> And...isn't the common system of digits 0123456789 called Arabic numerals because it was invented in the present-day country of Saudi Arabia or somewhere near

> And...isn't the common system of digits 0123456789 called Arabic numerals because it was invented in the present-day country of Saudi Arabia or somewhere nearby? No. The system was invented in India and the actual glyphs are probably derived from Bramhi script. > Why would they of all countries use a different system? Because they never used the symbols familiar to Western readers as Arabic numerals in the first place.