Indian_Invention

Inventions • Autocannon and multi-barrel gun: Fathullah Shirazi (c. 1582), a Persian-Indian polymath and mechanical engineer who worked for Akbar in the Mughal Empire, invented the autocannon, the earliest multi-shot gun. Shirazi's rapid-firing gun had multiple gun barrels that fired hand cannons loaded with gunpowder.Bag (2005) • Bangle: Bangles—made from shell, copper, bronze, gold, agate, chalcedony etc.—have been excavated from multiple archaeological sites throughout India.Ghosh (1990), page 224 A figurine of a dancing girl—wearing bangles on her left arm— has been excavated from Mohenjo-daro (2600 BCE).Ghosh (1990), page 83 Other early examples of bangles in India include copper samples from the excavations at Mahurjhari—soon followed by the decorated bangles belonging to the Mauryan empire (322–185 BCE) and the gold bangle samples from the historic site of Taxila (6th century BCE). Decorated shell bangles have also been excavated from multiple Mauryan sites. Other features included copper rivets and gold-leaf inlay in some cases. • Bhatnagar-Mathur Magnetic Interference Balance: Invented jointly by Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and K.N. Mathur in 1928, the so-called 'Bhatnagar-Mathur Magnetic Interference Balance' was a modern instrument used for measuring various magnetic properties. The first appearance of this instrument in Europe was at a Royal Society exhibition in London, where it was later marketed by British firm Messers Adam Hilger and Co, London.Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. Vigyan Prasar: Government of India. • Bounce lighting: Invented by cinematographer Subrata Mitra for The Apu Trilogy, three Bengali films by parallel Indian film director Satyajit Ray from 1955 to 1959.{{cite web|title=Subrata Mitra|publisher=Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers|url=http://www.cinematographers.nl/GreatDoPh/mitra.htm|accessdate=2009-05-22}}{{citation|title=Revisiting Satyajit Ray: An Interview with a Cinema Master|first=Bert|last=Cardullo|journal=Bright Lights Film Journal|issue=50|year=2005|date=November 2005|url=http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/50/rayiv.htm|accessdate=2009-05-24}} • Bow drill: The bow drill appeared in Mehrgarh between 4th-5th millennium BCE. It was used to drill holes into lapis lazuli and cornelian and was made of green jasper.Kulke, Hermann & Rothermund, Dietmar (2004). A History of India. Routledge. 22. ISBN 0-415-32920-5. Similar drills were found in other parts of the Indus Valley Civilization and Iran one millennium later. • Button: Buttons—made from seashell—were used in the Indus Valley Civilization for ornamental purposes by 2000 BCE.Hesse, Rayner W. & Hesse (Jr.), Rayner W. (2007). Jewelrymaking Through History: An Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. 35. ISBN 0-313-33507-9. Some buttons were carved into geometric shapes and had holes pieced into them so that they could attached to clothing by using a thread. Ian McNeil (1990) holds that: "The button, in fact, was originally used more as an ornament than as a fastening, the earliest known being found at Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley. It is made of a curved shell and about 5000 years old."McNeil, Ian (1990). An encyclopaedia of the history of technology. Taylor & Francis. 852. ISBN 0-415-01306-2. • Calico: Calico had originated in India by the 11th century and found mention in Indian literature by the 12th when writer Hemacandra mentioned calico fabric prints done in a lotus design.Encyclopedia Britannica (2008). calico The Indian textile merchants traded in calico with the Africans by the 15th century and calico fabrics from Gujarat appeared in Egypt. Trade with Europe followed from the 17th century onwards. Within India, calico originated in Calicut. • Carding, devices for: Historian of science Joseph Needham ascribes the invention of bow-instruments used in textile technology to India. The earliest evidence for using bow-instruments for carding comes from India (2nd century CE). These carding devices, called kaman and dhunaki would loosen the texture of the fiber by the means of a vibrating string. • Chess: The precursors of chess originated in India during the Gupta dynasty (c. 280 - 550 CE).Murray (1913)Forbes (1860)Jones, William (1807). "On the Indian Game of Chess". pages 323-333Linde, Antonius (1981) Both the Persians and Arabs ascribe the origins of the game of Chess to the Indians.Wilkinson, Charles K (May 1943)Bird (1893), page 63 The words for "chess" in Old Persian and Arabic are chatrang and shatranj respectively — terms derived from caturaá¹…ga in Sanskrit,Hooper & Whyld (1992), page 74Sapra, Rahul (2000). "Sports in India". Students' Britannica India (Vol. 6). Mumbai: Popular Prakashan. p. 106. ISBN 0-85229-762-9. which literally means an army of four divisions or four corps.Meri (2005), page 148Basham (2001), page 208 Chess spread throughout the world and many variants of the game soon began taking shape.Encyclopedia Britannica (2002). Chess: Ancient precursors and related games. This game was introduced to the Near East from India and became a part of the princely or courtly education of Persian nobility. Buddhist pilgrims, Silk Road traders and others carried it to the Far East where it was transformed and assimilated into a game often played on the intersection of the lines of the board rather than within the squares. Chaturanga reached Europe through Persia, the Byzantine empire and the expanding Arabian empire.Encyclopedia Britannica (2007). Chess: Introduction to Europe. Muslims carried chess to North Africa, Sicily, and Spain by the 10th century. • Chintz: The origin of Chintz is from the printed all cotton fabric of calico in India.Encyclopedia Britannica (2008). chintz The origin of the word chintz itself is from the Hindi language word चितà¥'रà¥' (chitr) , which means a spot.HÄ'ṇá¸'Ä' (1998), page 133 • Coherer, iron and mercury: In 1899, the Bengali physicist Jagdish Chandra Bose announced the development of an "iron-mercury-iron coherer with telephone detector" in a paper presented at the Royal Society, London.Bondyopadhyay (1988) He also later received {{US patent|755840}}, "Detector for electrical disturbances" (1904), for a specific electromagnetic receiver. • Cockfighting: Cockfighting was a pastime in the Indus Valley Civilization by 2000 BC.Sherman, David M. (2002). Tending Animals in the Global Village. Blackwell Publishing. 46. ISBN 0-683-18051-7. The Encyclopedia Britannica (2008)—on the origins of cockfighting—holds: "The game fowl is probably the nearest to the Indian red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), from which all domestic chickens are believed to be descended...The sport was popular in ancient times in India, China, Persia, and other Eastern countries and was introduced into Greece in the time of Themistocles (c. 524–460 BCE). The sport spread throughout Asia Minor and Sicily. For a long time the Romans affected to despise this "Greek diversion," but they ended up adopting it so enthusiastically that the agricultural writer Columella (1st century AD) complained that its devotees often spent their whole patrimony in betting at the side of the pit."Cockfighting. Encyclopedia Britannica 2008 • Corrosion-resistant iron: The first corrosion-resistant iron was used to erect the Iron pillar of Delhi, which has withstood corrosion for over 1,600 years.R. Balasubramaniam (2000), On the Corrosion Resistance of the Delhi Iron Pillar, Corrosion Science 42: 2103-29 • Cotton Gin: The Ajanta caves of India yield evidence of a single roller cotton gin in use by the 5th century CE.Baber (1996), page 56 This cotton gin was used in India until innovations were made in form of foot powered gins. The cotton gin was invented in India as a mechanical device known as charkhi, more technically the "wooden-worm-worked roller". This mechanical device was, in some parts of India, driven by water power.Baber (1996), page 57 • Crescograph: The crescograph, a device for measuring growth in plants, was invented in the early 20th century by the Bengali scientist Jagdish Chandra Bose.{{cite web|url=http://www.edsanders.com/bose|title=Jagadis Bose Research on Measurement of Plant Growth|accessdate=2008-08-05}}Geddes, pages 173-176 • Crucible steel: Perhaps as early as 300 BCE—although certainly by 200 CE—high quality steel was being produced in southern India also by what Europeans would later call the crucible technique.Juleff 1996 In this system, high-purity wrought iron, charcoal, and glass were mixed in a crucible and heated until the iron melted and absorbed the carbon. The first crucible steel was the wootz steel that originated in India before the beginning of the common era. Archaeological evidence suggests that this manufacturing process was already in existence in South India well before the Christian era. • Dentistry, dental drill, and dental surgery: The Indus Valley Civilization has yielded evidence of dentistry being practiced as far back as 7000 BCE.Coppa, A. et al. This earliest form of dentistry involved curing tooth related disorders with bow drills operated, perhaps, by skilled bead craftsmen.BBC (2006). Stone age man used dentist drill. The reconstruction of this ancient form of dentistry showed that the methods used were reliable and effective.MSNBC (2008). Dig uncovers ancient roots of dentistry. • Diamond Gemstones: Early diamonds used as gemstones originated in India.Wenk, pages 535-539 Golconda served as an important center for diamonds in central India. Diamonds then were exported to other parts of the world, including Europe. Early references to diamonds in India come from Sanskrit texts.MSN Encarta (2007). Diamond. Archived 2009-11-01. India remained the only major source of diamonds in the world until the discovery of diamonds in Brazil.Lee, page 685 The Arthashastra of Kautilya mentions diamond trade in India. Buddhist works dating from the 4th century BC mention it as a well-known and precious stone but don't mention the details of diamond cutting. Another Indian description written at the beginning of the 3rd century describes strength, regularity, brilliance, ability to scratch metals, and good refractive properties as the desirable qualities of a diamond.Dickinson, pages 1-3 A Chinese work from the 3rd century BC mentions: "Foreigners wear it in the belief that it can ward off evil influences". The Chinese, who did not find diamonds in their country, initially did not use diamond as a jewel but used as a "jade cutting knife". • Dice: The dice is attributed to India by some accounts.Robinson & Estes (1996), page 34Lowie (2007), page 162Nejat (1998), page 165 Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of oblong dice have been found in Harrapan sites such as Kalibangan, Lothal, Ropar, Alamgirpur, Desalpur and surrounding territories, some dating back to the third millennium BCE, which were used for gambling.Brown (1964), page 34"Games and Amusement: Dice". Encyclopedia of Indian Archaeology edited by A. Ghosh (1990), 1: 178-179, Brill Academic Publishers, ISBN 90-04-09264-1Varadpande (2005), pages 156-157 The oblong or cubical dice (aká¹£a) is the precursor of the more primitive vibhÄ«á¹£aka—small, hard nuts drawn randomly to obtain factors of a certain integer.Basham (2001), pages 207-208 Dicing is believed to have later spread westwards to Persia, influencing Persian board games."Backgammon". Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia Volume 1, A-K index. Edited by Meri, Josef W (2006). London: Routledge. p. 88. ISBN 0-415-96690-6 Early references to dicing can be found in the Ṛg Veda (c. early 2nd millennium BCE)Ṛg Veda, Book 10, 34Basham (2001), pages 207 & 403-405 as well as the newer Atharva Veda (c. late 2nd millennium ~ early 1st millennium BCE).Brown (1964)Atharva Veda 2.3; 4.38; 6.118; 7.52; 7.109 • Dike: Dikes were known to be widely used in the Indus valley civilization,McIntosh (2007), page 14Koppel (2007), page 217 which are believed to be the first dikes in the world, built as early as the 1st millennium BCE. This was the same period when the dockyard at Lothal was in operation. The use of dikes became known from then onwards. • Dock (maritime): The world's first dock at Lothal (2400 BCE) was located away from the main current to avoid deposition of silt. Modern oceanographers have observed that the Harappans must have possessed great knowledge relating to tides in order to build such a dock on the ever-shifting course of the Sabarmati, as well as exemplary hydrography and maritime engineering. This was the earliest known dock found in the world, equipped to berth and service ships.Rao, pages 27–28 It is speculated that Lothal engineers studied tidal movements, and their effects on brick-built structures, since the walls are of kiln-burnt bricks. This knowledge also enabled them to select Lothal's location in the first place, as the Gulf of Khambhat has the highest tidal amplitude and ships can be sluiced through flow tides in the river estuary. The engineers built a trapezoidal structure, with north-south arms of average 21.8 metres (71.5 ft), and east-west arms of 37 metres (121 ft).Rao, pages 28–29 • Dyeing: Early evidence of dyeing comes from India where a piece of cotton dyed with a vegetable dye has been recovered from the archaeological site at Mohenjo-daro (3rd millennium BCE).Bhardwaj, H.C. & Jain, K.K., "Indian Dyes and Industry During 18th-19th Century", Indian Journal of History of Science, 17 (11): 70-81, New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy. The dye used in this case was madder, which, along with other dyes—such as Indigo—was introduced to other regions through trade. Contact with Alexander the Great, who had successfully used dyeing for military camouflage, may have further helped aid the spread of dyeing from India. Within India these dyes have found consistent mention in Indian literature and in some cases have been excavated in archaeological findings. Dyes in India were a commodity of both Internal trade and exports. Indian exports of Indigo alone reached nearly 15, 097, 622 pounds in 1887-88 with the principle markets being the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and Egypt. • Furnace: The earliest furnace was excavated at Balakot, a site of the Indus Valley Civilization, dating back to its mature phase (c. 2500-1900 BCE). The furnace was most likely used for the manufacturing of ceramic objects.Dales (1974) • Hookah: The invention of the modern Hookah is attributed to Hakim Abul Fateh Gilani (c. 1580 CE), who was a physician in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar (1542 - 1605 CE).Rousselet (1875), page 290Sivaramakrishnan (2001), pages 4-5Blechynden (1905), page 215 Following the European introduction of tobacco to India, Gilani raised concerns after smoking tobacco became popular among Indian noblemen, and subsequently envisaged a system which allowed smoke to be passed through water in order to be 'purified'. Gilani invented the Hookah after Asad Beg, then ambassador of Bijapur, encouraged Akbar to take up smoking. Following popularity among noblemen, this new device for smoking soon became a status symbol for the Indian affluent. • Hospital: Brahmanic hospitals were established in what is now Sri Lanka as early as 431 BCE. The Indian emperor Ashoka (ruled from 273 BCE to 232 BCE) himself established a chain of hospitals throughout the Mauryan empire (322–185 BCE) by 230 BCE.Piercey & Scarborough (2008) One of the edicts of Ashoka (272—231 BCE) reads: "Everywhere King Piyadasi (Asoka) erected two kinds of hospitals, hospitals for people and hospitals for animals. Where there were no healing herbs for people and animals, he ordered that they be bought and planted." • Incense clock: Although popularly associated with China the incense clock is believed to have originated in India, at least in its fundamental form if not function.Schafer (1963), pages 160-161Bedini (1994), pages 69-80 Early incense clocks found in China between the 6th and 8th century CE—the period it appeared in China all seem to have DevanÄ'garÄ« carvings on them instead of Chinese seal characters. Incense itself was introduced to China from India in the early centuries CE, along with the spread of Buddhism by travelling monks.Bedini (1994), page 25Seiwert (2003), page 96Kumar, Yukteshwar (2005), page 65 Edward Schafer asserts that incense clocks were probably an Indian invention, transmitted to China, which explains the DevanÄ'garÄ« inscriptions on early incense clocks found in China. Silvio Bedini on the other hand asserts that incense clocks were derived in part from incense seals mentioned in Tantric Buddhist scriptures, which first came to light in China after those scriptures from India were translated into Chinese, but holds that the time-telling function of the seal was incorporated by the Chinese. • India ink, carbonaceous pigment for: The source of the carbon pigment used in India ink was India.Gottsegen, page 30.Smith, J. A. (1992), page 23 In India, the carbon black from which India ink is produced is obtained by burning bones, tar, pitch, and other substances."India ink", Encyclopædia Britannica, 2008 Ink itself has been used in India since at least the 4th century BC. Masi, an early ink in India was an admixture of several chemical components.Banerji, page 673 Indian documents written in Kharosthi with ink have been unearthed in Xinjiang.Sircar, page 206 The practice of writing with ink and a sharp pointed needle was common in ancient South India.Sircar, page 62 Several Jain sutras in India were compiled in ink.Sircar, page 67 • Indian clubs: The Indian club—which appeared in Europe during the 18th century—was used long by India's native soldiery before its introduction to Europe.Todd, Jan (1995). From Milo to Milo: A History of Barbells, Dumbells, and Indian Clubs. Accessed in September 2008. Hosted on the LA84 Foundation Sports Library. During the British Raj the British officers in India performed calisthenic exercises with clubs to keep in for physical conditioning. From Britain the use of club swinging spread to the rest of the world. • Interferometer, lateral shear: Invented by M.V.R.K. Murty, a Lateral Shear Interferometer utilizes a laser source for measuring refractive index.Shukla, page 20 The principle of the Murty Interferometer is: 'when a parallel plate of glass receives a collimated laser beam at an oblique angle, the reflections from front and back of the plate are always separated by a certain amount of shear depending on thickness and refractive index of the glass plate and angle of incidence of the beam. An interference fringe of uniform intensity is obtained in the common area of two laterally sheared beams. When a wedged plate of a few arc seconds instead of parallel plates is used as a shearing plate such as its apex of wedge lies in the horizontal plane, a set of straight fringes parallel to the horizontal direction are formed for the well collimated laser beam. The interferometer is insensitive to vibrations and therefore the fringes are stable even without isolation table.'Shukla, page 21 The schematic diagram for measuring refractive index of liquids or solids by using the Murty Interferometer is given in this figure. The laser interferometer did not require any optical path compensation. • Iron: Iron was developed in the Vedic period of India, around the same time as, but independently of, Anatolia and the Caucasus. Archaeological sites in India, such as Malhar, Dadupur, Raja Nala Ka Tila and Lahuradewa in present day Uttar Pradesh show iron implements in the period between 1800 BC—1200 BC.The origins of Iron Working in India: New evidence from the Central Ganga plain and the Eastern Vindhyas by Rakesh Tewari (Director, U.P. State Archaeological Department) Early iron objects found in India can be dated to 1400 BC by employing the method of radiocarbon dating. Spikes, knives, daggers, arrow-heads, bowls, spoons, saucepans, axes, chisels, tongs, door fittings etc. ranging from 600 BC to 200 BC have been discovered from several archaeological sites of India.Marco Ceccarelli (2000). International Symposium on History of Machines and Mechanisms: Proceedings HMM Symposium. Springer. ISBN 0-7923-6372-8. pp 218 Some scholars believe that by the early 13th century BC, iron smelting was practiced on a bigger scale in India, suggesting that the date the technology's inception may be placed earlier. In Southern India (present day Mysore) iron appeared as early as 11th to 12th centuries BC; these developments were too early for any significant close contact with the northwest of the country.I. M. Drakonoff (1991). Early Antiquity. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-14465-8. pp 372 • Iron pillar: The first iron pillar was the Iron pillar of Delhi, erected at the times of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375–413 CE).Balasubramaniam, R., 2002 • Kabaddi: The game of kabaddi originated in India during prehistory.Alter, page 88 Suggestions on how it evolved into the modern form range from wrestling exercises, military drills, and collective self defense but most authorities agree that the game existed in some form or the other in India during the period between 1500-400 BCE. • Ludo: Pachisi originated in India by the 6th century.MSN Encarta (2008). Pachisi. The earliest evidence of this game in India is the depiction of boards on the caves of Ajanta. This game was played by the Mughal emperors of India; a notable example being that of Akbar, who played living Pachisi using girls from his harem.Stephen M. Edwardes and Herbert Garrett; Mughal rule in India, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 1995, 374 pages ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ISBN 81-7156-551-4, 9788171565511 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ From p.288: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pachisi, an ancient Hindu game represented in the caves of Ajanta, is said to ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ have been played by Akbar on the marble squares of a quadrangle in [[Agra ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ fort]] and in the Khas Mahal at Fatehpur Sikri, with young slave girls in ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ place of the coloured pieces. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . A variant of this game, called Ludo, made its way to England during the British Raj. Related Topics: England - British Raj ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ • Muslin: The fabric was named after the city where Europeans first encountered it, Mosul, in what is now Iraq, but the fabric actually originated from Dhaka in what is now Bangladesh.Muslin, Banglapedia. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (2008){{citation|first=S.|last=Ahmad|title=Rise and Decline of the Economy of Bengal|journal=Asian Affairs|volume=27|issue=3|pages=5–26|date=July-September 2005}} In the 9th century, an Arab merchant named Sulaiman makes note of the material's origin in Bengal (known as Ruhml in Arabic). • Oil spill, micro organisms as treatment of: Indian (Bengali) inventor and microbiologist Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty created a species of man made micro organism to break down crude oil. In a highly controversial decision taken by the United States Supreme Court, Chakrabarty's discovery was granted a patent even though it was a living species. The court ruling decreed that Chakrabarty's discovery was "not nature's handiwork, but his own..." The inventor Chakrabarty secured his patent in 1980 (see Diamond v. Chakrabarty).Remarks by Jon W. Dudas Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Symposium on "India R&D 2006 - Mind to Market" Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, India, December 6, 2006. U.S. Department of State.Dutfield, page 54. Information on the Anand Chakrabarty case is also given on pages 21, 151 and 156. • Optical fibre: Narinder Singh Kapany is often described as the "father of fibre optics", for inventing the glass fibre with cladding during the early 1950s.Jack Baskin School of Engineering. (2008) Narinder Kapany, Ph.D.. UC Santa Cruz.{{citation|title=Indian science slows down: The decline of open-ended research|first=Gangan|last=Prathap|journal=Current Science|volume=86|issue=6|date=March 2004|pages=768–769 }} • Oven: The earliest ovens were excavated at Balakot, a site of the Indus Valley Civilization. The ovens date back to the civilization's mature phase (c. 2500-1900 BCE). • Pajamas: Pajamas in the original form were invented in India, which was for outdoor use and was reinterpreted by the British to be sleepware.Arensberg & Niehoff (1971), pages 77-78Geyer (2006), page 3 The use of this garment spread throughout the world with increasing globalization. • Palampore: पालमपà¥'रà¥' (Hindi language) of Indian originEncyclopedia Britannica (2008). interior design was imported to the western world—notable England and Colonial america—from India.Encyclopedia Britannica (2008). crewel workEncyclopedia Britannica (2008). quilting In 17th century England these hand painted cotton fabrics influenced native crewel work design. Shipping vessels from India also took palampore to colonial America, where it was used in quilting. • Plastic surgery: Plastic surgery was being carried out in India by 2000 BCE.MSN Encarta (2008). Plastic Surgery. The system of punishment by deforming a miscreant's body may have led to an increase in demand for this practice. The surgeon Sushruta contributed mainly to the field of Plastic and Cataract surgery.Dwivedi & Dwivedi 2007 The medical works of both Sushruta and Charak were translated into Arabic language during the Abbasid Caliphate (750 CE). These translated Arabic works made their way into Europe via intermidiateries. In Italy the Branca family of Sicily and Gaspare Tagliacozzi of Bologna became familiar with the techniques of Sushruta.Lock etc., page 607 • Plough, animal-drawn: The earliest archeological evidence of an animal-drawn plough dates back to 2500 BC in the Indus Valley Civilization.{{citation|title=Thematic evolution of ISTRO: transition in scientific issues and research focus from 1955 to 2000|first=R.|last=Lal|journal=Soil and Tillage Research|volume=61|issue=1-2|date=August 2001|pages=3–12 }} • Prayer flags: The Buddhist Sutras, written on cloth in India, were transmitted to other regions of the world.Barker, page 13 These sutras, written on banners, were the origin of prayer flags. Legend ascribes the origin of the prayer flag to the Shakyamuni Buddha, whose prayers were written on battle flags used by the devas against their adversaries, the asuras.Beer, page 60 The legend may have given the Indian bhikku a reason for carrying the 'heavenly' banner as a way of signyfying his commitment to ahimsa.Wise, page 11-12 This knowledge was carried into Tibet by 800 CE, and the actual flags were introduced no later than 1040 CE, where they were further modified. The Indian monk Atisha (980-1054 CE) introduced the Indian practice of printing on cloth prayer flags to Tibet. • Prefabricated home and movable structure: The first prefabricated homes and movable structures were invented in 16th century Mughal India by Akbar the Great. These structures were reported by Arif Qandahari in 1579.Irfan Habib (1992), "Akbar and Technology", Social Scientist 20 (9-10): 3-15 • Private bathroom and Toilet: By 2800 BCE, private bathrooms, located on the ground floor, were found in nearly all the houses of the Indus Valley Civilization. The pottery pipes in walls allowed drainage of water and there was, in some case, provision of a crib for sitting. The Indus Valley Civilization had some of the most advanced private lavatories in the world. "Western-style" toilets were made from bricks using toilet seats made of wood on top. The waste was then transmitted to drainage systems. • Puppets and Puppetry: Evidence of puppetry comes from the excavations at the Indus Valley.Ghosh, Massey, and Banerjee, page 14 Archaeologists have unearthed terracotta dolls with detachable heads capable of manipulation by a string dating to 2500 BCE. Other excavations include terracotta animals which could be manipulated up and down a stick—-archiving minimum animation in both cases. The epic Mahabharata; Tamil literature from the Sangam Era, and various literary works dating from the late centuries BCE to the early centuries of the Common Era—including Ashokan edicts—describe puppets.Ghosh, Massey, and Banerjee, pages 14-15 Works like the Natya Shastra and the Kamasutra elaborate on puppetry in some detail.Ghosh, Massey, and Banerjee, pages 15-16 The Javanese Wayang theater was influenced by Indian traditions.Bell 2000, page 46 Europeans developed puppetry as a result of extensive contact with the Eastern World.Bell 2000, page 37 • Rocket artillery, iron-cased and metal-cylinder: The first iron-cased and metal-cylinder rockets were developed by Tipu Sultan, ruler of the South Indian Kingdom of Mysore, and his father Hyder Ali, in the 1780s. He successfully used these iron-cased rockets against the larger forces of the British East India Company during the Anglo-Mysore Wars. The Mysore rockets of this period were much more advanced than what the British had seen, chiefly because of the use of iron tubes for holding the propellant; this enabled higher thrust and longer range for the missile (up to 2 km range). After Tipu's eventual defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and the capture of the Mysore iron rockets, they were influential in British rocket development, inspiring the Congreve rocket, and were soon put into use in the Napoleonic Wars.Roddam Narasimha (1985), Rockets in Mysore and Britain, 1750-1850 A.D., National Aeronautical Laboratory and Indian Institute of Science"Hyder Ali, prince of Mysore, developed war rockets with an important change: the use of metal cylinders to contain the combustion powder. Although the hammered soft iron he used was crude, the bursting strength of the container of black powder was much higher than the earlier paper construction. Thus a greater internal pressure was possible, with a resultant greater thrust of the propulsive jet. The rocket body was lashed with leather thongs to a long bamboo stick. Range was perhaps up to three-quarters of a mile (more than a kilometre). Although individually these rockets were not accurate, dispersion error became less important when large numbers were fired rapidly in mass attacks. They were particularly effective against cavalry and were hurled into the air, after lighting, or skimmed along the hard dry ground. Hyder Ali's son, Tippu Sultan, continued to develop and expand the use of rocket weapons, reportedly increasing the number of rocket troops from 1,200 to a corps of 5,000. In battles at Seringapatam in 1792 and 1799 these rockets were used with considerable effect against the British." - Encyclopedia Britannica (2008). rocket and missile. • Ruler: Rulers made from Ivory were in use by the Indus Valley Civilization period prior to 1500 BCE. Excavations at Lothal (2400 BCE) have yielded one such ruler calibrated to about 1/16 of an inch—less than 2 millimeters.Whitelaw, page 14 Ian Whitelaw (2007) holds that 'The Mohenjo-Daro ruler is divided into units corresponding to 1.32 inches (33.5 mm) and these are marked out in decimal subdivisions with amazing accuracy—to within 0.005 of an inch. Ancient bricks found throughout the region have dimensions that correspond to these units.'Whitelaw, page 15 Shigeo Iwata (2008) further writes 'The minimum division of graduation found in the segment of an ivory-made linear measure excavated in Lothal was 1.79 mm (that corresponds to 1/940 of a fathom), while that of the fragment of a shell-made one from Mohenjo-daro was 6.72 mm (1/250 of a fathom), and that of bronze-made one from Harapa was 9.33 mm (1/180 of a fathom).' The weights and measures of the Indus civilization also reached Persia and Central Asia, where they were further modified.Iwata, 2254 • Seamless celestial globe: Considered one of the most remarkable feats in metallurgy, it was invented in Kashmir by Ali Kashmiri ibn Luqman in between 1589 and 1590 CE, and twenty other such globes were later produced in Lahore and Kashmir during the Mughal Empire.Kamarustafa (1992), page 48 Before they were rediscovered in the 1980s, it was believed by modern metallurgists to be technically impossible to produce metal globes without any , even with modern technology. These Mughal metallurgists pioneered the method of lost-wax casting in order to produce these globes.{{citation|first=Emilie|last=Savage-Smith|title=Islamicate Celestial Globes: Their history, Construction, and Use|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.|year=1985}} • Sewage collection and disposal systems: Large-scale sanitary sewer systems were in place in the Indus Valley by 2700 BCE. The drains were 7–10 feet wide and {{convert|2|ft|m}} below ground level.Teresi, pages 351-352 The sewage was then led into cesspools, built at the intersection of two drains, which had stairs leading to them for periodic cleaning. Plumbing using earthenware plumbing pipes with broad flanges for easy joining with asphalt to stop leaks was in place by 2700 BCE. • Shampoo: Shampoo originally meant head massage in several North Indian languages. Both the word and the concept were introduced to Britain from colonial India, by the Bengali entrepreneur Sake Dean Mahomed.{{citation|title=The Shampooing Surgeon and the Persian Prince: Two Indians in Early Nineteenth-century Britain|first=Kate|last=Teltscher|journal=Interventions: International Journal of Postcolonial Studies, 1469-929X|volume=2|issue=3|year=2000|pages=409–23}} • Snakes and ladders: Snakes and ladders originated in India as a game based on morality.Augustyn, pages 27-28 This game made its way to England, and was eventually introduced in the United States of America by game-pioneer Milton Bradley in 1943. • Stepwell: Earliest clear evidence of the origins of the stepwell is found in the Indus Valley Civilization's archaeological site at Mohenjodaro.Livingston & Beach, 20 The three features of Indian stepwells are evident from one particular site, abandoned by 2500 BCE, which combines a bathing pool, steps leading down to water, and figures of some religious importance into one structure. The early centuries immediately before the common era saw the Buddhists and the Jains of India adapt the stepwells into their architecture. Both the wells and the form of ritual bathing reached other parts of the world with Buddhism. Rock-cut step wells in India date from 200-400 CE. Subsequently the wells at Dhank (550-625 CE) and stepped ponds at Bhinmal (850-950 CE) were constructed.Livingston & Beach, page xxiii • Stupa: The origin of the stupa can be traced to 3rd century BCE India.Encyclopedia Britannica (2008). Pagoda. It was used as a commemorative monument associated with storing sacred relics. The stupa architecture was adopted in Southeast and East Asia, where it evolved into the pagoda, a Buddhist monument used for enshrining sacred relics. • Swimming pool: The "great bath" at the site of Mohenjo-daro was most likely dug during the 3rd millennium BC. This pool is 12 by 7 meters, is lined with bricks and was covered with a tar-based sealant.Great Bath, Mohenjo-daro • Toe stirrup: The earliest known manifestation of the stirrup, which was a toe loop that held the big toe was used in India in as early as 500 BCEChamberlin (2007), page 80 or perhaps by 200 BCE according to other sources.Hobson (2004), page 103Woods & Woods (2000), pages 52-53 This ancient stirrup consisted of a looped rope for the big toe which was at the bottom of a saddle made of fibre or leather. Such a configuration made it suitable for the warm climate of most of India where people used to ride horses barefoot. A pair of megalithic double bent iron bars with curvature at each end, excavated in Junapani in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh have been regarded as stirrups although they could as well be something else."16.17.4: Stirrups". Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology (Vol. 1). Edited by Amalananda Ghosh (1990). page 336 Buddhist carvings in the temples of Sanchi, Mathura and the Bhaja caves dating back between the 1st and 2nd century BCE figure horsemen riding with elaborate saddles with feet slipped under girths.Azzaroli (1985), page 156Addington (1990), page 45Barua (2005), pages 16-17 Sir John Marshall described the Sanchi relief as "the earliest example by some five centuries of the use of stirrups in any part of the world". In the 1st century CE horse riders in northern India, where winters are sometimes long and cold, were recorded to have their booted feet attached to hooked stirrups. However the form, the conception of the primitive Indian stirrup spread west and east, gradually evolving into the stirrup of today. • Universal Serial Bus: Computer architect Ajay Bhatt was the co-inventor of the Universal Serial Bus (USB).Ajay Bhatt: Fellow at IntelEverything USB: The Real USB Rock StarAdSavvy: Intel Ad on Ajay Bhatt • Urban planning: Remains of major Indus cities (mature period c. 2600–1900 BCE) display distinct characteristics of urban planning such as streets crossing each other at right angles, well arranged rows of structures as well as neatly built, covered drainage and sewage lines, complete with maintenance sumps, running along backlanes.Davreu (1978), pages 121-129Pruthi (2004), pages 225-270 Drains in the ancient maritime city of Lothal for example, designed to be able to take out the city’s entire domestic sewage and storm-water were mostly underground, and built to high levels of uniformity, whereby the slopes never exceed 1 in 10,000.Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1992). Page 307 In terms of segregation, Lothal was divided into three districts: the citadel, the lower town and the dockyard, which were further divided into smaller administration centres, all having well planned infrastructure such as wide, straight roads along neatly arranged buildings to suit their purpose.Possehl (2002), pages 80-82 Such planning is also evident from remains of Mohenjo-Daro, a city to the north-west of Lothal, which appears to have been built adhering to a complex level of city grid planning.Possehl (2002), page 101 This leads archaeologists to the conclusion that these cities were conceived entirely if not to a large extent before they were built—the earliest known manifestation of urban planning.Kipfer (2000), page 229Upadhyaya (1954) “VI: Indus Valley Civilization: Buildingsâ€'. Page 142 • Wootz steel: Wootz originated in India before the beginning of the common era.Srinivasan & Ranganathan Wootz steel was widely exported and traded throughout ancient Europe, China, the Arab world, and became particularly famous in the Middle East, where it became known as Damascus steel. Archaeological evidence suggests that this manufacturing process was already in existence in South India well before the Christian era.Srinivasan 1994Srinivasan & Griffiths