CDS 2026 · PYQ · Ancient India / Manuscripts · medium
The Bower Manuscript is known for being a valuable source on which one of the following subjects in ancient India?
A.Medicine✓ Correct
B.Mathematics
C.Astronomy
D.Chemistry
Explanation
The Bower Manuscript, discovered in 1890 by Lt. Hamilton Bower near Kuchar (Kashgar, present-day Xinjiang, China), is one of the oldest surviving Sanskrit manuscripts (4th-6th century CE) written on birch bark in Gupta Brahmi script. It is primarily a medical treatise containing portions related to Ayurveda, including discussions of garlic's medicinal properties, eye treatments, and various other remedies. It also has fragments on divination and incantations, but it is best known as a valuable source for ancient Indian medicine.
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