The idea that matter is made up of discrete units is a very old idea, appearing in many ancient cultures such as ancient Greece - and as we already discussed in India - by Maharishi Kanad, estimated to have lived sometime between the 6th century to 2nd century BCE, little is known about his life. We need to further understand this term to address the issue of credit for atomic theory.

His discoveries fall into a class which is now known as Philosophical atomism. The Vaisheshika Sutras is one of the six classical Indian philosophical texts known as the Vedangas, and is considered one of the most important works in the field of Indian philosophy. The text has been studied and commented on by many philosophical scholars and remains an important source of information on the philosophical thought of ancient India. The Vaisheshika Sutras is known for its systematic and logical approach to these topics, and its influence can be seen in many other schools of Indian philosophy. This is where we decided to decode the topic of credit of Atomic Theory and bring about information that anyone who tries to understand with a logical and scientific temper will be able to understand. They attribute it to some western bias and neglect for scientific endeavors of ancient India.Īs Maharishi Kanad was a Hindu sage, this topic involves some religious overtone too. However, some believe that he hasn’t been given due credit for his atomic theory and Dalton, born thousands of year later, was instead named the father of modern atomic theory. It is without question that he was one of the greatest philosophers not only in India, but also in the world. Many regard him as a scientist from ancient India, as his philosophies touch upon many aspects that fall under the purview of modern science.

He is considered one of the most important figures in the history of Indian philosophy. His philosophical ideas have influenced many other schools of Indian philosophy, including Nyaya and Yoga. He is known for his treatise on natural philosophy, the Vaisheshika Sutras, which deals with topics such as atomic theory, the nature of the universe, and the concept of causation.

Maharishi Kanad (also known as Kanada or Kanada Maharishi) was an ancient Indian philosopher and founder of the Vaisheshika school of Hindu philosophy.

Father of scientific atomic theory