Indian science predates Persia, which brought the West from the Stone Age: Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Lt.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Manoj Sinha Photo Credit: ANI

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday (May 30, 2026) said India’s knowledge in science, medicine and astronomy preceded Persia and Western countries, besides highlighting the country’s role in Persian knowledge and European enlightenment.

Speaking at the third annual Kashmir Literary Festival in Srinagar, Mr. Sinha said, “India has more than 6,000 years of history as a center of science, mathematics, astronomy and philosophy. Since the Vedic period, India has been the center of world economy, education, culture and philosophy. For centuries, India has been the engine of the global civilizational foundations-economic culture of the world.

Blaming the colonial mindset for undermining India’s pre-British and pre-Mughal glory, Mr. Sinha said, “Many Western writers have claimed that knowledge flowed into India from Persia or during the Mughal period, which is unfounded. The fact remains that Persia learned about science, mathematics and astronomy only in the 7th century. Knowledge in these areas flowed from India, which had centuries of documented history.”

Mr. Sinha said India not only brought the Western world out of the Stone Age but also played a key role in the European Enlightenment. “The first European renaissance in the 12th century drew on India’s treasure trove of knowledge, science, culture and art. Centuries before any other country discovered inventions and innovations, India had already established itself as a scientific civilization,” Mr. Sinha said.

Referring to physicist Issac Newton’s speech in the British Parliament, Mr Sinha said: “When Newton was discussing how to make water transport possible, India, centuries before that, had water transport as far as South Africa. We traded goods in exchange for gold with South Africa. We did not loot gold, we earned it through trade. This history was buried during the colonial period,” said Mr.

The need to restore history

Mr Sinha called for “erasing every trace of colonial thinking and ensuring that people abroad do not distort our history and present to serve their own narratives”. “It is the responsibility of the writers to correct such mistakes and convey the truth to the readers worldwide. There is an urgent need to restore the history and convey its true form to every section of the society so that the Indian story is shaped properly,” said Mr. Sinha.

He said that since the Vedic age, our forefathers have been recording facts and imparting knowledge with great accuracy. “We have failed to communicate our priceless traditions, culture, knowledge and sciences, which is why many people claim that certain things are from other places or were introduced by invaders. These claims are baseless,” he said.

J&K LG said that the story of India is not only the past but also the present. “Despite centuries of subjugation and plunder, we have become the world’s fourth largest economy, the fastest growing major economy for years, and we are aiming to be a fully developed nation by 2047,” he added.

Ambassador Deepak Vohra (retd), Lt Gen DP Pandey (retd), artist Ruble Nagi etc also participated in the third edition of the Kashmir Literary Festival.

Published – 30 May 2026 22:13 IST