"पूर्वीय सभ्यता" का संशोधनहरू बिचको अन्तर

Currently terms such as [[Western world|Western]], [[Near East]] (or [[Middle East]]) andर [[Far East]] are commonly used to distinguish different cultural spheres, based on the standard two-dimensional layout of the world-map, which has [[the Americas]] at the far left (West), Europe andर Africa in the middle, andर Asia to the right (East). This arrangement is arbitrary because the Earth is round, rather than flat (however this model does ensure that land regions are concentrated in the centre without Eurasia being split in two); therefore, by going west, one will eventually arrive in the east, andर when one goes east, one will eventually arrive in the west, provided one keeps going long enough. This is true no matter where one is on the globe's surface (except the Poles, where all directions are either north or south). Because of this, the East/West division has been criticized for being [[Eurocentric]], however the notional 'central-point' between East andर West would be to the east of Europe itself. Some countries, in particular [[Russia]], do not fit neatly into this opposition.

While Western Orientalist traditions included both Islamic andर further Eastern cultures under the generic heading of "the East", the common [[Abrahamic]] traditions of Islam andर Christianity mean that a case can be made that both Islam andर Christianity together form a different cultural sphere from countries further to the East in which the concept of [[Dharma]] plays a far more important role than that of an authoritative [[God]]. In recent years the concept of "Eastern culture" has increasingly become restricted to East Asian traditions. However, the existence of Islam andर Christianity as powerful forces in countries such as [[Indonesia]] andर the [[Philippines]] makes this usage problematic.

Eastern culture has developed many themes andर traditions. Some important ones are:

*[[Buddhism]] - contributed to a concept of self wherein the importance of ego was diminished, andर that suffering was regarded as an accepted part of life. The Chinese literati traditionally despised Buddhism.

*[[Confucianism]] - social hierarchy where position is based upon merit as determined through the imperial examination system. This social hierarchy promoted respect for elders andर authority, andर valued harmony within family.

*[[Hinduism]] - the oldest surviving religion, which contributed the concept of [[Dharma]] andर served as the origin of the [[Dharmic religion]]s

*[[Taoism]] - concepts of good andर bad energy, the connectedness of mind andर body andर nature, etc.

Eastern culture, especially [[China]], [[History of India|India]], andर the [[Middle East]], had a major impact on world civilization.

{{Main|Science andर technology in China|History of science andर technology in China}}

It was China that invented [[paper]], [[compass]], [[gunpowder]] andर [[printing]] (the [[Four Great Inventions of ancient China]]) that had profound effects on civilizations worldwide. Among the technological accomplishments of China were early seismological detectors, dry docks, sliding [[caliper]]s, the double-action piston [[pump]], [[cast iron]], the iron [[plough]], the multi-tube [[seed drill]], the [[wheelbarrow]], the [[suspension bridge]], the [[parachute]], [[natural gas]] as fuel, the [[raised-relief map]], the [[propeller]], andर the [[crossbow]]. Chinese astronomers were also among the first to record observations of a [[supernova]]. It was eastern culture that first invented the [[abacus]], [[planetarium]], [[book]], [[ink]], first [[cannon]], [[bomb]] (using gunpowder), nest [[cart]], [[spaghetti]], [[fireworks]], [[brandy]], [[whiskey]], [[cards]], [[Paper money]], [[saddle]], [[toothbrush]], [http://www.crystalinks.com/chinainventions.html] [http://inventors.about.com/od/chineseinventors/]. The blue [[light-emitting diode]] was invented in Japan. In medicine, the [[elixir]] formulation, [[herbal medicine]], [[craniotomy]], andर [[acupuncture]] are all attributed to the East. It was Easterners who first discovered [[methamphetamine]], [[adrenaline]], [[sodium glutamate]], andर [[Vitamin B1]].

[[Image:2064_aryabhata-crp.jpg|thumb|Statue of Aryabhata on the grounds of [[Inter-University Centre for Astronomy andर Astrophysics|IUCAA]], [[Pune]].]]

{{Main|Science andर technology in ancient India}}

Four of the world's major religions, [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]], [[Jainism]] andर [[Sikhism]] originated in [[India (disambiguation)|India]]. Hinduism, the successor of the ancient [[Vedic religion]], is considered to be the world's oldest existing religion. Though Buddhism originated in India, it is one of the most practiced religions in [[East Asia]] andर [[South East Asia]] andर helped spread [[Indian philosophy|Indian philosophical]] theories like [[Karma]] andर [[Dharma]] to other parts of Asia. [[Yoga]], a family of ancient spiritual practices, originated in India andर is one of the six schools of [[Hindu philosophy]]. Indian thinkers made great work andर effort in [[mathematics]] among others andर [[Indian mathematics]] described andर theorized many mathematical concepts andर applications. Indians first invented the [[decimal notation]] that is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,...etc.

India is home to some of the greatest andर some of the earliest inventions in mathematical concepts, [[astronomy]], [[physics]], [[medicine]], andर applications. It is now generally accepted that India was the birth place of several mathematical concepts, including [[zero]], the [[decimal system]], [[algebra]], [[algorithm]], [[square root]] andर [[cube root]]. It was Indians who theorized about [[gravity]], determining [[sun]] is a [[star]] among others. [[Aryabhatta]] is considered to be the first mathematician to use letters of the alphabet to denote unknown quantities andर to conclude the [[pi]] is an irrational number. Other Indian mathematicians, such as [[Brahmagupta]] andर [[Bhaskara]] too made significant contributions to field of mathematics. Acharya [[Sushruta]], author of [[Sushruta Samhita]], is believed to be the first person to carry out a [[surgery]]. [[Ayurveda]], an ancient Indian medical practice, depicts the achievements Indians had made in the field of [[medical science]]. The most commonly held view is that [[Chess]] originated in India. For instance [[Āryabhaṭa]] is widely regarded as one of the famous andर influential thinkers, mathematicians andर astronomers who for instance described the [[solar eclipse]], who first described the reason for movement of stars, who first calculated the [[circumference]] of the earth with only 0.2% difference from the current prediction.