Indian Knowledge Systems in Healthcare: Lessons from Our Ancestors for Modern Medicine

Abstract

Purpose: India's indigenous medicinal heritage was an advanced medicinal system starting very early in human history. There was a lot happening between 7000 BCE proto dentistry in Mehrgarh and Harappan trepanation, such as the development of Ayurveda with the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, as well as Siddha medicine, Rasashastra, and more. The ancient healers of India were the first of many civilizations to develop frameworks for medicine that are remarkably advanced for their time and are based on many of the principles we use today in biomedical science. This deep-study research paper systematically investigates and examines the contributions of our ancestors in the field of Indian native medicinal systems. It is historically and scientifically informed and examines the development of Indian native medicinal systems from their prehistoric period to the time of the classical Ayurvedic corpus, and through Buddhist, Jain, and other regional medical systems as well as the Indian medical knowledge systems that were transported to other areas of the Asian continent via trade routes and missionaries.

Methodology: This paper incorporates the exploratory qualitative research method. Information is obtained through keyword-based searches on the Google search engine, the Google Scholar search engine, and other AI-driven GPTs. The information is then analyzed and interpreted in alignment with the objectives of the paper.

Analysis/ Results: The paper presents these systems not just as collections of empirical observations of folk practices but as systems of thought with developed epistemologies, diagnostic and therapeutic frameworks, surgical interventions, and philosophies of public health. It is argued that the Tridosha of Ayurveda anticipates constitutional medicine; the Sushruta Samhita's surgery manifests a rigor similar to that of the Western pre-modern surgery; the Atharva Veda's sukshma krimi (the tiny, invisible creatures which are the cause of disease) is a precursor to the theory of germs; and the Prakriti typology of personalized Ayurveda is congruent with contemporary genomics and personalized medicine. The paper advances the argument that the ancient systems of thought are not only relevant to the historical discourse but that they also have present-day relevance. The modern science of pharmacology has begun to validate the claims of Ayurveda regarding its herbs; yoga and pranayama have a positive effect on the nervous system as shown by modern randomized controlled clinical trials, and the World Health Organization's global strategy on traditional medicine acknowledges the vital importance of these systems in dealing with modern health problems (e.g. non-communicable diseases, mental health challenges, and the problems posed by antimicrobial resistance).

Originality/ Value: This study offers a rigorous historical account of the medical systems of India. By relying on a large number of the Indian classical texts and contemporary peer-reviewed scholarship, it provides the evidence needed to advocate for the systematic integration of these medical systems into contemporary health care and higher education as envisaged by India's National Education Policy 2020.

Type of Paper: Exploratory Research.