What is Gregorian Caledar? and Julian Calendar? How is it influenced by India?

Question

September is Saptam Ambar in Sanskrit which means seventh month. Like wise Asta means 8th, Navam means 9th, and Dasama means 10th in Sanskrit. Before Hijra, what was the calendar in Arabian peninsula?

Answer 1

Gregorian calendar is the current calendar in use, which was started by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 as a corrected form of the earlier one known as Julian calendar. Julius Caesar introduced the calendar in 46 B.C. Before that they were following only 10 months a year June being the sixth followed by September meaning seventh month, October as eigth, November as ninth, and December as tenth month. It was later on, when it was realised that there are 365 days two more months were inserted as July by the name of Julius Caesar and August by the name of his son Augustus Caesar. It was learnt from India, as you have rightly guessed.

The Muslims count their days in a months by lunar movements and hence they have only 354 days and in one century of Christian year the muslims have 103 years.

Answer 2

It's likely that the Gregorian calendar and the Julian calendar are independent on anything from India as both originated from the ancient Roman calendar.

The Julian calendar was a reform of the older Roman calendar in that a couple of days were taken from February and one each added to Quintilis and Sextiliis, renamed July and August after Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar. It also introduced the leap day every four years.

The Gregorian calendar was a minor reform of the Julian calendar in that the leap day every four years through the calendar off by ten days by the 1500's (the Vernal equinox was March 11 at that time). In a semi-convoluted scheme, century years (1700, 1800, etc.) would not be leap days except every 400 years when it would be. Thus, 1900 was not a leap year, 2000 was, but 2100 will not be.

Hope that helps.