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1. What is the period under discussion? It seems to jump around. From 12 century BC to Al Biruni's time. 2. > And they owe quite a bit to interaction with the

1. What is the period under discussion? It seems to jump around. From 12 century BC to Al Biruni's time. 2. > And they owe quite a bit to interaction with the Greeks though patriots might not want to admit it. Yes, it is hand wavy statement without specifying the period of interaction. This is as bad as the "patriots" (who are non existent except as bogeymen in this thread, lol. Maybe this makes sense if you are a Greek patriot. ) I always assumed it is not rude to ask for academic references. (I am even scared to ask for references here lol.) Eurocentrism is a real thing but I did try to search for any refs.

jaldhar 4y ago
The period I am referring to is from Alexander’s invasion of India to the height of the Roman Empire. That the siddhantas are influenced by Greek is obvious to anyone who has examined them. E.g. one is called Romaka Siddhanta. Another, Paulisha Siddhanta is a literal translation of Paulus of Alexandrias’ commentary on the Syntaxis of Ptolemy. The considerable advances Indians made in mathematics in e.g. Ganesh Daivajna or Nilakantha Somayaji etc. are comparatively later say 13th to 16th century. There’s an unfortunate tendency amongst some people to get all defensive about the idea that things may not have been invented in India but why? Yes we borrowed from the Greeks but we took their system and made it better. That’s reason enough for pride. Nowadays I read Sanskrit original sources only so I’m not entirely up to date with the academic literature I’m afraid.
- anukin 4y ago
  There was no invasion of India by Alexander. He barely crossed modern day Pakistan and parts of Punjab before heading back. Magadha was still untouched and so where all southern kingdoms. India is not Delhi and adjacent areas of Delhi which speak Hindi. As for rest of your comment, I don’t know enough to comment on it. On cursory reading it seems you are right and thank you for this information.
  - coldtea 4y ago
    >There was no invasion of India by Alexander. He barely crossed modern day Pakistan and parts of Punjab before heading back. Modern day Pakistan was then-day Indian civilization. And he had established several cities there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhism >India is not Delhi and adjacent areas of Delhi which speak Hindi. Don't have to be the whole of India. Just to be part of it. That's like saying someone who went to a tour of New England didn't visited the United States, because "New England is not the US".

jaldhar 4y ago

The period I am referring to is from Alexander’s invasion of India to the height of the Roman Empire. That the siddhantas are influenced by Greek is obvious to anyone who has examined them. E.g. one is called Romaka Siddhanta. Another, Paulisha Siddhanta is a literal translation of Paulus of Alexandrias’ commentary on the Syntaxis of Ptolemy. The considerable advances Indians made in mathematics in e.g. Ganesh Daivajna or Nilakantha Somayaji etc. are comparatively later say 13th to 16th century. There’s an unfortunate tendency amongst some people to get all defensive about the idea that things may not have been invented in India but why? Yes we borrowed from the Greeks but we took their system and made it better. That’s reason enough for pride. Nowadays I read Sanskrit original sources only so I’m not entirely up to date with the academic literature I’m afraid.

anukin 4y ago
There was no invasion of India by Alexander. He barely crossed modern day Pakistan and parts of Punjab before heading back. Magadha was still untouched and so where all southern kingdoms. India is not Delhi and adjacent areas of Delhi which speak Hindi. As for rest of your comment, I don’t know enough to comment on it. On cursory reading it seems you are right and thank you for this information.
- coldtea 4y ago
  >There was no invasion of India by Alexander. He barely crossed modern day Pakistan and parts of Punjab before heading back. Modern day Pakistan was then-day Indian civilization. And he had established several cities there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhism >India is not Delhi and adjacent areas of Delhi which speak Hindi. Don't have to be the whole of India. Just to be part of it. That's like saying someone who went to a tour of New England didn't visited the United States, because "New England is not the US".