Numbers Were Invented To Count Money?

NUMBERS WERE INVENTED TO COUNT MONEY?


I somehow believe that numbers were invented to count money or what money can buy. In the beginning they did not need to do any counting and so there was no need for numbers also. Besides they did barter. May be I am totally wrong. There must have been some way of knowing 'how many' after Adam and Eve met but certainly it was not for counting money. Some say it was animals- cows, goats, sheep-used for barter.

Again no one can say for sure when these animals were replaced by coins. Those interested can google but that will not change the basic premise of this post. For establishing their authority, the Kings introduced coins made of gold, silver and cheap metals as legal tender for transactions. As the story goes, Badshaha Humayun was once saved by a Bhisty (a low caste man, one who carries water in a leather sack on his back for cleaning streets and watering plants) from drowning in a river Yamuna. The Badshaha rewarded him with one wish. The Bhisti wished to be made Badshaha for a day. His wish was granted. He introduced leather coins, as legal tender for that day. I think people realized the need for learning counting to count the huge collection of coins they accumulated. Subsequently these coins were replaced by paper currency. But the purpose of numbers remained the same - counting money.

Since then we have come a long way. Today numbers denote money.

If i say I own a flat, I mean I have spent X amount of money for owning that flat.
If I say I have X numbers of suits, shirts, shoes, ties, or what ever I have, in short I am saying I am worth this in money terms.
This is about material possessions.

Then come human relations.
If I say I have an army of friends, I, in fact want to say I have so much of money to maintain that army. Friends do not come cheap.
There is no exception to wife or children, relatives- the more of them, the more is the need for money and the more the need for numbers to count that money.

Even maintaining spirituality is a number game of money. Gurus, particularly Baba type gurus do not come cheap. Think of Babas and you will be reminded of Rampal, Asharam, and now Dr. Gurumeet Ram Rahim Singh Insaan of Dera Sachcha Sauda, Sirsa, India.

May be in the beginning knowing counting up to hundred or thousand was okay. Based on needs and prevailing costs, the numbers had to go up and millions, billions, trillions were added later.

What do you say?

 

Shyamala ji,
You say priceless and they say (I mean not all) it was your duty, since you brought us on this rough and tough planet. News papers are every day reporting children killing their parents for their property which is money. And not to mention deserting them when they need the most. My hint is towards such happenings.
Thank god, such cases are few but increasing.

 

Haha. Kamalji, you said it ! I was told that as per Hindu scriptures, counting starting the day the universe was created in much that the end will come in 100000000000000000000000000000000 years of Brahma which again is of 100000000000000000 of mortal years. I did not count the sunyas (zeros) .