5-Limit in India?

A 4th century CE (AD) date for the Indian 22 shruti scale certainly allows
for Greek influence. Alexander the Great reached the Indus in the 4rd
century BCE and a Greek state lasted in Khorasmia until Roman times. Greek
astronomy clearly influenced Indian astronomy (the Paulisa Siddhanta,
Romaka Siddhanta, Surya S. etc. ) at an early date, thought to be around
4th century CE by Neugebauer). Since the chief music theorists of the
Hellenistic period were also astronomers, I see no problem with their being
a Greek influence on music as well, or at least on music theory.

Because of the skhismic relationship, 5 limit relations may be approximated
by
a long Pythagorean cycle. I read a paper in an ethnomusicology journal that
suggested that the 22 tone scale grew out of the modes of the 12-tone
Pythagorean series. I gave my copy of the paper to Erv Wilson, who agreed,
but I don't recall the details any more. Hence one could use essentially 5
limit intervals while not recognizing 5 as a factor at all.

The point is that 5 and 7 limits intervals in theory and in melody were
recognized by the Greeks in the 4th century BC (Archytas) and later in
Alexandria in Hellenistic times (Didymos, Eratosthenes, Ptolemy). India
could have borrowed these concepts or developed them independently. I don't
think we can decide on present evidence (the Indians made no secret of
having learned astronomy from the Greeks as the Surya Siddhanta recounts
someone being ordered to go West to the land of the Ionians (Yavanas),
become incarnated as a barbarian, and learn astronomy. (Ethnic prejudice is
not a dead, white European, male value, evidently). The Paulisa S. is
thought to be named after Paulus Alexandrinus, a 4th century CE astronomer.

Actually all of the ancient world was in pretty close cultural contact,
particularly after Alexander, though Greek mathematics owes a lot to
Babylon and somewhat less to Egypt. They took what they wanted and ran with
it...

--John



SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
From: nowitzky@pacificnet.net
Subject: Re: Matrices (digest 1166 topic 2)
PostedDate: 28-08-97 18:35:22
SendTo: CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH
ReplyTo: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
$UpdatedBy: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH,CN=Manuel op de Coul/OU=AT/O=EZH
RouteServers: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=notesrv1/OU=Server/O=EZH
RouteTimes: 28-08-97 18:35:27-28-08-97 19:13:26,28-08-97 19:13:14-28-08-97 19:13:15
DeliveredDate: 28-08-97 19:13:15
Categories:
$Revisions:

Received: from ns.ezh.nl by notesrv2.ezh.nl (Lotus SMTP MTA v1.1 (385.6 5-6-1997)) with SMTP id
C1256501.005B21C1; Thu, 28 Aug 1997 18:35:24 +0200
Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA04167; Thu, 28 Aug 1997 18:35:22 +0200
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 18:35:22 +0200
Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA04191
Received: (qmail 22027 invoked from network); 28 Aug 1997 16:35:19 -0000
Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1)
by localhost with SMTP; 28 Aug 1997 16:35:19 -0000
Message-Id: <2.2.16.19970828092939.2d375326@pacificnet.net>
Errors-To: madole@mills.edu
Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu