Hindu and Buddhist contribution to science in medieval Islam

Hindu and Buddhist contributions to science in medieval Islam have been numerous, affecting such varied areas as medicine, astronomy and mathematics. From the 7th to the 13th century, Persian and Arab Muslims absorbed knowledge from the Indian civilization.

Indian books translated

Indian Text	Translator	Arabic name of Translation	Date	Attribution	Subject	Note
Brahmasiddhanta of Brahmagupta	*Alfazari into Arabic as Az-Zīj ‛alā Sinī al-‛Arab.,[1] or the Sindhind. This translation was possibly the vehicle by means of which the Hindu numerals were transmitted from India to Islam.[2] *Yaqūb ibn Tāriq	Sindhind[3]	753–774	Khalif Mansur	Astronomy	As Sindh was under under the actual rule of the Khalif Mansur (AD 753–774) , there came embassies from that part of India to Bagdad and among them scholars , who brought with them two books .[4] With the help of these Pandits Alfazari, perhaps also Yaqūb ibn Tāriq , translated them . Both works have been largely used , and have exercised a great influence . It was on this occasion that the Arabs first became acquainted with a scientific system of astronomy . They learned from Brahmagupta earlier than Ptolomy.[5]
Khandakhadyaka (Arakand) of Brahmagupta	Alfazari	Arakand [6]	753–774	Khalif Mansur	Astronomy	.[7] Through the resulting Arabic translations known as Sindhind and Arakand , the knowledge of Indian numerals passed on to the Islamic world [8]

Mathematics

Much of the Hindu approach to mathematics was certainly conveyed to western Europe through Arabs . The Algebraic method formerly considered to have been invented by Al Khowarizimi can now be seen to stem from Hindu sources^[9]

As in the rest of mathematical science so in Trigonometry, were the Arabs pupils of the Hindus and still more of the Greeks, but not without important devices of their own.^[10]

For over five hundred years Arabic writers and others continued to apply to works on arithmetic the name Indian.^[11]

Another important early treatise that publicised decimal numbers was Iranian mathematician and astronomer Kushyar ibn Labban's Kitab fi usual hisab al-hind ( principals of Hindu reckoning ) a leading arithmetic book .^[12]

Medical texts

“

A large number of Sanskrit medical , pharmacological and Toxicological texts were translated into Arabic under the patronage of Khalid, the vizier of Al-Mansur . Khalid was the son of a chief priest of a Buddhist monastery at Balkh. Some of his family was killed when the Arabs captured Balkh ; others including Khalid survived by converting to Islam . They were to be known as the Barmakids of Baghdad who were fascinated by the new ideas from India . Indian medical knowledge was given a further boost under the Caliph Harun al Rashid (788–809) who ordered the translation of Susruta Samhita into Arabic .[13]

”

“

We know of Yahya ibn Khalid al Barmaki (805) as a patron of physicians and, specifically, of the translation of Hindu medical works into both Arabic and Persian. In all likelihood however, his activity took place in the orbit of the caliphal court in Iraq , where at the behest of Harun al Rashid (786–809), such books were translated into Arabic. Thus Khurasan and Transoxania were effectively bypassed in this transfer of learning from India to Islam, even though, undeniably the Barmakis cultural outlook owed something to their land of origin, northern Afghanistan, and Yahya al Barmaki's interest in medicine may have derived from no longer identifiable family tradition.[14]

”

“

The Caraka Samitha was translated into Persian and subsequently into Arabic by Abd-Allah ibn Ali in the ninth century .[15]

”

Bimaristan

“

Probably the first Islamic hospital (Bimaristan or Maristan) was established in Baghdad Yahya ibn Khalid ibn Barmak, tutor and subsequently vizier of Harun al-Rashid when the latter became Khalif in 786. Yahya ibn Khalid ibn Barmak's hospital, usually referred to as the Barmakid Hospital must have been established before 803 , the year in which the Barmakid family fell from power . The Hospital is mentioned in two places in the Fihrist.(written in 997). Ibn Dahn, Al Hindi , who administered the Bimaristan of the Barmak. He translated from the Indian language into Arabic. Yahya ibn Khalid ordered Mankah (Kankah), the Indian to translate it (an Indian book of medicine) at the hospital to render it in the form of a compilation [16]

”

Islamic Arab and Persian scholars

Various eminent Arabic and Persian scholars absorbed Indian knowledge .

• Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi: The ninth century scholar Al Khwarizmi learnt Sanskrit and explained to his readers the Indian system of notation , and through his work the internationalisation of Indian number system began.^[17]
• Ibrahim al-Fazari:About 773, al-Fazari translated the Indian Siddhantha to Arabic , popularising the Hindu decimal system ^[18]
• Al-Kindi : Another scholar from the same century as al-Khwarizmi, Al Kindi wrote four books on India numerals ^[19]
• Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi : A great medical text of the late ninth and tenth centuries , Kitab al Hawi , translated into Latin as late as the thirteenth century and known as liber continems was written by Al Razi or Rhazes (865–925), who embodied much Indian knowledge into that work ^[20]
• Avicenna: He had the initiative to study Sanskrit and translate Indian books into Arabic and some works , such as those of Euclid and Ptolemy from Arabic into Sanskrit .^[21]
• Abu Saleh ben Shib ben Jawa : In the Persian work Mujmalu-t-Tawarikh, there are chapters translated from the Arabic of Abu Saleh ben Shib ben Jawa, who had himself abridged them , a hundred years before , from a Sanskrit work , called Instruction of Kings (Rajaniti). The Persian translator lived about 1150^[22]

See also

• Indian science and technology
• Indian mathematics
• Hindu astronomy
• Bakhshali manuscript
• Bakhshali approximation

External links

• The Development of The numerals Among The Arabs: chapter from the book – The Hindu-Arabic Numerals By David Eugene Smith

References

1. ^ E. S. Kennedy, A Survey of Islamic Astronomical Tables, (Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Series, 46, 2), Philadelphia, 1956, pp. 2, 7, 12 (zijes no. 2, 28, 71).
2. ^ * D. E. Smith and L. C. Karpinski: The Hindu-Arabic Numerals (Boston, 1911), p.92.).
3. ^ India, the ancient past: a history of the Indian sub-continent from c. 7000 BC to AD 1200 By Burjor Avari page 219
4. ^ Alberunis India translated by Dr Edward C Sachau page xxxiii
5. ^ Alberunis India translated by Dr Edward C Sachau page xxxiii
6. ^ India, the ancient past: a history of the Indian sub-continent from c. 7000 BC to AD 1200 By Burjor Avari page 219
7. ^ Alberunis India translated by Dr Edward C Sachau page xxxiii
8. ^ India, the ancient past: a history of the Indian sub-continent from c. 7000 BC to AD 1200 By Burjor Avari page 219
9. ^ The Origins of the Infinitesimal Calculus By Margaret E. Baron Page 65
10. ^ Advanced Book Search A Brief History of Mathematics By Karl Fink, Wooster Beman, David Smith Page Cosimo Classics 285
11. ^ The Hindu-Arabic Numerals By David Eugene Smith Page 92
12. ^ Encyclopaedia of the history of science, technology, and medicine in non western countries By Helaine Selin Page 69, Published by Kluwer Academic Publishers
13. ^ India, the ancient past: a history of the Indian sub-continent from c. 7000 BC to AD 1200 By Burjor Avari page 219
14. ^ History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume 4, Part 2 By C. E. Bosworth, M.S.Asimov, page 300
15. ^ A History of Medicine: Byzantine and Islamic medicine By Plinio Prioreschi Volume iv Page 121 , ISBN 1-888456-02-7
16. ^ A History of Medicine: Byzantine and Islamic medicine By Plinio Prioreschi Page 367,
17. ^ India, the ancient past: a history of the Indian sub-continent from c. 7000 BC to AD 1200 By Burjor Avari page 219
18. ^ Blacks in science: ancient and modern By Ivan Van Sertima ,Page 106 , ISBN 978-0-87855-941-1
19. ^ India, the ancient past: a history of the Indian sub-continent from c. 7000 BC to AD 1200 By Burjor Avari page 219
20. ^ India, the ancient past: a history of the Indian sub-continent from c. 7000 BC to AD 1200 By Burjor Avari page 220
21. ^ Avicenna, his life and works By Soheil Muhsin Afnan Page 14
22. ^ Lectures on the science of language delivered at the Royal institution of Great Britain By Friedrich Max Müller Page 150