European boys at school in the 1800s More schools and more scientists In the first half of the 1800s AD, countries in northern Europe like France and Britain forced other countries to give them [...]
A math problem showing place value How can you add big numbers without an abacus? You still group the sheep (or whatever) just as you did when you were using the abacus, but [...]
Early Japanese literature: A copy of the Kojiki from the 1300s AD Printing and paper in Japan Just after 700 AD, the Japanese Empress Genmei ordered her staff to write and publish Japan's [...]
Wheel of Life (Konark Sun temple, Odisha, India, 1200s AD) About 300 BC, Hindu people in India began to feel that they didn't like the idea of being reincarnated over and over again forever. [...]
Lakshmi (Sanchi Stupa, central India, 200s BC) What is she the god of? Lakshmi was (and is) a Hindu god of light, wealth, good luck and success. Her name comes from the Sanskrit word laks, [...]
What is karma? Jataka Tales: King Siva offers his body to save a dove from a hawk, and King Candraprabha is so generous that he gives away his own head (Mogao [...]
Hinduism: Arjuna fighting Karna, with Krishna as his charioteer (Duttapara Temple, ca. 1500s AD) What does "Hindu" mean? The word Hindu comes from the river Indus. So it just means [...]
What is dharma? Arjuna fights Shiva (in a story from the Mahabharata) because that is his dharma Dharma is an Indian idea Dharma is a Sanskrit word originally meaning order or [...]
Harappan Seal One of the earliest known writing systems came from India, probably around 2500 BC. Unfortunately, nobody can read the Harappan writing yet. But we know people were using this writing to [...]
Vedic India: A horse-drawn chariot from the Oxus Treasure (British Museum, thanks to Mary Harrsch) About 1500 BC, a new group of people seem to have come to India from the [...]
