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Navaratna Srinivasa RajaramIndian mathematician, historian and linguist
Country:
 India |
Content:
- Academic and Scientific Career
- Collaboration and Controversial Theories
- Exploring Ancient India's Scientific Heritage
- Critique of Indology and Sanskritology
- Questioning Western Scholars' Methodologies
- Advocacy for Interdisciplinary Approaches
- Legacy and Controversies
Academic and Scientific Career
Venkatramanan Rajaram, an Indian mathematician, historian, and linguist, is renowned for his contributions to ancient Indian history. In the 1970s, he obtained his doctorate in Mathematics from Indiana University and published significant research in statistics. His later work in artificial intelligence and robotics in the 1980s garnered recognition.
Collaboration and Controversial Theories
Rajaram collaborated with David Frawley on various publications. Notably, he proposed a controversial interpretation of the Indus Valley script, yet it remains unverified by the scientific community. Moreover, his theory of "Indigenous Aryans" sparked considerable debate in Indian politics.
Exploring Ancient India's Scientific Heritage
From 1984 onwards, Rajaram served as a scientific consultant for NASA while simultaneously researching the connections between Vedic mathematics and ancient Egyptian and Babylonian mathematics. Beginning in the 1990s, his focus shifted towards the scientific basis of ancient Indian history.
Critique of Indology and Sanskritology
Rajaram penned articles and books challenging the biases and Eurocentrism he perceived within traditional Indology and Sanskritology. He advocated for his ideology of "Indigenous Aryans" as a counter-narrative. He argued that Indology was a "secular eschatology" driven by European colonial and Christian missionary interests.
Questioning Western Scholars' Methodologies
Rajaram criticized the methodologies employed by 19th-century Western "Indologists-missionaries." He questioned how these scholars, often lacking proficiency in Indian languages including Sanskrit, could draw reliable conclusions about Indian history.
Advocacy for Interdisciplinary Approaches
Rajaram emphasized the importance of utilizing all available tools, encompassing archaeology and computer science, to challenge the "web of doubtful linguistic theories" prevailing in comparative-historical linguistics and philology.
Legacy and Controversies
Rajaram's publications on Indian mathematics, based on the "Sulba-sutras" and Vedas, have also been the subject of scholarly scrutiny. Many academics categorize his work on Indian history and linguistics as "pseudoscientific." Nevertheless, Rajaram's challenge to established narratives has stimulated ongoing debates within academic circles.
