INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION THAT DEFINE SOCIETY

Ancient China
Inventions and Technology
The Ancient Chinese were famous for their inventions and technology. Many of their inventions had
lasting impact on the entire world. Other inventions led to great feats of engineering like the Grand
Canal and the Great Wall of China.
Silk - Silk was a soft and light material much desired by the wealthy throughout the world. It became
such a valuable export that the trade route running from Europe to China became known as the Silk
Road. The Chinese learned how to make silk from the cocoons of silkworms. They managed to keep the
process for making silk a secret for hundreds of years.

Paper - Paper was invented by the Chinese as well as many interesting uses for paper like paper money
and playing cards. The first paper was invented in the 2nd century BC and the manufacture later
perfected around 105 AD.

Printing - Wood block printing was invented in AD 868 and then moveable type around 200 years later.
This was actually hundreds of years before the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg in Europe.

The Compass - The Chinese invented the magnetic compass to help determine the correct direction.
They used this in city planning at first, but it became very important to map makers and for the
navigation of ships.

Gunpowder - Gunpowder was invented in the 9th century by chemists trying to find the Elixir of Immortality. Not
long after, engineers figured out how to use gunpowder for military uses such as bombs, guns, mines, and even
rockets. They also invented fireworks and made great beautiful displays of fireworks for celebrations.

Boat Rudder - The rudder was invented as a way to steer large ships. This enabled the Chinese to build huge ships
as early as 200 AD, well before they were ever built in Europe.

Other inventions include the umbrella, porcelain, the wheelbarrow, iron casting, hot air
balloons, seismographs to measure earthquakes, kites, matches, stirrups for riding horses, and
acupuncture.
Fun Facts

 Gunpowder, paper, printing, and the compass are sometimes called the Four Great Inventions
of Ancient China.
 Kites were first used as a way for the army to signal warnings.
 Umbrellas were invented for protection from the sun as well as the rain.
 Chinese doctors knew about certain herbs to help sick people. They also knew that eating good
foods was important to being healthy.
 Compasses were often used to make sure that homes were built facing the correct direction so
they would be in harmony with nature.
 The Grand Canal in China is the longest manmade canal or river in the world. It is over 1,100
miles long and stretches from Beijing to Hangzhou.
 They invented the abacus in the 2nd century BC. This was a calculator that used sliding beads to
help compute math problems quickly.
 A clear coating called lacquer was made to protect and enhance certain works of art and
furniture.
 Paper money was first developed and used in China during the Tang dynasty (7th century).

Indian Inventions and Discoveries

There is no doubt about the fact that India has contributed to the world in the field of any subject – be it
astronomy, architecture, metallurgy, logic, cartography, mathematics, medicine, mineralogy etc. In
recent years, India has also shown its remarkable presence worldwide in the field of automobile
engineering, communications, information technology, space research and polar technology.

Zero and the number system: It was around 458 AD, the concept of zero first appeared in India. Hindu
astronomer and mathematician named Aryabhata was the first person to create a symbol for zero and it
was through his efforts, the mathematical operations like addition and subtraction started using zero.
For the first time, zero became globally recognized as a number of its own. Also, the number system that
we use today with decimal place-value and zero was also invented in India between the 1st and 6th
centuries, as clearly mentioned in Aryabhata’s Bakhshali manuscript.

Buttons: Excavations in Mohenjodaro of Indus Valley Civilisation revealed the existence of buttons,
which were used by the people that time not for fastening but for ornamental purposes. Buttons were
thus invented in India and they were made of shells with two holes at the centre.

Prefabricated home and movable structure: It is said that during Akbar’s rule in India, there was the
existence of the prefabricated and movable structures. They were first invented in 16th century in India
during the Mughal rule.

Natural fibres: The varied natural fibres like wool and cotton originated in India. Prior to this, the Greeks
used to wear animal skin. During the 5th–4th millennium BCE in the Indus Valley Civilization, people
started cotton and jute cultivation. India then invented the art of cotton spinning and later it was
converted to fabric. It is also said that cashmere wool, derived from the Kashmir goats, was made in
Kashmir first. Even today, cashmere shawls and woollens have maintained their richness and exclusivity.
Cataract surgery: The first cataract surgery was performed by the ancient Indian physician Sushruta,
way back in 6th century BCE. To remove the cataract from the eyes, he pushed the lens and used a
curved needle to remove it, which were then kept immersed in warm butter for a few days till they were
healed completely. Many people from various other countries came to India to seek treatment from
Sushruta. His surgical works were later translated to Arabic language and got transported to the
European countries.

Some medical treatments: Indians were the first to identify leprosy and many remedies for this disease
were found in the Atharva Veda. The treatment of removing stones or the lithiasis treatment was first
introduced in India. Historical studies have shown that in the 8th century, a well-known scholar Madhav
mentioned about the symptoms and ways of immunization against small pox. We also have heard that
the two ancient and alternative methods of treatment still popular, Ayurveda and Siddha, originated in
India. They are still used for holistic healing. It was the ancient rishis and munis of India who mastered
this method of treatment. Upendra Nath Bramhachari, a Nobel prize nominee and Indian medical
practitioner, invented methods to treat visceral leishmaniasis or kala azar or black fever.

Radio/wireless communication: In 1909, Guglielmo Marconi received the Nobel Prize in Physics, for his
efforts in the development of wireless telegraphy. But, not many know that it was Sir Jagdish Chandra
Bose in 1895 who made the first public demonstration of radio communication waves, two years before
Marconi’s demonstration in England. More than a century later, Sir Bose was posthumously credited for
his achievement, which truly shaped the face of modern wireless communication.

Shampoo: We use the word “champo” for head massage even today. The Nawabs of Bengal around
1762 during the Mughal rule, used head massage oil which was referred as champo. The word shampoo
is derived from champo. Over the years, the champo oil got evolved into shampoo.

Diamonds: Do you know that diamonds were first discovered in India? Huge deposits of diamonds were
found in the midst of the alluvial deposits along the rivers Krishna and Godavari in central India. They
were mined from there almost 5,000 years ago. Gradually, they were developed into precious stones as
mentioned in various ancient India books. Till 18th century, India was the only country where diamonds
were found and later on these sparkling stones were found in the mines of Brazil.

Rockets: It was in the 1780s, Tipu Sultan, ruler of the South Indian Kingdom of Mysore, and his father
Hyder Ali first made use of iron-cased and metal-cylinder rockets against the large British East India
Company’s forces during the Anglo-Mysore Wars. So the first invention of rockets started in India.

First flush: The remains and the historical studies of the Indus Valley Civilisation that existed in India
over 5,000 years ago, revealed how India at that time had created highly advanced canals, along with
irrigation, water management and sewage systems. The world’s first flush toilets were also discovered in
most homes in the Indus Valley Civilisation, which is supposed to be the largest ancient civilisation in the
world.

Steel and metal works: Indians were also the pioneers in metallurgy. Sounds strange, isn’t it? But as a
matter of fact, high quality steel was produced in India almost 2,000 years back, much before it was
used in the West. A seamless celestial globe was also invented for the first time in Kashmir, which is till
today considered as one of the most remarkable achievements in metallurgy. Prior to this, it was
considered impossible to make a globe made of metal without seams.
Systematic organized education system: How can we forget our ancient Taxila, Nalanda and other
universities which introduced a systematic education system? Residential schooling or schools with
hostels or in ancient terminology “Gurukul” also started in India, where a single teacher taught several
students at a time.

Great achievements in science and technology in ancient Africa

Despite suffering through the horrific system of slavery, sharecropping and the Jim Crow era, early
African-Americans made countless contributions to science and technology. This lineage and culture of
achievement, though, emerged at least 40,000 years ago in Africa. Unfortunately, few of us are aware of
these accomplishments, as the history of Africa, beyond ancient Egypt, is seldom publicized.

Math
Surely only a few of us know that many modern high-school-level concepts in mathematics first were
developed in Africa, as was the first method of counting. More than 35,000 years ago, Egyptians scripted
textbooks about math that included division and multiplication of fractions and geometric formulas to
calculate the area and volume of shapes. Distances and angles were calculated, algebraic equations
were solved and mathematically based predictions were made of the size of floods of the Nile. The
ancient Egyptians considered a circle to have 360 degrees and estimated at 3.16 .
Eight thousand years ago, people in present-day Zaire developed their own numeration system, as did
Yoruba people in what is now Nigeria. The Yoruba system was based on units of 20 (instead of 10) and
required an impressive amount of subtraction to identify different numbers. Scholars have lauded this
system, as it required much abstract reasoning.

Astronomy
Several ancient African cultures birthed discoveries in astronomy. Many of these are foundations on
which we still rely, and some were so advanced that their mode of discovery still cannot be understood.
Egyptians charted the movement of the sun and constellations and the cycles of the moon. They divided
the year into 12 parts and developed a yearlong calendar system containing 365 ¼ days (3). Clocks were
made with moving water and sundial-like clocks were used.
A structure known as the African Stonehenge in present-day Kenya (constructed around 300 B.C.) was a
remarkably accurate calendar. The Dogon people of Mali amassed a wealth of detailed astronomical
observations. Many of their discoveries were so advanced that some modern scholars credit their
discoveries instead to space aliens or unknown European travelers, even though the Dogon culture is
steeped in ceremonial tradition centered on several space events. The Dogon knew of Saturn’s rings,
Jupiter’s moons, the spiral structure of the Milky Way and the orbit of the Sirius star system. Hundreds
of years ago, they plotted orbits in this system accurately through the year 1990. They knew this system
contained a primary star and a secondary star (now called Sirius B) of immense density and not visible to
the naked eye.

Metallurgy and tools

Many advances in metallurgy and tool making were made across the entirety of ancient Africa. These
include steam engines, metal chisels and saws, copper and iron tools and weapons, nails, glue, carbon
steel and bronze weapons and art.
Advances in Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago surpassed those of
Europeans then and were astonishing to Europeans when they learned of them. Ancient Tanzanian
furnaces could reach 1,800°C — 200 to 400°C warmer than those of the Romans.
Architecture and engineering
Various past African societies created sophisticated built environments. Of course, there are the
engineering feats of the Egyptians: the bafflingly raised obelisks and the more than 80 pyramids. The
largest of the pyramids covers 13 acres and is made of 2.25 million blocks of stone (3). Later, in the 12th
century and much farther south, there were hundreds of great cities in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
There, massive stone complexes were the hubs of cities. One included a 250-meter-long, 15,000-ton
curved granite wall. The cities featured huge castlelike compounds with numerous rooms for specific
tasks, such as iron-smithing. In the 13th century, the empire of Mali boasted impressive cities, including
Timbuktu, with grand palaces, mosques and universities.

Medicine
Many treatments we use today were employed by several ancient peoples throughout Africa. Before the
European invasion of Africa, medicine in what is now Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa, to name just a few
places, was more advanced than medicine in Europe. Some of these practices were the use of plants
with salicylic acid for pain (as in aspirin), kaolin for diarrhea (as in Kaopectate), and extracts that were
confirmed in the 20th century to kill Gram positive bacteria. Other plants used had anticancer
properties, caused abortion and treated malaria — and these have been shown to be as effective as
many modern-day Western treatments. Furthermore, Africans discovered ouabain, capsicum,
physostigmine and reserpine. Medical procedures performed in ancient Africa before they were
performed in Europe include vaccination, autopsy, limb traction and broken bone setting, bullet
removal, brain surgery, skin grafting, filling of dental cavities, installation of false teeth, what is now
known as Caesarean section, anesthesia and tissue cauterization. In addition, African cultures preformed
surgeries under antiseptic conditions universally when this concept was only emerging in Europe.

Navigation
Most of us learn that Europeans were the first to sail to the Americas. However, several lines of
evidence suggest that ancient Africans sailed to South America and Asia hundreds of years before
Europeans. Thousands of miles of waterways across Africa were trade routes. Many ancient societies in
Africa built a variety of boats, including small reed-based vessels, sailboats and grander structures with
many cabins and even cooking facilities. The Mali and Songhai built boats 100 feet long and 13 feet wide
that could carry up to 80 tons. Currents in the Atlantic Ocean flow from this part of West Africa to South
America. Genetic evidence from plants and descriptions and art from societies inhabiting South America
at the time suggest small numbers of West Africans sailed to the east coast of South America and
remained there.
Contemporary scientists have reconstructed these ancient vessels and their fishing gear and have
completed the transatlantic voyage successfully. Around the same time as they were sailing to South
America, the 13th century, these ancient peoples also sailed to China and back, carrying elephants as
cargo.
People of African descent come from ancient, rich and elaborate cultures that created a wealth of
technologies in many areas. Hopefully, over time, there will be more studies in this area and more
people will know of these great achievements.
 Middle East
The Middle East is known in the west for its food, as a center of religion, and for its often troubled
recent history.
But it is also known for its history of innovation in philosophy, mathematics and literature, and science
— which has given us many items, concepts, and institutions that we now use all the time.

Coffee — from Yemen and Ethiopia in the 11th century

It was an Ethiopian shepherd named Kaldi who first discovered the effects of coffee beans when he
noticed that his herd of goats became significantly more energetic after eating a certain berry.
It was then transported to Yemen where it was used by Sufi Muslims to increase their concentration
while they prayed.

Cafes— from 15th-century Turkey

The use of coffee spread across the region and led to a second invention—the cafe. Although the use of
coffee became increasingly widespread in society, it was for hundreds of years closely associated with
religion.
The record of the world's first coffee shop is thought to be Kiva Han, which opened in Constantipole
(modern-day Istanbul, Turkey) in 1475.

Toothbrushes — from Babylonia and Egypt in 3,500 BC

The first toothbrush was made by fraying the edges of a twig by the ancient Babylonians. Similar devices
have also been found in ancient Egyptian tombs.

The check — from 9th-century Baghdad and Morocco

The check as a form of payment originates from the 'saqq'— the Arabic word for a written vow to pay
for goods after they were delivered.
The system was developed in order to avoid having to transport money through dangerous territories.

A flying machine — from 9th-century Andalusia

Abbas Ibn Firnas was a poet, astronomer, musician and engineer who lived in Andalusia, modern-day
Spain.
At the time, the area was part of an Islamic civilization which stretched from modern-day Portugal in the
west to Pakistan in the east.
In 857 AD, at the age of 70, Ibn Firnas made the world's first ever flying machine from silk and eagle
feathers and jumped from a mountain while strapped into it.
The machine floated into the sky and successfully stayed there for all of ten minutes, before making a
crash landing.

Fountain pens —from 10th-century Egypt

The fountain pen was made in the year 953 in Egypt after the Sultan at the time expressed his
frustration at how messy it was using ink and a quill.
The three-course meal — from 9th-century Andalusia
The three-course meal was invented by Ziryab, a Persian musician, poet and teacher who lived in 9th-
century Andalusia.
He insisted meals be served in the format of a soup, followed by a main dish of meat or fish and ending
with a sweet dessert.

Telling time — from 2,000 BC in modern-day Iran and Iraq

One of the most significant inventions from the Middle East was the clock, and even formalized time-
keeping itself.
The system of counting from zero to 60 originates from 2000 BC in Sumer, modern-day Iran and Iraq.
The water clock, a device which measured time through the amount of water passing in or out of a
container using weights, was also invented and used by the ancient Egyptians.

The crankshaft — 12th-century Turkey.

Ismail al-Jazari was an Engineer born in 1136 in modern day Turkey.
His most significant invention was the crankshaft, a device which converts rotation into linear
movement. It is the basis for much of the machinery in the modern world, including the bicycle.

The combination lock — from 12th-century Turkey

Al-Jazari was also the inventor of the combination lock.

Soap — from 2,800 BC in ancient Babylonia

Soap was invented by the Arabs through combining vegetable oils with sodium hydroxide and aromatic
oils.

Algebra and the algorithm — from 9th-century Iran

Al-Khwarizmi was a 9th Century Persian mathematician who is often referred to as "The Father of
Algebra," for his scholarship in the subject. He also invented the algorithm.

The university — from 9th-century Morocco

The world's first university was opened by princess Fatima al-Firhi in Fez, Morocco in 859 AD. The al-
Qarawiyyin university was first educational facility which granted degrees and still operates as a higher
education institution today teaching Islamic sciences and law.

Hospitals — from 9th-century Egypt

The first hospital was the Ahmad Ibn Tulun Hospital founded in 872 in Cairo.It was also entirely free to
use.

Windmills — from 7th-century Iran

Some 1,000-year-old windmills in Iran are still in use today.
 INFORMATION AGE
The Information Age began around the 1970s and is still going on today. It is also known as the
Computer Age, Digital Age, or New Media Age. This era brought about a time period in which people
could access information and knowledge easily.

Influences of the past on the Information Age

The Renaissance influenced the Information Age by creating the idea inventions, while too advanced for
the time, the basic idea was used to develop modern inventions. The Renaissance also changed
literature. At first, only books that told stories of religion and religious heroes were written. During the
Renaissance, people began to write realistic books and not just religious stories. People's mindset about
themselves changed. It was no longer about what humans could do for God, but what humans could do
for themselves. This way of thinking is called humanism.

The Scientific Revolution changed the modern era by introducing important scientists such as Galileo,
Copernicus, and Sir Isaac Newton. Their discoveries paved the way for modern tools, inventions and
innovations.

The Industrial Revolution brought about major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining,
transportation, and technology. This era had a profound effect on the social, economic, and cultural
conditions of the world.

Inventions and Innovations of the Information Age

There were many different inventions that came about because of the Information Age, one of which
was the computer. The Internet allowed people to access information with the touch of a button.

The Internet has turned society into homebodies, individuals who do everything from the comfort of
their homes instead of venturing outdoors to complete tasks. People can do everything online;
shopping, communicating, bill paying, working, education, entertainment, even ordering food. This may
be good, but it has also made us a very lazy and uneducated society.

Tim Berners-Lee, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are several important people of the Information Age.
Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web. Jobs who was created the first effective personal computer
called the Apple 1
The Apple 1 was a huge advancement in computer sciences and it carved the path for the computers we
have now. Apple has created iPhone, iPod, iPad, iMac, and Apple TV. Gates is also a huge force in the
Information Age. He founded Microsoft, which creates almost everything that has to do with computers.
Microsoft develops programs like Microsoft Office, Windows, and many other influential products.

Changes of the Information Age

The Information Age has changed people, technology, science, economies, culture, and even the way
people think. The Internet is arguably the most prominent innovation of the Information Age. The
Internet changed the way people do everything. It has made people lazier, but it also makes a large
amount of the population smarter. The Information Age has made industrial countries stronger. With
online companies being some of the most successful and economically stimulating businesses out there,
economies receive more from them and keep our world turning. People are becoming more mature and
more educated due to things like the computer and the Internet. This time period has reshaped
governments, with new technology being created every day. Governments can now have more
advanced and effective militaries. Because of things like the Internet, new laws had to be put in place to
stop hacking, piracy, and identity theft.

Impacts of the Information Age

The Information Age brought about many new inventions and innovations. Many communication
services like texting, email, and social media developed and the world has not been the same since.
People learn new languages easier and many books have been translated into different languages, so
people around the world can become more educated. However, the Information Age is not all good.
There are people in the world that believe they can live their entire life through the Internet. Also, huge
criminal organizations rely on hacking into government systems and obtaining confidential information
to continue their way of life. Jobs have also became easier, and some jobs can even be done from the
comfort of your own home. The Information Age is also known as the Age of Entrepreneurship. Now
entrepreneurs can start and run a company easier than ever before. It also impacts our work ethics by
distracting us and causing us to lose interest in the task we are doing. This time period has also created a
shortage of jobs and making many jobs obsolete because machines are now being used to do the work
humans once did.

The Information Age is now. Every era from the Stone Age up to The Industrial Revolution has led to
the world as we know it. Without the information, knowledge and discoveries of those from the past,
we would not be where we are today. The past has shaped our present and will continue to shape our
future.