The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c15.s1.5

c15.s1.5

Such are the facts, but there has been an extraordinary amount of misconception current. According to Hindu tradition the *Sūrya Siddhānta* was composed some millions of years ago.⁴ Bailly, towards the end of the eighteen century, considered that Indian astronomy had been founded on accurate observations made thousands of years before the Christian era. Laplace, basing his arguments on figures given by Bailly, decided, that some 3,000 years B.C., the Indian astronomers had recorded observations of the planets correct to one second; Playfair⁵ supported Bailly's views; Sir William Jones argued that correct observations must have been made as early as 1181 B.C.; and so on; but, with the researches of Bentley, Colebrooke, Weber, Whitney, Thibaut and others, more correct views were introduced; and it has long been known that the figures used by Bailly are comparatively modern.