Al-Biruni, a universal genius in Central Asia a thousand years ago

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A universal genius
in Central Asia
a thousand years ago
astronomer
historian
botanist
pharmacologist
geologist
poet
philosopher
mathematician
geographer
humanist
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Courier
Page
JUNE 1974
AL-BIRUNI
27TH YEAR
A universal genius who lived in Central Asia
a thousand years ago
PUBLISHED IN 15 LANGUAGES
By Bobojan Gafurov
English Arabic Hebrew 10 THE LONG ODYSSEY
French Japanese Persian In the footsteps of a Muslim scholar
Spanish Italian Dutch By Jacques Boilot
Russian Hindi Portuguese
German Tamil Turkish 14 THE NINE-DOMED MOSQUE OF BALKH
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Educational, Scientific
By Mohammed Salim-Atchekzai
and Cultural Organization
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Illustrations : Anne-Marie Maillard
Al-Biruni as he may have looked in his
Research : Christiane Boucher
prime. An imaginary portrait to mark
Layoutand Design : RobertJacquemin the thousandth anniversary of the birth
of the great Islamic scholar in 973.
Allcorrespondence shouldbe addressedto
the Editor-in-Chiefin Paris Photo © APN
Few periods in man's history can boast the existence of one of those
rare intellectual giantswhose genius not only embracesthe knowledge
of his time but reaches out to uncharted, unknown frontiers. Such a
man was al-Biruni, born a thousand years ago, who ranks among the
greatest scholars of the Islamic world: Astronomer, mathematician,
physicist, geographer, historian, linguist, ethnologist, pharmacologist
as well as poet, novelist and philosopher al-Biruni's contribution to
human learning was unique. Despite the political upheavals which
interrupted his work, his sheer output was prodigious. He had a
scientific spirit in the full sense of the term and displayed a spirit of
understanding and respect for other cultures remarkable for his time.
His contribution was such that many scholars put him on a par with
or even higher than the great Avicenna. Yet unlike Avicenna, al-Biruni
is virtually unknown except to the rare specialist. The Unesco Courier
hopes that this special number will provide a small insight into the
extraordinary genius of this universal scholar and man of science.
CUMHURtYETl ro
Abu al-Rayhan Mohammed ibn Ahmad
S 250
KURUS
AL-BIRUNI
A universal genius
Turkey
who lived
in Central Asia
LBU al-Rayhan Mohammed
ibn Ahmad al-Biruni, the great Central
Asian scholar, is one of those
a thousand years ago
intellectual giants whose stature
continues to grow as we become more
fully acquainted with their legacy.
One hundred years ago, when al-
Biruni's Chronology of Ancient Nations
was published in Russian, only one
facet of his many talents was apparent,
by Bobojan Gafurov that of an outstanding medieval his¬
torian. But as more of his works were
discovered treatises on mathematics,
geography and astronomy and the
more deeply they were studied, the
higher al-Biruni stood out above the
mass of his contemporaries.
Al-Biruni was so far ahead of his
BOBOJAN GAFUROV, of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, is director of the time that his most brilliant discoveries
4 Academy's Institute of Oriental Studies and chairman of the Unesco-sponsored seemed incomprehensible to most of
International Association for the Study of the Cultures of Central Asia (comprising the scholars of his day. He was the
Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia!Pakistan and U.S.S.R.). Of Tajik nationality, he first to arrive at an amazingly simple
is the author of many works on Asian history and culture. formula for measuring the earth's
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MILLENARY OF AL-BIRUNI <¡ ONETHOUSANDTHANNNERSARY
Afghanistan
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS QtT (cid:9)^fe
Al-Biruni is claimed as a ON MILLENARY OF AL-BIRUNI PAKISTAN
son of many countries, but NOV. 26-DEC. 12. 1973
as a universal scholar and
scientist he belongs to all
nations and every age.
Here we show commemo¬
rative stamps issued in
1973, on the occasion of
the 1,000th anniversary of
al-Biruni's birth, in Afgha¬
nistan,Iran, Libya, Pakistan,
J3ÈM8
Syrian Arab Republic, Tur¬
key and USSR. Four coun¬
tries, Afghanistan, Iran,
Pakistan and USSR organi¬ Pakistan
zed symposia orcongresses
on al-Biruni at the time.
Syrian Arab Rep.
circumference. He thought It possible the decline of the Arab caliphate in Al-Biruni's foster father was Abu-
that the earth revolved around the sun. Baghdad. New states arose on its Nasr Mansur ibn-Ali ibn Iraq, or simply
He developed the idea that geological ruins, and a pleiad of illustrious Central Mansur, a member of the Khwarizmian
eras succeed one another in cycles. Asian scholars appeared, including royal family and a distinguished math¬
"With the passing of time, the sea Abu-Nasr al-Farabi and ibn-Sina (Avi¬ ematician and astronomer. He intro¬
becomes dry land, and dry land the cenna). duced al-Biruni to Euclidean geometry
sea," he wrote, and on this brilliant and Ptolemaean astronomy, which
It was during this period that al-
hypothesis he based his theory of the equipped the young scholar to study
Biruni was born near Kath, the capital
earth's geological history. astronomy.
of Khwarizm, on 4 September, in the
What enabled al-Biruni to move so year 973. "In truth, I am not certain "Most of my days were blessed by
far ahead of his contemporaries and to of my genealogy, for I do not really gifts and privileges which were in¬
create works that made his name know who my grandfather was. And creasingly bestowed on me," wrote
known in the East as a symbol of how could I know who my grandfather al-Biruni, describing this period of his
learning of the 11th century? was, when I do not even know who life. "The Iraq family nourished me
Khwarizm, in Central Asia, where was my father?" he wrote in a poem with their milk and their Mansur took
al-Biruni was born and grew up, had which appears in one of his treatises. it upon himself to rear me."
long been famed for its advanced
In his early youth, fortune brought Al-Biruni studied the stars and
culture. Its cities had magnificent
him in contact with an educated Greek minerals, probed the secrets of the
palaces, mosques and madrasahs
who was to become his first teacher. heavens and the earth and read
(religious colleges), and in this pros¬
At the Greek's request, the young thousands of books in order to fathom 5
perous, ancient state the sciences were
al-Biruni collected plants, seeds and the meaning of history. Heconstructed
esteemed and highly developed.
fruit and this kindled his interest in the a globe of the earth the first in
The 10th and 11th centuries saw natural sciences. Central Asia and was equally gifted
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
AL-BIRUNI (Continued)
as a poet. He lived through the thing then known about the times of He met and came to know people in
feverish final years of the powerful Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the many different walks of life and
Samanid dynasty and witnessed the Great. maintained close contacts with his
rise and fall of two early feudal fellow scholars. We know from letters
The book explains various calendar
empires the Karakhanid and the written by al-Biruni in Khwarizm, in the
systems such as the Arabian, Greek
Ghaznavid. year 997, to the 17 year-old Avicenna
and Persian. The history of rulers,
in Bokhara, that these young scholars
Social conflicts, feudal wars and heroes and political events is inter¬
discussed Aristotle's Physics and On
barbarian invasions left their imprint woven with the history of culture,
the Heavens, as well as the structure
on his manuscripts, since science does customs and morals. The Chronology
of the universe, the physical laws
not exist in a vacuum, least of all the of Ancient Nations should not be
covering a free-falling object and in¬
science of history. It might well have considered as a purely historical work,
divisible particles (atoms). Al-Biruni
been the violent social upheavals in but as a partly historical and partly
devoted his work, Questions and Ans¬
Khwarizm that suggested the theme of ethnographic study that retains its full
wers to these exchanges (see article
his first major work, in which he significance to this day.
page 27).
turned to the past for an understanding Soviet scholars of the 1930s referred
Al-Biruni's letters reveal a deep
of how society was evolving. to the Chronology again and again in
respect for the ancient Greek philos¬
their research on ancient Central Asia.
Al-Biruni completed his Chronology ophers and show him to be already a
Only in al-Biruni's work could they find
of Ancient Nations at the age of 27, mature man of science, despite his
an account of the Soghdian calendar,
just before the 11th century was born. youth. In the year 1010, he was ad¬
essential to their study of early
"My aim in this book," he explained, mitted to the Academy of al-Mamun,
8th century Soghdian documents; only
"was to establish asaccuratelyas poss¬ which embraced a group of famous
here could they find information about
6 ible the time span of various eras." scholars, including the philosopher and
pre-Muslim Khwarizm, which archae¬
His study begins at the dawn of the natural scientist Avicenna, the historian
ologists were just beginning to study.
human race, moves on to the period and philosopher ¡bn-Maskawayh and
of the great flood, and covers every Al-Biruni was no ivory tower scholar. the mathematician abu-Nasr Arrah.
Photos B. Fabritsky and I. Shmeliov © Aurora Art Publishers, APN, Leningrad
Al-Biruni was born nearthetown of Kath, north-eastoftheancientcityof Khiva. Kath hasvanished fromthe
map, but Khiva (today in Uzbekistan) still boasts palaces, religious colleges, mosques and burial monuments
that testify to the talent of its medieval architects and craftsmen. Shown here are two buildings in Khiva
today: the Bathsof Anusha-khan (opposite) andthe mausoleum of Pahlawan Mahmud (above) whosegreat
dome covered with blue tiles dominates the city.
Whereas European natural science Phaedo. He was well acquainted with intellectual game; they were ac¬
was in a state of stagnation at that the works of Aristotle, Archimedes and complished sculptors and poets; their
time, scholars in Khwarizm were Democritus, and extolled what he con¬ doctors were highly reputed, and it
vigorously advancing along the path sidered the best of Greek philosophy. was even affirmed that the science of
traced by scientists of antiquity. philosophy had originated In India.
The 11th century was a time of great
Khwarizm's economic growth during In Ghazna, al-Biruni became ac¬
turmoil. The armed hosts of Mahmud
the early feudal period had set the quainted with Indian scholars who, like
of Ghazna overran Khwarizm, in 1017,
stage for a golden age of science in him, were exiled from their homeland.
taking thousands of prisoners, in¬
the early 11th century. His meetings and conversations with
cluding al-Biruni. The decade which
them sparked his Interest in their
Commerce with northern peoples followed was to be the most difficult
remarkable country. For a period of
the Khazars and Bulgars, the ancient period in the scholar's life, but at the
12 years, up to the year 1030, al-Biruni
Russians,and the tribes of the Urals same time his most productive. He
was totally absorbed in India.
and Western Siberia also influenced studied astronomy, collected materials
Many people before al-Biruni had
scientific advancement. Learning for a mathematics treatise, sought to
travelled to India, especially to Sind
flourished in this fertile soil, with its comprehend the influence of the moon
and its southern coast, and some
traditions of a thousand year-old on the tides, and conceived his major
books that could serve historians as
independent culture, combining the work on India, which represents the
a guide to studying the country had
"wisdom of neighbouring India with the zenith of his scientific thinking.
been written. Al-Biruni's monumental
perfect lucidity of far-off Hellas."
Arabic and Persian literature prior work on India, however, clearly
Al-Biruni's frequent references to to al-Biruni's time had depicted India demonstrated a scientific, that is, ob¬
Greek philosophy and scientificthought as a land of wonders. The Indians jective, approach to the subject. At
demonstrate the encyclopedic scope of were knowledgeable in astronomy and the age of 45, he began learning Sans¬ 7
his interests. He was familiar with arithmetic; they were said to have krit. He visited India several times,
Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and had invented chess, which in al-Biruni's walked on its soil, breathed its air,
studied Plato's treatises, Laws and time was already considered an compared and marvelled.
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
AL-BIRUNI (Continued)
A true scientist, al-Biruni strove to 14 Greek writers and used 40 Sanskrit scholar an elephant loaded with pure
share knowledge as well as to obtain sources. He was an objective re¬ silver, al-Biruni replied: "This gift
it. He translated Euclid's Elements searcher, free of racial bias, with a would seduce me from science. Wise
and his own treatise on astronomy into deep respect for the advanced culture men know that silver is soon spent but
Sanskrit. He also began a translation of another people. science lives on. I would never
of the Panchatantra into Arabic, as he exchange the perennial wealth of
During the reign of Mas'ud, who
considered the existing translation of scientific knowledge for the short-lived
succeeded his father, Mahmud, as
this immortal literary classic to be in¬ tawdry glitter of silver."
Ghaznavid ruler, al-Biruni's situation
adequate. Al-Biruni's main interests were math¬
improved. The new king was an
Al-Biruni's India became the major enlightened man who encouraged the ematics, astronomy, geography, physics
source for studying 11th century India. sciences. Al-Biruni dedicated his and geodesy but in his last work, the
It covered the caste system, philos¬ majorworkon astronomy, TheMas'udic Pharmacology, he classified the physi¬
ophy, the exactsciences, religion, laws, Canon, to him. In the opinion of al- cal features of plants, animals and
customs, superstitions, legends, the Biruni's contemporaries and suc¬ minerals, and compiled an alphabetical
system of weights and measures, the cessors, he surpassed his ancient list of medicinal herbs and their uses.
written language and geography. In mentor, Ptolemy, in this work. Besides Arabic names, al-Biruni
writing it, al-Biruni quoted 24 works by When the grateful Mas'ud sent the listed about 900 Persian, 700 Greek,
400 Syrian and 350 Indian names in
the Pharmacology. He referred to
Aristotle's works on biology, and also
to the writings of Dioscorides and
Below, map showing im¬ Galen, physicians and pharmacologists
portant cities and areas of ^ firASea Ï of the 1st and 2nd centuries. Un¬
central Asia during the
fortunately, the Pharmacology was not
lifetime of al-Biruni. Right,
the same region today, i»^ Tashkent f completed, but even in the form it has
eifrbracing Uzbekistan, Cf. c «.- " j-J CHINA come down to us its values is self-
1 Carmian Sea ^y
Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan 1 jy Samarkand V« evident.
and India.
Al-Biruni's contemporaries spoke of
F j-J-Kabul f^T^y
him thus: "Except for two festive
days each year, his hand neverstopped
kFGHANISTAjr IslarrWtf*"-Y' writing, his eyes observing, his mind
IRAN J f ) J contemplating." When he died in 1048,
NEPAC""!(cid:9)f
at the age of 75, more than 150 works
vl V" "PAKISTAN/ Delhi 4*i
had flowed from his pen. They
V»V(cid:9) «r KaracVi include 70 on astronomy, 20 on math¬
r 1 - 1 i V ~~\ INDIA A> ematics and 18 on literature, including
translations, and bibliographies. He
Oman Sea <^~ M
was famed as a cartographer, meteor¬
ologist, physicist, philosopher, historian
and ethnographer.
The boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement
or acceptance by Unescoorthe United Nations. Only 27 of his works have come
down to us. Whether the rest were
destroyed or simply have not been
found is not known. Abu'l Faraj, the
Syrian historian and physician, wrote
of al-Biruni, the man he regarded as
his mentor: "His works gre numerous,
exhaustive and completely reliable.
There was no one, neither among his
colleagues, nor to this day, so well
versed in astronomy, from its main
principles down to the smallest
details."
Al-Biruni had a vast impact on
science in the East. Many countries
claim him as their own, but this son
of Khwarizm, one of Central Asia's
most brilliant civilizations, belongs to
all nations and to all time.
Bobojan Gafurov
Chess was first played in
Asia and many authorities
agree that it originated in
India. In al-Biruni's day it
was already a popular game
in Central Asia, and he may
himself have handled pieces
like the ones shown here of
carved ivory (4 cm. high),
dating from the time when he
lived. They were unearthed
near the village of Kurban-
Sheid, in Tajikstan, in a region
once part of the Ghaznavid
Empire, in which al-Biruni
lived for many years.- Above,
pawns with a knight In fore¬
ground (rider's body and
horse's head are missing).
Left, knight and rook (?)
flanked by pawns.
9
i
pfe-a¿& ^^ô^fà^^^^
Photo Bibllothtqu« Natloiwl*. Pari*
THE LONG
ODYSSEY
by Jacques Boilot
In the footsteps of a Muslim scholar
through a world in ferment
FATHER JACQUES BOILOT, distinguished
French orientalist, has devoted many years
to the study of al-Biruni. His 'L'suvre
d'al-Biruni : EssaiBibliographique" is regarded
as the standard bibliographical work on the
10 subject. He is a member of the Dominican
Institute of Oriental Studies (formerly the
French Institute of Oriental Archaeology) in
Cairo. His article is abridged from a study
on al-Biruni published in the Dominican
Institute's review, "Mélanges" (No 11,1972).