ABSTRACT
The general acceptance of heliocentrism was a symbolic victory of sorts for that small literate elite who were appealing to government, ulema and the public to invest in science education at all levels. Even as heliocentrism was being pulled through the half-open window of semi-official religio-cultural acceptance, a much larger challenge coming from Europe's continuing progress in science was looming over the horizon, namely Darwin. Geological eras and animal kingdoms were defined and governing principles laid down to explain the formation of earth and life. If Newton could claim to see further than most men because he stood on the shoulders of giants, Darwin could have claimed to enjoy the same elevated vantage point. Darwin's clue to natural selection came from a source quite outside the natural sciences, Thomas Malthus's Essay on Population, published in 1798. Darwin knew his ideas would cause trouble.
