Ayurveda is an ageless medical system of ancient India. It flourished throughout the ancient world several thousand years ago. It was the ancient medical knowledge of Ayurveda and herbs and spices that attracted the ancient world to the western Indian coast. Ayurveda influenced the ancient civilizations such as Egyptian, Greek, Chinese and Roman. You can find many references in ancient literature and scriptures about the influence of Ayurveda in those ancient lands.
Ancient medical system Ayurveda
The ancient Indian texts of Vedas mention that Ayurvedic medical system originated in the early civilizations of India, about three to five thousand years ago. Ayurvedic
texts such as Susruta Samhita and Charaka Samhita mention Ayurvedic as “Anaadi”, which means timeless origin. Mythological legends say that Lord Indra inspired Dhanwantari, the Guru of Sushruta, to spread the invaluable science of Ayurveda. Sushruta, the renowned disciple of Dhanwantari, wrote his famous Ayurvedic text on surgery - the Sushruta Samhita.Influence of Ayurveda on the ancient Egyptian medical system
Egypt is one of the known ancient civilizations which has great influence on the course of human history. The Egyptians used many minerals and spices, that are commonly found commonly in Ayurvedic texts. Modern archeologists confirm the medicinal transactions between the physicians of ancient Egypt and the Ayurvedic world of India.
There are evidences which prove that the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled over Egypt between 1303 BC and 1213 BC, had sent Egyptian physicians to the kings of other countries to acquire the knowledge of the flourishing medical
systems in other countries. No doubt that the Egyptian Pharaohs should have been greatly influenced by Ayurveda.Several papyrus texts which belong to several centuries before the Christian era have cited the use of essential oils and spices in the eastern world, particularly mentioning the names of many Ayurvedic herbs.
Ayurvedic influence on the TCM system
The influence between Ayurveda and the ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) and other systems of ancient China is so great that their principles and methods of treatments have several similarities. Both are holistic systems that treated the person as a whole and not suppressing the symptoms as many of the western medicines do.
Another important point in the influence of Ayurveda in China is the spread of Ayurvedic knowledge through the Buddhist monks who spread Buddhism in China.
Ayurvedic influence on the other ancient medicines
South India had great trade relation with ancient Greece and Roman Empire. The Greek, Roman and Indian literatures cite several references that lead to the strong influence of Ayurveda in their civilizations.
In the modern world of medical science, Ayurveda is growing in popularity and practice. The great influence of Ayurveda over the ancient civilizations reflects even today in the medical systems of those countries.
