Chess, shampoo, and zero were all invented in ancient India, with each later evolving through contributions from other cultures and periods.

Chess

Most historians trace chess to northern India in the 6th century CE, where it began as chaturanga on an 8×8 board before spreading to Persia and beyond. Multiple reliable summaries concur that the earliest recognizable form of chess arose in India during the Gupta period and then evolved as it moved through the Islamic world into medieval Europe.

Shampoo

Shampooing practices originated in the Indian subcontinent, with early formulations in the Indus Valley using plant-based surfactants like soapnuts and amla; the English word “shampoo” derives from Hindi “chā̃po.” The concept and term were transmitted to Europe in the 18th century via colonial encounters, where the meaning shifted from massage/washing to modern hair- cleansing products.

Zero

The full mathematical zero as both a placeholder and a number with arithmetic rules was first formalized in India, notably in Brahmagupta’s 7th-century work Brahmasphutasiddhanta. Later developments spread through the Islamic world to medieval Europe, but the decisive conceptual breakthrough of treating zero as a number originated in India.