History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.179

v6.c82.179

744a Vide 'Journal of Near Eastern Studies' vol. IV. at p 30 (Prof. Neugebauer on 'History of Ancient Astronomy'). Whitney also (Sūrya-siddhānta in J. A. O. S. vol. VI p. 474-75) suggested that it was pre-Ptolemaic astronomy that was transmitted to India and Prof. Neugebauer, relying *(Continued from last page)* only on a few translated Sanskrit texts, probably repeats what Whitney suggested without any substantial evidence. Prof Neugebauer in J A O. S. vol. 70 (1950) p 7 admits that scholars are very far from a real insight into the development of Hellenistic astronomy before Ptolemy. In his review of the work on Indian studies by Professors Renou and Filhozat Prof. Neugebauer seems to hold that the discussion of Greek influence on Hindu astronomy and mathematics is of very little interest, since most of the Greek material was well known in Mesopotamia in the middle of the 2nd millenium B. C. and might have spread from Mesopotamia towards the east (vide 'Archives Internationales d'Histoire des Sciences' for April-June 1955 at p. 170).