Ancient Civilizations: China and India

Ancient China

• Chuko Liang, a general, is credited with inventing the wheelbarrow, which was used to transport supplies and injured soldiers.
• Lacquer, a clear coating, was used to protect and enhance works of art and furniture.
• Paper money was developed and used in China during the Tang dynasty.

Ancient India

• Early civilization in India emerged in river valleys, specifically the Indus River valley.
• The Indus River civilization flourished for hundreds of miles, extending from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea coast.
• Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were two major cities in India, carefully planned with buildings constructed from oven-baked mud bricks in a square pattern.
• Harappa had an estimated population of 35,000 inhabitants.
• Mohenjo-Daro had an estimated population between 35,000 and 45,000 inhabitants.

Astronomy and Mathematics in India

• Aryabhata, an Indian mathematician and astronomer, presented an astronomical and mathematical system in 500 AD.
• Aryabhata's system posited that the Earth rotates on its axis and that planets orbit the sun in elliptical paths.
• Aryabhata made accurate approximations of the Earth's circumference and diameter.
• He was also credited with discovering how lunar and solar eclipses occur.
• Aryabhata's Heliocentric theory of gravitation predated Nicolaus Copernicus by almost 1000 years.

India in Space

• Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel to outer space in 1984.

Hindu Calendar

• Hindus use a system of 27 or 28 Nakshatras (lunar constellations) to calculate a month.
• A Hindu month is divided into 30 lunar tithis (days).
• A Hindu year typically has 360 or 366 days.