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  • Ancient India's Engineering Skills

    Ankita Katdare

    Administrator

    Updated: Oct 26, 2024
    Views: 1.2K
    The guys at BBC take you on a ride to see what India had hundreds of years ago.
    The narrator aptly begins with, "While we British were still in the stone age, India had developed one of the most advanced civilizations. "

    These guys have recreated Indian technology as they used it in the past, right from plastic surgery to warfare techniques.

    Check out this documentary and share what you feel about it -

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  • Gurjap

    Member • Mar 11, 2012

    Pretty good. Engaging.
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  • Ankita Katdare

    Administrator • Jun 1, 2013

    Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I just stumbled across this one while searching for something. I went through some of the comments that this documentary has attracted on YouTube.

    For example this one -
    Everyone these days is arguing about whether the british did more damage than good in india, well i think any nation that enters another land is going to do both harm and good. for example, i just watched the national geographic's documentry on the History of the Indian railway and i think that is one of the positive things the british have done. The oldest steam locomotive that climbs the himalayas is still operating today. Everyone should watch this doc on Youtube, it will make you fall in love with India!
    I want to know what CEans are thinking about this? What say people?
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  • Gurjap

    Member • Jun 2, 2013

    It was impossible for the British to rule over such an enormous land without solving the inherent logistic problem of being able to transport troops and munitions for large distances quickly. Which is why they formed Indian Railways. This was no gesture of goodwill, nor were the Indians to benefit from it.

    But, an unexpected blessing, I do agree.
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Jun 2, 2013

    Here's one more interesting video that people should see.

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  • Spaceship

    Member • Jun 27, 2013

    People have a tendancy to underestimate the capabilities of ancient civilizations. As has been pointed out in this thread, ancient India was very advanced in engineering and a great many other fields. The same can be said of China, Rome, the Mayans, the Egyptians, and a slew of other civilizations of old I don't have the time to run through right now. People tend to see ancient peoples as primitive and unintelligent, and that isn't the truth. They were just as smart as we are, they just had less established knowlege to work off of than we do.
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  • Anoop Mathew

    Member • Jun 27, 2013

    Interesting read! What's really intriguing is that even the Janthar Mantar is now in ruins. Almost all the ancient artifacts look like they are no longer cared for. India might have a past history, but what do we have in present history to hold as artifacts for the future? I don't think Reliance or Tata or any of the big shots have thought out of the box yet...or have they? We still import tourism because our ancestors had brains to build some stuff worth astonishing? Dubai has changed a lot in the past decade. It's even got a symbol to add to its tourism. It does it in the present. What about India? I might be wrong, but can we recreate a better version of the ancient India at present or do we know only to go abroad and add more glory to foreign countries?

    P.S.: Watch the movie 'Defiance'. Might throw in some light on the value of community.
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  • Anand Tamariya

    Member • Jun 27, 2013

    what do we have in present to hold as artifacts for the future?
    A question worth pondering over...
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  • Rajkiran Sangoju

    Member • Jun 29, 2013

    i think first we should go through the ancient technologies of india...atleast then we will be able to understand our nation.Moreover the major problem is that our ancient language being sanskrit being forgotten nowadays was the means of communication in the past..so first we should think of learning sanskrit or take aid of people who know sanskrit
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  • Anoop Mathew

    Member • Jun 30, 2013

    sangoju
    i think first we should go through the ancient technologies of india...atleast then we will be able to understand our nation. Moreover the major problem is that our ancient language being sanskrit being forgotten nowadays was the means of communication in the past..so first we should think of learning sanskrit or take aid of people who know sanskrit
    How would learning an ancient art develop an already developing country like India? And in what way do you think sanskrit can help to develop the future? We've all adopted to English language internationally, so going back to sanskrit would be like going back to primitive stage. I might be wrong, so please prove your point by elaborating it a little more!
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Jun 30, 2013

    #-Link-Snipped-# : From what I've read, Sanskrit is one of the most grammatically correct languages and a TON of work has been written in it. Those who've studied the language firmly believe that the future of computing, communication would make us want to go to the language.

    Why make a big deal of India's past? Because this is the place on Earth where the most advanced civilisations have thought to have existed. It doesn't mean they should have constructed 'HUGE' buildings [our idea of 'development' and 'progress' is very narrow, you see. We think building great gadgets and taller buildings is 'development']. A great amount of research needs to be done on the knowledge that is already with us, but is invisible to us.

    In the Indian context, however - the concept of 'development' and 'engineering' is simple: Simply copy or import the technologies developed around the world and call them our own. Unless Indians start taking pride in this own history, research it and develop their own stuff (using the existing technologies) then that'd make a difference.
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  • Anoop Mathew

    Member • Jun 30, 2013

    Kaustubh Katdare
    #-Link-Snipped-# : From what I've read, Sanskrit is one of the most grammatically correct languages and a TON of work has been written in it. Those who've studied the language firmly believe that the future of computing, communication would make us want to go to the language.
    Wow! That's something I did not know! Where can I read or explore more about it?

    Why make a big deal of India's past? Because this is the place on Earth where the most advanced civilisations have thought to have existed. It doesn't mean they should have constructed 'HUGE' buildings [our idea of 'development' and 'progress' is very narrow, you see. We think building great gadgets and taller buildings is 'development']. A great amount of research needs to be done on the knowledge that is already with us, but is invisible to us.
    The past is supposed to pave way for the future. Embracing technology from other countries has good points too. This could make us more stable and equipped for research. If some American dudes had not found and developed the computer, we would not be even discussing about it now. Unless Indians stop thinking and start doing, our country would suffer for it. We've researched a lot. But the outcome is that even our researchers don't stay in primitive India but fly away and make big bucks for foreigners. What happened to Pranav Mistry's gesture recognition system and sixth sense technology? Why do we see the likes of it now on Samsung and Windows tablets even before we could see it on a phone designed in India?

    Verdict: Building infrastructure and development of India is directly proportional to bringing back our top notch brains to India.

    In the Indian context, however - the concept of 'development' and 'engineering' is simple: Simply copy or import the technologies developed around the world and call them our own. Unless Indians start taking pride in this own history, research it and develop their own stuff (using the existing technologies) then that'd make a difference.
    Take the good of everything around you and make the best use of it. It's just common sense and defintely a development of common sense. Would you use your blunt axe to cut firewood or go and buy a stronger axe or lumberjack for it now? - so what if its Made in China? - it can still cut wood and save precious time! Don't think anyone uses a bullock cart today for the sake of remembering old roots. More examples: trains, air planes, etc. Even fighter jets. Technology has come from all around the globe in front of our foot steps, but what matters is how and have we used it yet to it's fullest extent to develop ourselves and research more???
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Jun 30, 2013

    It all just boils down to having a good government, you see 😉
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  • Anoop Mathew

    Member • Jun 30, 2013

    Kaustubh Katdare
    It all just boils down to having a good government, you see 😉
    Are you suggesting that the future of India should have engineers stepping up to politics in each and every state? Sounds like a good clean up would be required. Maybe engineering plus MBA and good knowledge about laws of India would set as a good trilogy for selecting politicians.
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Jun 30, 2013

    MBA is over-rated. 'Management' cannot be taught. It's to be learned by being on the field. Period.

    Engineers themselves would only create technology and put science to use. But the way Governments, Countries and Financing works; a good governor with a vision is all it takes.
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  • Rajkiran Sangoju

    Member • Jul 3, 2013

    anoopthefriend
    Wow! That's something I did not know! Where can I read or explore more about it?



    The past is supposed to pave way for the future. Embracing technology from other countries has good points too. This could make us more stable and equipped for research. If some American dudes had not found and developed the computer, we would not be even discussing about it now. Unless Indians stop thinking and start doing, our country would suffer for it. We've researched a lot. But the outcome is that even our researchers don't stay in primitive India but fly away and make big bucks for foreigners. What happened to Pranav Mistry's gesture recognition system and sixth sense technology? Why do we see the likes of it now on Samsung and Windows tablets even before we could see it on a phone designed in India?

    Verdict: Building infrastructure and development of India is directly proportional to bringing back our top notch brains to India.



    Take the good of everything around you and make the best use of it. It's just common sense and defintely a development of common sense. Would you use your blunt axe to cut firewood or go and buy a stronger axe or lumberjack for it now? - so what if its Made in China? - it can still cut wood and save precious time! Don't think anyone uses a bullock cart today for the sake of remembering old roots. More examples: trains, air planes, etc. Even fighter jets. Technology has come from all around the globe in front of our foot steps, but what matters is how and have we used it yet to it's fullest extent to develop ourselves and research more???
    Development must never be in a way of dectruction. Even i agree about taking good from around us but first we should know about our own nation's technology. Even think about Vedas (a techincally sound book, which is in Sanskrit language)
    Our early saints are Scientists in real😀
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