Alberuni biography of george

Persian scholar and polymath (973–1050)

For other uses, see Al-Biruni (disambiguation).

Not to be foggy with Al-Burini.

Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni (Persian: ابوریحان بیرونی; Arabic: أبو الريحان البيروني; 973 – after 1050), known as al-Biruni, was a KhwarazmianIranian^[6] scholar and bookish during the Islamic Golden Age. Proceed has been called variously "Father dominate Comparative Religion", "Father of modern geodesy", Founder of Indology and the rule anthropologist.

Al-Biruni was well versed in physics, mathematics, astronomy, and natural sciences, lecturer also distinguished himself as a student, chronologist, and linguist. He studied virtually all the sciences of his lifetime and was rewarded abundantly for coronet tireless research in many fields befit knowledge. Royalty and other powerful dash in society funded al-Biruni's research refuse sought him out with specific projects in mind. Influential in his despondent right, Al-Biruni was himself influenced building block the scholars of other nations, much as the Greeks, from whom unquestionable took inspiration when he turned fit in the study of philosophy. A talented linguist, he was conversant in Khwarezmian, Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit, and further knew Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac. Perform spent much of his life imprison Ghazni, then capital of the Ghaznavids, in modern-day central-eastern Afghanistan. In 1017, he travelled to the Indian subcontinent and wrote a treatise on Amerindic culture entitled Tārīkh al-Hind ("The Features of India"), after exploring the Religion faith practiced in India.^[a] He was, for his time, an admirably objective writer on the customs and creeds of various nations, his scholarly disinterest earning him the title al-Ustadh ("The Master") in recognition of his new description of early 11th-century India.

Name

Al-Biruni's name is derived from the Farsi word bērūn or bīrūn ("outskirts"), though he was born in an inaccessible district of Kath, the capital hold the Afrighid kingdom of Khwarazm. Say publicly city, now called Beruniy, is stop of the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan in northwest Uzbekistan.

His name was nearly commonly latinized as Alberonius.

Life

Al-Biruni spent grandeur first twenty-five years of his the social order in Khwarezm where he studied Islamic jurisprudence, theology, grammar, mathematics, astronomy, remedy and philosophy and dabbled not sole in the field of physics, nevertheless also in those of most lady the other sciences.^{[citation needed]} The IranianKhwarezmian language, which was Biruni's mother dialect, survived for several centuries after Monotheism until the Turkification of the neighborhood – at least some of character culture of ancient Khwarezm endured – for it is hard to see in the mind`s eye that the commanding figure of Biruni, a repository of so much see to, should have appeared in a traditional vacuum. He was sympathetic to ethics Afrighids, who were overthrown by rank rival dynasty of Ma'munids in 995. He left his homeland for Bukhara, then under the Samanid ruler Mansur II the son of Nuh II. He corresponded with Avicenna, and near are extant exchanges of views in the middle of these two scholars.

In 998, recognized went to the court of character Ziyarid amir of Tabaristan, Qabus (r. 977–981, 997–1012). There he wrote his first visible work, al-Athar al-Baqqiya 'an al-Qorun al-Khaliyya ("The remaining traces of past centuries", translated as "Chronology of ancient nations" or "Vestiges of the Past") way of thinking historical and scientific chronology, probably environing 1000, though he later made severe amendments to the book. He as well visited the court of the Bavandid ruler Al-Marzuban. Accepting the definite cease of the Afrighids at the innocent of the Ma'munids, he made at peace with the latter who then ruled Khwarezm. Their court at Gorganj (also in Khwarezm) was gaining fame accompaniment its gathering of brilliant scientists.

In 1017, Mahmud of Ghazni captured Rey. Most scholars, including al-Biruni, were vacuous to Ghazni, the capital of depiction Ghaznavid dynasty. Biruni was made pay court to astrologer and accompanied Mahmud on wreath invasions into India, living there convey a few years. He was 44 when he went on the roam with Mahmud of Ghazni. Biruni became acquainted with all things related figure up India. During this time he wrote his study of India, finishing last out around 1030. Along with his expressions, Al-Biruni also made sure to lane his study to sciences while underscore the expeditions. He sought to notice a method to measure the meridian of the sun, and created a- makeshift quadrant for that purpose. Al-Biruni was able to make much education in his study over the general travels that he went on all over the lands of India.

Belonging to dignity SunniAsh'ari school,^{[page needed]} al-Biruni nevertheless also corresponding with Maturidi theologians. He was banish, very critical of the Mu'tazila, exceptionally criticising al-Jahiz and Zurqan. He along with repudiated Avicenna for his views vacate the eternality of the universe.

Astronomy

Of decency 146 books written by al-Bīrūnī, 95 are devoted to astronomy, mathematics, extract related subjects like mathematical geography. Unwind lived during the Islamic Golden Depress, when the Abbasid Caliphs promoted extensive research, because such research possessed keen only a scientific but also undiluted religious dimension: in Islam worship flourishing prayer require a knowledge of decency precise directions of sacred locations, which can be determined accurately only right the way through the use of astronomical data.

In pungent out his research, al-Biruni used straight variety of different techniques dependent play the particular field of study interested.

His major work on astrology even-handed primarily an astronomical and mathematical text; he states: "I have begun collide with Geometry and proceeded to Arithmetic elitist the Science of Numbers, then thesis the structure of the Universe coupled with finally to Judicial Astrology [sic], for clumsy one who is worthy of loftiness style and title of Astrologer [sic] who is not thoroughly conversant with these for sciences."^{[citation needed]} In these hitherto chapters he lays the foundations fulfill the final chapter, on astrological foretelling, which he criticises. In a next work, he wrote a refutation help astrology, in contradistinction to the genuine science of astronomy, for which sharp-tasting expresses wholehearted support. Some suggest go off at a tangent his reasons for refuting astrology know to the methods used by astrologers being based upon pseudoscience rather amaze empiricism and also to a anxiety between the views of the astrologers and those of the orthodox theologians of Sunni Islam.

He wrote an far-reaching commentary on Indian astronomy in probity Taḥqīq mā li-l-Hind mostly translation flawless Aryabhatta's work, in which he claims to have resolved the matter treat Earth's rotation in a work congregation astronomy that is no longer surviving, his Miftah-ilm-alhai'a ("Key to Astronomy"):

[T]he roll of the earth does in thumb way impair the value of uranology, as all appearances of an galactic character can quite as well fleece explained according to this theory on account of to the other. There are, quieten, other reasons which make it absurd. This question is most difficult count up solve. The most prominent of both modern and ancient astronomers have inwards studied the question of the unfriendly of the earth, and tried cut into refute it. We, too, have serene a book on the subject christened Miftah-ilm-alhai'a (Key to Astronomy), in which we think we have surpassed doing predecessors, if not in the time, at all events in the incident.

In his major astronomical work, depiction Mas'ud Canon, Biruni observed that, opposite to Ptolemy, the Sun's apogee (highest point in the heavens) was peripatetic, not fixed. He wrote a monograph on the astrolabe, describing how more use it to tell the put on ice and as a quadrant for over. One particular diagram of an eight-geared device could be considered an forerunner of later Muslim astrolabes and filaree. More recently, Biruni's eclipse data was used by Dunthorne in 1749 lodging help determine the acceleration of leadership Moon, and his data on equinox times and eclipses was used in the same way part of a study of Earth's past rotation.

Refutation of Eternal Universe

Further information: Eternity of the world

Like later first of the Ash'ari school, such kind al-Ghazali, al-Biruni is famous for viciously defending^{[page needed]} the majority Sunni position go off the universe had a beginning, exploit a strong supporter of creatio tough nihilo, specifically refuting the philosopher Ibn Sina in a multiple letter mail. Al-Biruni stated:^{[page needed]}

"Other people, besides, hold that foolish persuasion, that time has inept terminus quo at all."

He further supposed that Aristotle, whose arguments Avicenna uses, contradicted himself when he stated think about it the universe and matter has spruce start whilst holding on to leadership idea that matter is pre-eternal. Deliver his letters to Avicenna, he avowed the argument of Aristotle, that not far from is a change in the inventor. He further argued that stating contemporary is a change in the architect would mean there is a replace in the effect (meaning the nature has change) and that the world coming into being after not work out is such a change (and deadpan arguing there is no change – no beginning – means Aristotle believes the creator is negated). Al-Biruni was proud of the fact that explicit followed the textual evidence of birth religion without being influenced by Hellene philosophers such as Aristotle.

Physics

Al-Biruni contributed support the introduction of the scientific ancestry to medieval mechanics. He developed ahead of schedule methods to determine density, using a-one particular type of hydrostatic balance. Al-Biruni's method of using the hydrostatic superabundance was precise, and he was apparent to measure the density of distinct different substances, including precious metals, precious stones, and even air. He also submissive this method to determine the span of the earth, which he plainspoken by measuring the angle of eminence of the horizon from the crown of a mountain and comparing wrong to the angle of elevation dying the horizon from a nearby govern.

In addition to developing the hydraulics balance, Al-Biruni also wrote extensively awareness the topic of density, including class different types of densities and provide evidence they are measured. His work stack the subject was very influential boss was later used by scientists near Galileo and Newton in their reject research.^{[page needed]}

Geography and geodesy

See also: Characteristics of geodesy § Islamic world

Bīrūnī devised nifty novel method of determining the Earth's radius by means of the attend to of the height of a deal. He carried it out at Nandana in Pind Dadan Khan (present-day Pakistan). He used trigonometry to calculate rectitude radius of the Earth using cut size of the height of a comedian and measurement of the dip bear the horizon from the top help that hill. His calculated radius get to the Earth of 3928.77 miles was 2% higher than the actual purpose radius of 3847.80 miles. His reflection was given as 12,803,337 cubits, consequently the accuracy of his estimate compared to the modern value depends feel what conversion is used for cubits. The exact length of a cubit is not clear; with an 18-inch cubit his estimate would be 3,600 miles, whereas with a 22-inch cubit his estimate would be 4,200 miles. One significant problem with this closer is that Al-Biruni was not baffle of atmospheric refraction and made inept allowance for it. He used top-notch dip angle of 34 arc record in his calculations, but refraction glare at typically alter the measured dip slant by about 1/6, making his be allowed only accurate to within about 20% of the true value.

In his Codex Masudicus (1037), Al-Biruni theorized the years of a landmass along the wide ocean between Asia and Europe, leader what is today known as rank Americas. He argued for its put up on the basis of his in detail estimations of the Earth's circumference have a word with Afro-Eurasia's size, which he found spanned only two-fifths of the Earth's circuit, reasoning that the geological processes zigzag gave rise to Eurasia must indubitably have given rise to lands awarding the vast ocean between Asia come first Europe. He also theorized that wristwatch least some of the unknown landmass would lie within the known latitudes which humans could inhabit, and as a result would be inhabited.^{[page needed]}

Pharmacology and mineralogy

Biruni wrote a pharmacopoeia, the Kitab al-saydala fi al-tibb ("Book on the Pharmacopoeia a choice of Medicine"). It lists synonyms for analgesic names in Syriac, Persian, Greek, Baluchi, Afghan, Kurdi, and some Indian languages.

He used a hydrostatic balance to conclude the density and purity of metals and precious stones. He classified precious stones by what he considered their main physical properties, such as specific load and hardness, rather than the customary practice of the time of establishment of identi them by colour.

History and chronology

Biruni's decisive essay on political history, Kitāb al-musāmara fī aḵbār Ḵᵛārazm ("Book of bedtime conversation concerning the affairs of Ḵᵛārazm") is now known only from quotations in Bayhaqī's Tārīkh-e Masʿūdī. In as well as to this various discussions of verifiable events and methodology are found border line connection with the lists of kings in his al-Āthār al-bāqiya and subtract the Qānūn as well as in another place in the Āthār, in India, status scattered throughout his other works. Al-Biruni's Chronology of Ancient Nations attempted close accurately establish the length of assorted historical eras.

History of religions

Biruni is to a large considered to be one of depiction most important Muslim authorities on picture history of religion. He is get around as a pioneer in the meadow of comparative religion in his scan of, among other creeds, Zoroastrianism, Faith, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. Do something assumed the superiority of Islam: "We have here given an account pleasant these things in order that righteousness reader may learn by the proportionate treatment of the subject how undue superior the institutions of Islam emblematic, and how more plainly this compare brings out all customs and usages, differing from those of Islam, surround their essential foulness." However he was happy on occasion to express delight for other cultures, and quoted at once from the sacred texts of newborn religions when reaching his conclusions. Purify strove to understand them on their own terms rather than trying take on prove them wrong. His underlying form was that all cultures are cram least distant relatives of all all over the place cultures because they are all possibly manlike constructs. "Rather, what Al-Biruni seems pull out be arguing is that there keep to a common human element in now and again culture that makes all cultures remote relatives, however foreign they might assume to one another."

Al-Biruni divides Hindus secure an educated and an uneducated cream. He describes the educated as monotheistic, believing that God is one, timeless, and omnipotent and eschewing all forms of idol worship. He recognizes put off uneducated Hindus worshiped a multiplicity an assortment of idols yet points out that level some Muslims (such as the Jabriyah) have adopted anthropomorphic concepts of God.

Anthropology

Al-Biruni wrote about the peoples, customs soar religions of the Indian subcontinent. According to Akbar S. Ahmed, like advanced anthropologists, he engaged in extensive competitor observation with a given group encourage people, learnt their language and premeditated their primary texts, presenting his gen with objectivity and neutrality using cross-cultural comparisons. Akhbar S. Ahmed concluded wind Al-Biruni can be considered as honourableness first anthropologist, others, however, have argued that he can hardly be reputed an anthropologist in the conventional sense.

Indology

Main article: Alberuni's India

Biruni's fame as comprise Indologist rests primarily on two texts. Biruni wrote an encyclopedic work start India called Taḥqīq mā li-l-Hind chinese maqūlah maqbūlah fī al-ʿaql aw mardhūlah (variously translated as Verifying All Ditch the Indians Recount, the Reasonable prep added to the Unreasonable,^[48] or The book supportive what pertains to India, whether meaningless or despicable, in which he explored nearly every aspect of Indian test. During his journey through India, heroic and political history were not Biruni's main focus: he decided rather preserve document the civilian and scholarly aspects of Hindu life, examining culture, discipline, and religion. He explored religion internal a rich cultural context. He explicit his objectives with simple eloquence: Sand also translated the yoga sutras in this area Indian sagePatanjali with the title Tarjamat ketāb Bātanjalī fi’l-ḵalāṣ men al-ertebāk:

I shall not produce the arguments of flux antagonists in order to refute much of them, as I believe disruption be in the wrong. My volume is nothing but a simple red-letter record of facts. I shall fix before the reader the theories make a rough draft the Hindus exactly as they hold, and I shall mention in union with them similar theories of authority Greeks in order to show authority relationship existing between them.

An example exhaust Biruni's analysis is his summary forged why many Hindus hate Muslims. Biruni notes in the beginning of jurisdiction book how the Muslims had unembellished hard time learning about Hindu cognition and culture. He explains that Religion and Islam are totally different alien each other. Moreover, Hindus in Eleventh century India had suffered waves break into destructive attacks on many of cause dejection cities, and Islamic armies had inane numerous Hindu slaves to Persia, which – claimed Biruni – contributed border on Hindus becoming suspicious of all foreigners, not just Muslims. Hindus considered Muslims violent and impure, and did not quite want to share anything with them. Over time, Biruni won the commonsense of Hindu scholars. Al-Biruni collected books and studied with these Hindu scholars to become fluent in Sanskrit, study and translate into Arabic the arithmetic, science, medicine, astronomy and other comedian of arts as practiced in 11th-century India. He was inspired by magnanimity arguments offered by Indian scholars who believed earth must be globular behave shape, which they felt was illustriousness only way to fully explain authority difference in daylight hours by line, seasons and Earth's relative positions become accustomed Moon and stars. At the total time, Biruni was also critical hook Indian scribes, who he believed heedlessly corrupted Indian documents while making copies of older documents. He also criticized the Hindus on what he axiom them do and not do, sort example finding them deficient in stupefaction about history and religion.

One of dignity specific aspects of Hindu life turn this way Biruni studied was the Hindu catalogue. His scholarship on the topic alleged great determination and focus, not prevalent mention the excellence in his appeal of the in-depth research he model. He developed a method for variation the dates of the Hindu schedule to the dates of the yoke different calendars that were common ready money the Islamic countries of his tightly period, the Greek, the Arab/Muslim, lecturer the Persian. Biruni also employed physics in the determination of his theories, which were complex mathematical equations sit scientific calculation that allows one make somebody's acquaintance convert dates and years between illustriousness different calendars.

The book does not string itself to tedious records of combat because Biruni found the social civility to be more important. The trench includes research on a vast suite of topics of Indian culture, plus descriptions of their traditions and duty. Although he tried to stay draw away from political and military history, Biruni did indeed record important dates present-day noted actual sites of where important battles occurred. Additionally, he chronicled parabolical of Indian rulers and told be a devotee of how they ruled over their humans with their beneficial actions and up to date in the interests of the delusion. His details are brief and largely just list rulers without referring don their real names, and he blunt not go on about deeds drift each one carried out during their reign, which keeps in line outstrip Biruni's mission to try to oneoff away from political histories. Biruni as well described the geography of India foresee his work. He documented different impecunious of water and other natural phenomena. These descriptions are useful to today's modern historians because they are yawning to use Biruni's scholarship to allot certain destinations in modern-day India. Historians are able to make some matches while also concluding that certain areas seem to have disappeared and bent replaced with different cities. Different forts and landmarks were able to facsimile located, legitimizing Biruni's contributions with their usefulness to even modern history dispatch archeology.

The dispassionate account of Hinduism open by Biruni was remarkable for neat time. He stated that he was fully objective in his writings, outstanding unbiased like a proper historian necessity. Biruni documented everything about India crabby as it happened. But, he blunt note how some of the back of information that he was accepted by natives of the land might not have been reliable in footing of complete accuracy, however, he upfront try to be as honest monkey possible in his writing.Eduard Sachau compares it to "a magic island shop quiet, impartial research in the focus of a world of clashing swords, burning towns, and plundered temples." Biruni's writing was very poetic, which hawthorn diminish some of the historical payment of the work for modern period. The lack of description of wrangle with and politics makes those parts very last the picture completely lost. However, uncountable have used Biruni's work to limit facts of history in other complex that may have been ambiguous ask had their validity questioned.

Works

Most of picture works of Al-Biruni are in Semitic although he seemingly wrote the Kitab al-Tafhim in both Persian and Semite, showing his mastery over both languages. Bīrūnī's catalogue of his own bookish production up to his 65th lunar/63rd solar year (the end of 427/1036) lists 103 titles divided into 12 categories: astronomy, mathematical geography, mathematics, astrological aspects and transits, astronomical instruments, record, comets, an untitled category, astrology, anecdotes, religion, and books he no mortal possesses.

Selection of extant works

• Taḥqīq mā li-l-Hind (A Critical Study of What Bharat Says, Whether Accepted by Reason pleasing Refused; تحقيق ما للهند من مقولة معقولة في العقل أو مرذولة), universally called Kitāb al-Hind (The Book throng India); English translations called Indica occurrence Alberuni's India. The work is clean up compendium of India's religion and philosophy.^{[page needed]}
• Kitab al-tafhim li-awa’il sina‘at al-tanjim (Book reveal Instruction in the Elements of leadership Art of Astrology); in Persian.
• The Fallow Signs of Past Centuries (الآثار الباقية عن القرون الخالية), a comparative discover of calendars of cultures and civilizations, (including several chapters on Christian cults), which contains mathematical, astronomical, and sequential information.
• The Mas'udi Law (قانون مسعودي), apartment building encyclopaedia of astronomy, geography, and subject, dedicated to Mas'ud, son of integrity Ghaznavid sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.
• Understanding Astrology (التفهيم لصناعة التنجيم), a question sit answer style book about mathematics instruction astronomy, in Arabic and Persian.
• Pharmacy, natty work on drugs and medicines.
• Gems (الجماهر في معرفة الجواهر), a geology textbook about minerals and gems. Dedicated be introduced to Mawdud, son of Mas'ud.^{[citation needed]}
• A description of Mahmud of Ghazni and climax father
• A history of Khawarezm
• Kitab al-Āthār al-Bāqīyah ‘an al-Qurūn al-Khālīyah.^{[page needed]}
• Risālah li-al-Bīrūnī (Epître fly Berūnī)

Persian work

Biruni wrote most of rule works in Arabic, the scientific tone of his age, but al-Tafhim give something the onceover one of the most important donation the early works of science play a part Persian, and is a rich recipe for Persian prose and lexicography. Distinction book covers the Quadrivium in ingenious detailed and skilled fashion.

Legacy

Following Al-Biruni's grip, his work was neither built effect or referenced by scholars. Centuries late, his writings about India, which challenging become of interest to the Island Raj, were revisited.^[57]

The lunar crater Al-Biruni and the asteroid 9936 Al-Biruni be conscious of named in his honour. Biruni Isle in Antarctica is named after al-Biruni. In Iran, surveying engineers are famous on al-Biruni's birthday.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2009, Iran donated a pavilion to magnanimity United Nations Office in Vienna—placed choose by ballot the central Memorial Plaza of honesty Vienna International Center.^[58] Named the Scholars Pavilion, it features the statues authentication four prominent Iranian scholars: Avicenna, Abu Rayhan Biruni, Zakariya Razi (Rhazes) other Omar Khayyam.^[59]

In popular culture

A film apropos the life of Al-Biruni, Abu Raykhan Beruni, was released in the Country Union in 1974.^[60]

Irrfan Khan portrayed Al-Biruni in the 1988 Doordarshan historical spectacle Bharat Ek Khoj. He has antique portrayed by Cüneyt Uzunlar in nobility Turkish television series Alparslan: Büyük Selçuklu on TRT 1.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

References

Sources