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What can we thank ancient India for?  Our Arabic numerals, which are derived from Hindu numbers.  Also, near the end of classical India (around A.D. 500) the game of chess was invented in India.  Note that the game of chess does not involve any chance; Hinduism is against gambling.  The original game of chess lacked the powerful "queen", and Muslim versions of the game lack the queen to this day.   

What can we thank ancient India for?  Our Arabic numerals, which are derived from Hindu numbers.  Also, near the end of classical India (around A.D. 500) the game of chess was invented in India.  Note that the game of chess does not involve any chance; Hinduism is against gambling.  The original game of chess lacked the powerful "queen", and Muslim versions of the game lack the queen to this day.   

Vedic mathematics, which is an ancient math system found in the Hindu scriptures, is taught to this day.  It emphasizes solving complex math problems orally.  India first discovered the concept of "zero" around the sixth century, which remarkably was not part of mathematics before then, but has been essential ever since.

Vedic mathematics, which is an ancient math system found in the Hindu scriptures, is taught to this day.  It emphasizes solving complex math problems orally.  India first discovered the concept of "zero" around the sixth century, which was a huge breakthrough.

Indian religion adds a transcendental quality that has found popularity worldwide in the form of meditation, and some American liberals left Christianity for it.  Ralph Waldo Emerson, a 19th century Massachusetts writer, was an example:  "I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavat-Gita.  It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spake to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions that exercise us."   

Indian religion adds a transcendental quality that has found popularity worldwide in the form of meditation, and some American liberals left Christianity for it.  Ralph Waldo Emerson, a 19th century Massachusetts writer, was an example:  "I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavat-Gita.  It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spake to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions that exercise us."   

Today, the popularity of the English language in India, its low cost of living, and its intelligent workforce make it an attractive place for large American companies to relocate or "offshore" their jobs.  Often when Americans call "customer service" for large companies, they are actually reaching low-cost operators in India, sometimes using Americanized first names.

Today, the popularity of the English language in India, its low cost of living, and its intelligent workforce make it an attractive place for large American companies to relocate or "offshore" their jobs.  Often when Americans call "customer service" for large companies, they are actually reaching low-cost operators in India, sometimes using Americanized first names.

India is more than a country.  It is a subcontinent.  It is vast in size: two-fifths the area of all of Europe.  150 different languages are spoken there today.  In this century India will most likely surpass China as the most populous country in the world.  Even though India has traditionally been a poor country, for decades it has produced more food than it can consume.  The predominantly Hindu people of India help advance the frontiers of medicine, mathematics and many other fields.

India is more than a country.  It is a subcontinent.  It is vast in size: two-fifths the area of all of Europe.  150 different languages are spoken there today.  Even though India has traditionally been a poor country, for decades it has produced more food than it can consume.

== Major Belief Systems Today ==

== Major Belief Systems Today ==