Mathematics · a Light

The numbers we use came to Baghdad from India in 773

In 773 an embassy from Sind reached the court of the caliph al-Mansur carrying an Indian astronomical work, a Siddhanta, most likely Brahmagupta's. It was translated into Arabic as the Zij al-Sindhind, and with it came the decimal place value system and the zero, which Indian mathematicians had developed. Arabic writers were clear about the debt and called the figures al-arqam al-hindiyya, the Indian numerals. When the system reached Europe through Arabic books, Europeans called them Arabic numerals, after the language they had read them in. The digits on every phone screen carry two civilisations in their name, and the older claim belongs to India.

Court of al-Mansur, Baghdad · 773 CE