India has the world’s second-largest population, with approximately 1.4 billion people. The dynamic history of the nation may be traced all the way back to the dawn of civilization. Here are eight interesting facts about Ancient India.
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1. They were the first to establish universities.
Some of the world’s earliest universities were founded in India. Nalanda, in the Indian state of Bihar, is one of the most well-known. Nalanda was a Buddhist study institution from 427 to 1197 AD, and its library is said to have been the greatest in the ancient world at the time.
2. They Were Only Interested With The Numbers
They came up with the Arabic number system, which is still in use today. They are also credited with discovering the number “Pi” in the 9th century BC, establishing the decimal system, and inventing the zero sign.
3. They played Snakes and Ladders and Chess.
Chess and snakes and ladders are two games that originated in India. Chess dates back to the 6th century AD, whereas Snakes & Ladders is much older, dating back to the 2nd century BC.
4. Shampoo was used
Modern shampoos have their origins in India’s ayurvedic combination of herbs and oils that they used to wash their hair. The term champ comes from the Hindi word campo, which means push, knead, or soothe.
5. They Had An Advanced Toilet System
Around 2,800 BC, the Indus Valley Civilization employed the earliest known toilet facilities. Each dwelling had running water and a private toilet linked to a sewage system, according to archeological evidence of a complex toilet system.
6. They Understood The Solar System
Around 3,000 years before Copernicus, the ancient Hindu scripture Rigveda (written around 1,500 BC) made the earliest documented description of the solar system. Indian academics recognized that the Earth was not the center of the universe, that the sun had its own orbit, and that other planets orbited the sun.
7. They Mined The First Diamonds
India has been mining diamonds since 700 BC. They were collected from Indian rivers, especially the Krishna, by workers. They were prized for their durability and ability to reflect sunlight and etch metal.
8. They Practiced Yoga
Yoga, an ancient custom of living healthy and in peace with one’s body and mind, began in India around 5,000 years ago. By the 6th and 5th century BC, it had spread far across ancient civilizations and was well chronicled in Hindu holy scriptures.