India history and geography

Source: archive.org: Hindu Mathematics (History)

Isidorus of Seville is the name of an European scholar who, in his works, included references to the “Indian number system” or “Hindu numeral notation” (with zero), which was perfected and was in use in India during the earliest centuries of the Christian era.—The nine characters (of the ghobar type), without zero, are given as an addition to the first chapter of the third book of the Origines by Isidorus of Seville in which the Roman numerals are under discussion. Another Spanish copy of the same work (of 992 A.D.) contains the numerals in the corresponding section.

The writer Isidorus of Seville ascribes an Indian origin to them in the following words: “Item de figuris arithmetice. Scire debemus in Indos subtilissimum ingenium habere et ceteris gentes eis in arithmetica et geometria et ceteris liberalibus disciplinis concedere. Et hoc manifestum est in nobem figuris, quibus designant unum-quemque gradum cuinslibet gradus. Quamm hec sunt forma”.—(Quoted by Smith and Karpinski, p. 138.)

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The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

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Search found 1 books and stories containing Isidorus; (plurals include: Isidoruses). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Buddhist records of the Western world (Xuanzang) (by Samuel Beal)

Introduction < [Book I - Thirty-Four Countries]

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