India history and geography

Source: archive.org: Hindu Mathematics (History)

Severus Sebokht is the name of an ancient scholar.—Before the time of Mohammad the Arabs did not possess a satisfactory numeral notation. [...] Arabic letters gradually replaced the Greek ones in the alphabetic notation and the abjad notation came to be used. It is probable that the Arabs had come to know of the Hindu numerals from the writings of scholars like Sebokht, and also of their old ghobār forms from other sources. But as their informants could not supply all the necessary information (e.g., the methods of performing the ordinary operations of arithmetic) these numerals had to wait for another century before they were adopted in some of their mathematical works.—(Cf. Arabic language)

A passage in a work of Severus Sebokht (662) shows that the fame of the Hindu numerals had reached the banks or the Euphrates in the beginning of the seventh century. Sebokht was a learned Syrian scholar who lived in the convent of Kenneshre on the Euphrates, in the time of the patriarch Athanasius Gamenale (died 631) and his successor John. Sebokht seems to have been hurt by the arrogance of certain Greek scholars who looked down on the Syrians, and in defending the latter, he claims for them the invention of astronomy.

Sebokht asserts that the Greeks were merely the pupils of the Chaldeans of Babylon and claims that these same Chaldeans were the very Syrians whom his opponents condemned. It is in this connection that he mentions the Hindus by way of illustration: “I will omit all discussion of the science of the Hindus, a people not the same as the Syrians, their subtle discoveries in the science of astronomy, discoveries that are more ingenious than those of the Greeks and the Babylonians; their computing that surpasses description. I wish only to say .that this computation is done by means of nine signs. If those who believe because they' speak Greek, that they have reached the limits of science should know these things, they would be convinced that there are also others who know something”.

Source: Wikipedia: India History

Severus Sebokht (also Seboukt of Nisibis), was a Syrian scholar and bishop who was born in Nisibis, Syria in 575 and died in 667. Sebokht was one of the leading figures in Syria in the 7th century. He taught at the Theological School of Nisibis. In 612, he left the post because of a doctrinal dispute with the Syriac Church of the East. He was a member of the Syriac Orthodox Church. He was a resident of the monastery of Qenneshre, which was situated near the banks of the Euphrates. His student Jacob of Edessa (d. 708), the major representative of “Christian Hellenism”.

Sebokht was a teacher of the philosophy of Aristotle. In 638, he wrote a major treatise on syllogisms. He translated from Persian into Syriac the commentaries on Aristotle of Paul the Persian. He was perhaps the first Syrian to mention the Indian number system.

context information

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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Full-text: Arabic letter, Arabic language.

Relevant text

No search results for Sebokht, Seboukt; (plurals include: Sebokhts, Seboukts) in any book or story.