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Twin-effect
This boosted
astronomical studies in India. Not because the East India
Company was particularly keen on enlightening the Indians. Its
aim was to gain knowledge of the Indian Sub-continent and its
natural resources! It aimed to establish an efficient
communication network, particularly for revenue purposes. Since
the available tables were not accurate enough and not based on
systematic astronomical observations, the EICo promoted
cartography with the aid of its own surveyors.
Whatever the reason may be, the regular astronomical control of
geographical surveying indirectly supported the modern
astronomical activities in India.
Development of
astronomical
knowledge
is closely
related
with the
establishment
of
observatories. |
Advent of the
Observatories
The most significant impact of this growing interest in
stargazing was the setting up of modern observatories. Some of
these sceintific facilities, which compiled star charts using
telescopes, were founded by Indian kings, while the rest were
founded by the EICo.
Stone Observatories of Jai Singh: Sawai Jai Singh
(1686-1743) constructed five observatories in Delhi, Jaipur,
Benaras, Ujjain, and Mathura. He installed astronomical
instruments of pre-telescopic era. Some instruments were made
out of metal but most were constructed of stone and masonry.
Many instruments were his own invention such as Jai Prakasa
Yantra, Rama Yantra, and Samrat Yantra.
Madras Observatory: Michael Topping (1746-1796),
sailor-astronomer, who was a part of the Company’s Board of
Directors, was the guiding force behind the construction of this
observatory. He acquired several astronomical instruments such
as achromatic refractors, astronomical clocks with compound
pendulum, and an excellent transit instrument.
Calcutta Observatory: In 1825, the EICo established a
small observatory in Calcutta (now Kolkata) to serve the Survey
Department. It had a transit telescope, alti-azimuth circle and
later an astronomical telescope.
Royal Observatory, Lucknow: Nasiruddin Haydar, king of
Oudh (Awadh), established an observatory in Lucknow in
1832-1835. According to some reports, it was one of the
best-equipped observatories in India at that time. It had a
mural circle, a transit telescope, an equatorial telescope, and
astronomical clocks.
Takhta Singhji Observatory: In 1882, Parsi physicist
Kavasji Dadabhai Naegamvala established an observatory in Pune
with the aid of a grant from the Maharaja of Bhavnagar. It was a
premier spectroscopic observatory, possessing a 20-inch Grubb
reflector for both visual and photographic work, spectroscopes,
and sidereal clocks.
 Wrapped
in routines
But the astronomers were so overburdened with
meteorological researches that they could barely focus
on astronomical observations. Major Wilcox of Royal
Observatory, Lucknow, was even ordered by the Governor
General to keep meteorological and magnetic registers,
and carry out these observations regularly. His argument
that “meteorology is considered quite separate from the
science of astronomy” was ignored.
It was not surprising, therefore, that astronomy could
not become an integral part of the Indian education
system, in spite of the array of observatories. They
remained in effect ‘alien outposts of a foreign
science.’ The directors were naturally all Europeans and
almost all the Indians employed there were kept for
menial works. |
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