Why do some Indians believe in lost ancient technology?

The belief of false historical generation among some Indians stems from a combination of historical pride, misinterpreted archaeological findings, and a cultural narrative that is bereft of India’s scientific achievements. From claims of advanced Vedic vimanas (Avinas) to references to nuclear warfare inside the Mahabharata, these ideas often blur the lines between mythology, pseudoscience, and proper historical inquiry. An understanding of why such theories persist requires examining India’s rich cosmopolitan heritage, colonial influences, and modern-day nationalist sentiments that seek to reclaim a glorious technological past.

Historical Indian texts such as the Vedas, the Puranas, and epics including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana contain descriptions that some interpret as evidence of an advanced age. For example:

• Vimanas: The twentieth-century Sanskrit treatise Vaimanika Shastra describes flying machines with unique engineering blueprints. Though later refuted by scientists (a 1974 study by the Indian Institute of Technology found them aerodynamically impractical), the idea persists because of older references in the Ramayana (e.g., the Pushpaka Vimana).
• The Mahabharata’s “divine guns”: Passages describing cannons such as the Brahmastra—which are said to cause destruction comparable to nuclear explosions—are often referenced as evidence of prehistoric superior warfare. Proponents argue that ancient civilizations possessed energy guns that were lost to time.
• Sushruta’s surgical precision: The Sushruta Samhita (6th century BCE) details complex surgical procedures, leading some to say that ancient Indians had scientific technology rivaling contemporary science.
• Those interpretations, however, often forget the symbolic and allegorical nature of mythological texts, and mix poetic exaggeration with literal technical details.

The British colonial era (1757-1947) systematically undermined India’s clinical historical past, portraying it as backward while simultaneously exploiting its expertise (e.g., Ayurveda, mathematics). In response, post-independence thinkers sought to reassert India’s historical contributions, sometimes exaggerating them to the point of speculation. People like Lokmanya Tilak (who argued for the arctic origins of the Vedas) and Dayananda Saraswati (who claimed that Vedic technology surpassed current physics) laid the groundwork for later theories.

The “Vedic technology” movement, popularized by twentieth-century authorities like Prabhupada (founding father of ISKCON), similarly propagated ideas that ancient Indians had airplanes, stem-cellular studies, and quantum physics encoded in scriptures. These claims, though lacking empirical evidence, gained traction as a cultural counter-narrative to Western scientific dominance.

Some archaeological discoveries were misinterpreted to conform to bad-technology narratives:

• The iron pillar of Delhi: Its rust-resistant structure gives rise to claims of “ancient metallurgy secrets,” even though scientists attribute its robustness to phosphoric content and environmental conditions.
• The underwater ruins of Dwaraka: Proposed as evidence of Krishna’s superior city, but marine archaeology dates the systems to 1500 BCE – far beyond the Mahabharata generation (traditionally 3102 BCE).
• The urban building schemes of the Harappan civilization: While impressively advanced, some exaggerate its work (e.g., calling the drainage systems “high technology”) to present a story of false sophistication.
• Nationalist media and films (e.g., PK, Bharat Ek Khoj) sometimes advance those claims, mixing folklore with pseudoscience to promote joy in a “golden age” of India.

YouTube channels and social media have promoted theories of false Vedic generation, often using sensationalist headlines such as “NASA proves ancient India had airplanes.” Misquoted research (e.g., NASA studies on Ayurvedic herbs being presented as “evidence of historical bioengineering”) are going viral, fueling confirmation bias. Successes of the Indian Space Research Institute (ISRO) are sometimes linked to mythical technology, with claims that “Aryabhata knew about rockets.”

The belief in false generation serves several psychological desires:

• Cultural healing: Reclaiming satisfaction after centuries of colonial destruction.
• Mystical allure: The concept that historical rishis possessed “higher knowledge” coincides with religious traditions that consider rishis (seers) to be supernatural.
• Anti-Western sentiment: Presenting Vedic science as superior to modern Western sciences is a protest against alleged cultural imperialism.

Mainstream historians and scientists (e.g., Dr. Meenakshi Jain, Dr. Michel Danino) warn against mixing fiction with history. At the same time that India made unprecedented contributions (e.g., medicine, surgery, astronomy), projecting modern technology onto the past risks obscuring real achievements with fictional claims.

The notion of a false ancient era reflects a deep cultural desire to enjoy India’s superior heritage. But, it is important to distinguish between verifiable history and innovative reconstruction. Instead of relying on unproven theories, a proper scientific history of India from the geometry of the Sulba Sutras to the heliocentrism of Aryabhata – gives adequate insights without resorting to mythological exaggerations. Embracing evidence-based studies while respecting symbolic traditions can bridge the gap between self-esteem and pseudoscience.