stationary and earth rotates.
• Brihatsamhita- Varahamihira (Scholar) explained the rotation of sun, moon and earth.

Medicine

• They studies anatomy. They devloped methods to diagnose diseases.
• Scholars- Sushruta and Charaka

Geography

• They were acquainted with China and West Asia.
• They had some knowledge of navigation and ship building.

Art and Literature

• Monolithic pillars erected by Ashoka.
• They built cave temples like Ajanta- depicted stories from the last births of Buddha.
• Art spread to Gandhara, Afghanistan and Central Asia and merged with their styles.
• Temples constructed in South India became models for temples of South-East asia.
• Angkorvat in Cambodia and Borbudar in Java.
• Monastic establishments like Nalanda.
• It was the earliest example of residential cum teaching institution.
• Indians produced Rig Veda.
• Scholars like Kalidas- Abhigyanashakuntalam- produced unique works.