India : Cultural

 India : Cultural

We will review the cultural achievements of India between 300 BC and 800 AD in this post .

Language and literature :

 Abundant literature was produced in Sanskrit and the regional languages during this period . Ashvaghosha wrote the famous poetic work ' Buddha charit ' . The Sanskrit play ' Swapna - vasavadattam ' written by Bhasa is well - known . The ' Manusmriti ' was composed during this period . This period also witnessed the composition of Patanjali's ' Mahabhashya ' , Bharatmuni's ' Natya - shastra ' . the Buddhist scriptures " Tipitaka ' and the Jain scriptures " Agama ' .

The epics " Mahabharata " and " Ramayana ' are world famous . We get a lot of information about the social life in that period through these Sanskrit epics . The ' Bhagavad - gita ' , a sacred text of the Hindus , is a part of the Mahabharata . It teaches us that each one of us should carry out their duties without expecting material gains . The Gita also tells us that bhakti or devotion is the way to salvation which is open to all .

The renowned Sanskrit poet and playwright Kalidasa belongs to this period . His play ' Shakuntala ' and the poetical work ' Meghadoota ' are very well - known . Other famous works composed during this period are " Mudra - rakshasa ' of Vishakhadatta , " Mricchakatika of Shudraka and " Harsha - charit ' , a biography by Banabhatta . Vishnu Sharma's ' Panch - tantra ' is popular even today .

Medicine : 

Charak - Samhita written by Charak is a well - known text in Indian medicine . It contains detailed information about clinical diagnosis and pharmacy . The famous surgeon Sushruta has given information about surgery in his treatise . Vagbhata has written books on medicine that discuss symptoms and treatment of various diseases . Siddha Nagarjuna , in his book " Rasa - ratnakara " describes various chemicals , metals in their pure form , chemical processes , etc.

Mathematics and astronomy : 

The contribution of Indians is very significant in the field of mathematics . Indians were the first to use the numerals 1 to 9 and the number ' O ' . They invented the concept of the decimal system in which the value of a numeral changes according to its decimal place . The Indian mathematician Aryabhatta made the use of such numbers common . His books include formulae for many mathematical operations like finding the square root and the cube root , finding the area , etc. Aryabhatta was also an astronomer . He stated that the earth revolves round the sun . Varahamihira and Brahmagupta were also mathematicians and astronomers of great repute .

Adi Shankaracharya : 

Adi Shankaracharya maintained that what was important in the Vedic religion was the philosophy and not the rituals . Through a combination of devotion , chaste behaviour and rationality , he gave a new form to the Vedic religion . He travelled throughout India for this purpose . He wrote treatises , commentaries on the Brahmasutra , Gita , etc for the spread of the Vedic philosophy .

Education : 

Many centres of education emerged during this period . The most noteworthy among them were Takshashila . Varanasi , Valabhi , Vikramsheela , Nalanda and Kanchi . These were universities where subjects like philosophy , grammar , logic , medicine were taught . The fame of Nalanda had spread fur and wide . Students came to this university even from foreign countries . Students seeking admission to this university had to appear for an entrance examination . This great university could accommodate as many as ten thousand students at a time .

Art and architecture :

 Indian architecture flourished from the Maurya period onwards and reached its apex during the Gupta period . Many structures such as stupas , cave - sculptures , viharas , temples and pillars were raised . Emperor Ashoka builta stupa at Sanchi , which was later re - built by the Shunga and Satavahana kings . Here , episodes from the life of Gautama Buddha and the Jataka stories are engraved on the entrance gates .

A stupe at Sanchi

The Buddhist chaitya - griha and vihara at Karla in Maharashtra are remarkable . Similar Buddhist cave - sculptures were carved in the Nashik and Junnar areas , too . The Ajanta caves contain statues of the Buddha and colourful frescos . Events from Gautama Buddha's life are depicted in these paintings . The Kailas temple from among the Ellora caves is world - famous . The Elephanta caves on the Gharapuri island near Mumbai house a majestic Shankara idol known as ' Sadashiv '

Metallurgy : 

The iron pillar at Mehrauli near Delhi is an excellent specimen of the metallurgical skill of the Gupta period . This seven metre high pillar is rust - free even after hundreds of years today . In ancient India , statues were made by casting in copper and bronze .