Contribution of Bengal school for the protection of traditional Ayurvedic knowledge in colonial India

Abstract

Ayurveda is the age-old medical system in India and probably the oldest medical science. Ayurveda is still practiced as a leading healthcare measure in India and has been spread globally. The journey was not smooth; many obstacles came in the way of the existence of Ayurveda. The most difficult hurdle came during the British rule in India. The British rulers introduced and established their knowledge and culture at the cost of traditional Indian heritage and culture. As traditional knowledge of medical science in India, Ayurveda also faced challenges. The Ayurvedic physicians from Bengal, by the able leadership of Kaviraja Gangadhar Ray and others, had protected successfully the traditional Ayurvedic knowledge in Bengal in particular and in India in general. They had established Ayurvedic treatment centres (~Chikitsalaya), pharmacies for the production of Ayurvedic medicines on a large scale, and institutions (Tol/Chatuspathi) for providing free Ayurvedic knowledge to the students. Disciples of the Bengalee Ayurvedic Guru have spread throughout India and protected this great knowledge of medical science at that time. The condition of Ayurveda in India and the contribution of Ayurvedic physicians to protect Ayurveda in British India have been highlighted in this article.