Question K: India

K. If all of the world´s cultural heritage (sports, music, fashion, architecture, literature, painting, etc..) was

contained in a time capsule, what would you include to demonstrate the legacy of your country?

IE International MBA: April ´14 Intake

by Punardeep Chopra

I come from the beautiful subcontinent of India, a country whose contribution to mankind is

unmeasurable. In the following slides I will try to summarize our contribution to human history, and try to choose few examples that have shaped India, Asia and

the world as we know it today.

Index

These are some interesting facts, but let´s learn more!

Did you know...?

- Would you say mathematics are important in human history? The most basic concept in mathematics, the concept of zero, absence of anything, was first introduced in India!

- Spanish, English, Italian, French... they all derive from Latin. But did you know that most Indo European languages derive from Sanskrit? Many words in English are from Sanskrit!

- In the 5th century, an Indian estimated the time it takes the earth to go around the sun: 365,21 days. 10 centuries before it could be tested!

- India was under the British Empire from 1858 to 1947, when it declared its independence on August 15h (Independence Day in India)

- Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian philosopher, is considered one of the best thinkers, philosophers, writers, and artists of 20th century.

- In the 6th century, some writings talk about a never ending number, that is present in the nature in many forms. It was what it later would be known as Pi.

Literature: Mahabharata (I)

The Mahabharata and Ramayana are the two essential books of Indian literature. They are written in Sanskrit (the old Indian language).

Both are written in the form of poems, and are considered the longest poems known till now.

Their origins date in the 9th century BC. I´ll focus on the Mahabharata, and in it´s importance from different points of view.

It tells the story of the Kurukshetra war, and the role two princes (Kaurava and Pandava) from the same Royal family, played in it.

The Mahabharata contains the basic philosophy, theology, social and moral values of the Hindu culture. It´s importance is compared to that of the Bible.

Literature: Mahabharata (II)

The Mahabharata is one of first known books. The actual society is a consequence of the society described in the poem, social values we respect now are explained as well. It´s been used in war and business for strategies described in it. The illustrations enclosed in it show how was the world in that moment. The importance of Mahabharata is unmeasurable, and has an effect on every single aspect of world, as known now. Literature nowadays can´t be explained without this book.

Literature: Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was a poet, mathematician, physicist, writer, painter, philosopher, and many more, that had a great impact on Indian literature. He was the first non European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Most of his work is in Bengali, though has had an impact on worldwide poetry. He had major impact on world history: his works are considered relevant in each of the fields he studied, being literature the one he focused one throughout his life.

Literature: Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore is the writer of the Indian national anthem, awarded as the most inspirational anthem worldwide

Architecture: Taj Mahal (I)

Architecture: Taj Mahal (II)

The Taj Mahal is the most iconic piece of art from India. It´s considered one of the 7 wonders of the world, and the UNESCO has included it into World Heritage Sites. Actually, what we see in the pictures is a small part of the complex Shah Jahan ordered in memory of his late wife in the 17th century. It´s construction took around 30 years, though there is some controversy about this.

The Taj was restored in the beginning of the 20th century, by the British Empire, as it had been badly affected by the wars that took place in India in the 19th century. The restoration was made respecting the original construction, but still it wasn´t completely identical.

The Taj Mahal is the most important creation of the Mughal architecture, a style that is a combination of Persian, Turkish, Indian and Islamic architectures. In only one building it is possible to admire the heritage of four different cultures, making it even more important.

Architects all around the world visit the Taj, attracted by its beauty and perfection, unimaginable in the time it was built. It´s importance goes beyond it´s actual beauty, it´s a statement of the capabilities of the work done in architecture in India. It is, for sure, one of the most iconic buildings of the world, and easily identifiable everywhere.

Architecture: Red Fort (I)

Architecture: Red Fort (II)

Mathematics: Algebra and Zero

Algebra is the most basic and elemental field of study in human history. Astronomy, astrophysics, geology, architecture, physics, mathematics, and almost all fields of knowledge are directly related to algebra in their foundations

Algebra started in Greece, but it was in India where it acquired its basic theorems (sometime around 600 BC), and also acquired the symbols that hadn´t been used till then

Indians introduced the number zero, which completed Algebra´s theorems. In 498 BC Aryabhata introduced Zero as a number, concept of absence of anything. He also established the decimal notation used now. As well, Aryabhata explained a way to solve quadratic equations, quite similar to the one used now

In India merchants used for the first time negative numbers to explain debts.

Algebra and Zero are the most basic elements in human history. In order to understand our history, it´s crucial to understand how we understand physics, astronomy, mathematics, geology, and other fields, and these can´t be explained without the symbols and theorems of algebra and the number zero.

Music: Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar is considered the best Indian musician. Often referred as Pandit (a religious concept, reserved for certain people only), he was a virtuous sitar player. He was a composer, performer and singer that became famous all over the world for his talent.

Sports: Martial Arts

India has a clear influence on all kind of sports, as the spirit of sports is explained in the Vedas. Motivation needed in sports is what the Vedas try to acquire through meditation and self discipline

Conclusions

IE International MBA: April ´14 Intake

by Punardeep Chopra