The history of science is incomplete without exposing the immense contributions of the ancient Hindus who labelled all sciences as sacred and believed that a person could achieve mokṣa (liberation), the ultimate goal in life, by mastering them. Science was bound to flourish in such a culture and it did reach lofty heights. This book provides a lucid account of many discoveries and fills gaps in the history of science.

The ancient Hindus invented everyday essentials such as our decimal number system with place-value notations, the concept of zero, the binary number system, and many algebraic operations. They defined metallurgical methods of extraction and purification of metals and manufactured the so-called Damascus blade and rust-free Iron Pillar of New Delhi. With their mind–body approach they defined a system of self-improvement, popularly known as yoga and meditation, as well as a system of holistic medicine known as Ayurveda. Prior to the Christian era, Suśruta documented the etiology of more than 1,100 diseases and scores of surgical procedures including the so-called plastic surgery. Āryabhaṭa 1st assigned motion to the Earth and explained the causes of eclipses. Clearly presented and illustrated, Ancient Hindu Science is the perfect source for all students and researchers interested in the development of science in the ancient world.