Bakshali Manuscript

In 1881, a mathematical work written on birk-bark was found at Bakhshali, a village in the vicinity of Texila or the North Western borders of undivided India. The area in which this manuscript was discovered is in the trans-Indus country, and in the ancient times, was within the Persian boundaries. It is within that part of the country to which the name Gandhra has been given, and was thus, subject to those western influence which are so bountifully illustrated in the Gandhra art. The manuscript was written in Sarada character which is still used in Kashmir, and Dr. Hoernle, the great oriental scholar who examined it testified that it was a great discovery which treats of Arithmetic, including Mansuration. While examining the manuscripts, it was noticed that rules of Algebra and Geometry were also taken note of by the unknown author. Although the work is arithmetical in form, it would be misleading to describe ti as a simple arithmetical text book. No algebric symbolism is employed but the solutions are often given in such a general form as to imply the complete general solutions, i.e., the solutions, though arithmetical in form, one really generalized arithmetic or algebric. The work may be divided in to Algebric, Arithmetical and Geometrical sections. The first volume is divided into two parts. Part I consists of The History of the Manuscript, Description, Order, Contents of Manuscripts, Exposition, Analysis of mathematical contents, Sources and age of manuscript. Part II has The Script, Transliteration of text and Facisimiles of text and Plates with a comprehensive Index. Part III of the work is issued seperatly and deals exclusively with the language of the manuscript. It is hoped that the reprint of this masterpiece on early Hindu mathematics will be warmly received by Indologist, historians, archaeologists and students of mathematics & astronomy.