Elements of South-Indian Palæography, from the Fourth to the Seventeenth Century A.D. c15.36

c15.36

63 — 1. See Chasles "Aperçu historique" (2nd ed.) pp. 456 ff. also his "Histoire de l' Arithmétique" pt. i. p. 9; pt. ii. pp. 1, 2, 15-17 etc. It is impossible now to doubt that the Abacus was in common use long before the introduction of the Arab arithmetic and that value by position formed part of the system. It is remarkable that in the Abacus system the numbers were read from right to left, which is the contrary of the Indian practice, but points to a Semitic origin.