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Ancient India: Indians
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The political map of ancient India was comprised of several states. Some were monarchies, some were republics, many of them were warring against each other. The concept of a single nation governed by a paramount power was simply not there. Some of the important empires of the ancient India were the Maurya Empire (322BC-185 BC), Gupta empire (320BC -600AD), etc. which through their imperialistic endeavours, managed to somehow extend a pan-Indian influence. Chandragupta Maurya (he ruled from 322BC -298 BC) and Ashoka the Great (273 BC-232 BC) were the most important rulers of the Mauryan dynasty whereas Samudragupta (335-380AD) and Vikramaditya (375-415 AD) were important rulers of the Gupta dynasty.
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The Greek scholars have left their accounts regarding their experiences in India and these sources are very important to reconstruct ancient history of India. After this invasion Indians could develop better contact with the western world even though India was aware the existence of these powers. Information regarding the Mauryans is found in Kautalya’s Arthashastra, accounts of Greek ambassador to Chandragupta Mauryas’ court Megasthenes and the large of inscriptions issued by Asoka. It was Chandragupta Maurya who was the first emperor to expand the frontiers of the empire to all directions of India. He maintained friendly relations with the Greek successors. However, Asoka is considered as the greatest monarch of the Mauryan Empire.
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Intellectual contacts between ancient Greece and India were not insignificant. Scientific exchanges between Greece and India were mutually beneficial and helped in the development of the sciences in both nations. By the 6th C. A.D, with the help of ancient Greek and Indian texts, and through their own ingenuity, Indian astronomers were to become the first to describe the earth as a sphere and prove that it was the earth that rotated around the sun. They were ... the first to correctly model both solar and lunar eclipses.
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Many dyes and pigments were extracted in ancient India from vegetable and mineral bases. The Greek historian Ktesias who lived in the 4th century B.C. at the Persian Court has observed that "Among the Indians are found certain insects about the size of beetles and of a colour so red that at first sight one might mistake them for cinnabar. Their legs are of extraordinary length and soft to the touch. They grow upon trees which produce amber, and subsist upon their fruit. The Indians collect them for the sake of the purple dye, which they yield when crushed. This dye is used for tinting with purple not only their outer and under-garments, but ... any other substance where a purple hue is required.
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Because astronomy required extremely complicated mathematical equations, ancient Indians ... made significant advances in mathematics. Differential equations -- the basis of modern calculus were in all likelihood an Indian invention; (something essential in modelling planetary motions). Indian mathematicians were also the first to invent the concept of abstract infinite numbers -- numbers that can only be represented through abstract mathematical formulations such as infinite series -- geometric or arithmetic. They also seemed to be familiar with polynomial equations (again essential in advanced astronomy) and were the inventors of the modern numeral system (incorrectly referred to as the Arabic numeral system in Europe).
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The conception of the sun-god in Indian tales is of value to the student of ancient Indian military history. The idea is that the sun-god wants to destroy darkness. Therefore he dons a lustrous armor and marching in his swift flying chariot drawn by seven powerful steads, Aruna (dawn) being his charioteer. The whole image presents a life-like portrait of the military dress as well as the march against an enemy.
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