History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c39.2

v1.c39.2

The complete history of such a vast indefinite period, for a vast sub-continent with ill-defined geographical borders, such as India, is yet to be written. It is doubtful whether such a ‘complete’ history would ever be written. A ‘concise’ history of Indian science in the ancient period, compiled by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), has merely provided conceptual framework for further investigations and elaborations. The said compilation could not separately deliberate on ‘technology’ which we define as applied sciences related to natural and synthetic materials; nor could it adequately touch upon the philosophical and social factors. Evidently these topics were left for future deliberations (Chattopadhyaya, 1986)¹.