Inventions of India: Whenever we think of inventions of India to help the world. The first thought that appears in our mind is ‘Aryabhatta invented zero’ which actually made the mathematics execute possibly.
But there are a lot which India has given to this world and that surprisingly is now a part of our life. Missing this one invention would make it difficult even to survive.
*The name is SHAMPOO*
YES! Shampoo was invented in India in 1500 A.D. At that time, people in India used to massage their body and hair with a paste formed from boiling the medicinal herbs like Amla (gooseberry), Shikhkai (Acacia) mixed up along with other hair-friendly herbs.
Later on, soapberries which in Sanskrit is called ‘Phenaka,’ was used in combination to create a lather for the shampoo, which became that ingredient of the combination that not only massages the hair but also makes them soft, shiny, and manageable.
This paste is named ‘Champu’ because the process of massaging the body and scalp is known as ‘Champi,’ and that is where the word ‘Shampoo’ is derived.
Have your grandparents told you this interesting story! Yes or no! But you know what is more interesting? The question that how did it go to get a global reach?
The name who took our invention to Europe is ‘Sheikh Din Muhammad.’ He was born in 1749 in Patna in a generation of barber family.
He went to Britain to practice his art of champooi as he was interested in making herbal potions and soaps from his childhood.
He later opened his own spa named ‘Mahomed Baths,’ and his specialty was to give Champi to his customers.
He became so popular with his head massages that King George IV and King William IV appointed him their personal ‘Shampoo Surgeon.’
It was then in the 1930s that the process of shampooing is explained as a process to cleanse the hair instead of just massaging it.
This change in definition introduced a lot of different chemicals in the formation of shampoo by the Germans.
Even if you know this fact, then it is also, Ok! Let me tell you one more amazing thing, Shampoo was invented in India, but you might not know that it was never affordable to common people so easily.
People use it in tiny proportions or do not use it at all because it was required to be bought in large quantities, and at that time, or even today, survival is above cleansing hair.
Hence, the question is, who developed the idea to make it affordable to the poor, middle class, and each and every person who wants to have it?
An Indian brand named ‘CHIK’ developed the process of packaging the shampoos in small sachets starting from the range of just 1 rupee, for which earlier people have to spend at least 60 – 70 rupee.
Can you imagine the revolution it has brought! A lot of business schools today are still taking the case study of ‘Chik’ shampoo in their subjects to teach students ‘how to bring a revolution with the product already available in the market?’ and a lot more topics.
Haircare is a booming industry worldwide. India’s shampoo industry is forecasted to reach a 4.89 billion dollar industry by 2025 and is in line to be the major driver of the global market.
One more reason to be proud of our rich Indian heritage.
Also Read: The History of India