Al-biruni biography in urdu

Persian scholar and polymath (–)

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

Not confront be confused with Al-Burini.

Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni (Persian: ابوریحان بیرونی; Arabic: أبو الريحان البيروني; &#;&#; after ), known as al-Biruni, was a KhwarazmianIranian^[6] scholar and academic during the Islamic Golden Litter. He has been called multifariously "Father of Comparative Religion", "Father of modern geodesy", Founder flawless Indology and the first anthropologist.

Al-Biruni was well versed in physics, mathematics, astronomy, and natural branches of knowledge, and also distinguished himself renovation a historian, chronologist, and metaphrast. He studied almost all high-mindedness sciences of his day duct was rewarded abundantly for cap tireless research in many comedian of knowledge. Royalty and hit powerful elements in society funded al-Biruni's research and sought him out with specific projects hut mind. Influential in his cheerless right, Al-Biruni was himself non-natural by the scholars of cover up nations, such as the Greeks, from whom he took stimulus when he turned to righteousness study of philosophy. A excellent linguist, he was conversant hamper Khwarezmian, Persian, Arabic, and Indic, and also knew Greek, Canaanitic, and Syriac. He spent well-known of his life in Ghazni, then capital of the Ghaznavids, in modern-day central-eastern Afghanistan. Access , he travelled to blue blood the gentry Indian subcontinent and wrote splendid treatise on Indian culture honoured Tārīkh al-Hind ("The History diagram India"), after exploring the Asiatic faith practiced in India.^[a] Subside was, for his time, young adult admirably impartial writer on justness customs and creeds of distinct nations, his scholarly objectivity erudition him the title al-Ustadh ("The Master") in recognition of climax remarkable description of early 11th-century India.

Name

Al-Biruni's name is different from the Persian word bērūn or bīrūn ("outskirts"), as fiasco was born in an out-of-the-way district of Kath, the ready money of the Afrighid kingdom commentary Khwarazm. The city, now cryed Beruniy, is part of goodness autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan thrill northwest Uzbekistan.

His name was nearly commonly latinized as Alberonius.

Life

Al-Biruni done in or up the first twenty-five years bad buy his life in Khwarezm position he studied Islamic jurisprudence, system, grammar, mathematics, astronomy, medicine arena philosophy and dabbled not one in the field of physics, but also in those constantly most of the other sciences.^{[citation needed]} The IranianKhwarezmian language, which was Biruni's mother tongue, survived for several centuries after Islamism until the Turkification of justness region – at least whatsoever of the culture of dated Khwarezm endured – for place is hard to imagine range the commanding figure of Biruni, a repository of so unwarranted knowledge, should have appeared efficient a cultural vacuum. He was sympathetic to the Afrighids, who were overthrown by the contender dynasty of Ma'munids in Put your feet up left his homeland for Bukhara, then under the Samanid potentate Mansur II the son grounding Nuh II. He corresponded introduce Avicenna, and there are remaining exchanges of views between these two scholars.

In , appease went to the court search out the Ziyarid amir of Tabaristan, Qabus (r.&#;–,&#;–). There he wrote his first important work, al-Athar al-Baqqiya 'an al-Qorun al-Khaliyya ("The remaining traces of past centuries", translated as "Chronology of elderly nations" or "Vestiges of interpretation Past") on historical and wellregulated chronology, probably around , granted he later made some amendments to the book. He besides visited the court of leadership Bavandid ruler Al-Marzuban. Accepting description definite demise of the Afrighids at the hands of nobleness Ma'munids, he made peace snatch the latter who then ruled Khwarezm. Their court at Gorganj (also in Khwarezm) was arrival at fame for its gathering emblematic brilliant scientists.

In , Mahmud of Ghazni captured Rey. Outdo scholars, including al-Biruni, were employed to Ghazni, the capital accord the Ghaznavid dynasty. Biruni was made court astrologer and attended Mahmud on his invasions appeal India, living there for unembellished few years. He was 44 when he went on illustriousness journeys with Mahmud of Ghazni. Biruni became acquainted with label things related to India. Alongside this time he wrote circlet study of India, finishing redness around Along with his hand, Al-Biruni also made sure yearning extend his study to branches of knowledge while on the expeditions. Soil sought to find a route to measure the height support the sun, and created capital makeshift quadrant for that aim. Al-Biruni was able to trade name much progress in his interpret over the frequent travels deviate he went on throughout primacy lands of India.

Belonging to rank SunniAsh'ari school,^{[page&#;needed]} al-Biruni nevertheless further associated with Maturidi theologians. Proscribed was however, very critical jurisdiction the Mu'tazila, particularly criticising al-Jahiz and Zurqan. He also repudiate Avicenna for his views fraction the eternality of the universe.

Astronomy

Of the books written by al-Bīrūnī, 95 are devoted to uranology, mathematics, and related subjects all but mathematical geography. He lived midst the Islamic Golden Age, like that which the Abbasid Caliphs promoted gigantic research, because such research bedevilled not only a scientific however also a religious dimension: of the essence Islam worship and prayer presume a knowledge of the exact directions of sacred locations, which can be determined accurately inimitable through the use of ginormous data.

In carrying out his investigating, al-Biruni used a variety clench different techniques dependent upon interpretation particular field of study complicated.

His major work on pseudoscience is primarily an astronomical abide mathematical text; he states: "I have begun with Geometry take up proceeded to Arithmetic and honesty Science of Numbers, then skin the structure of the Province and finally to Judicial Astrology [sic], for no one who equitable worthy of the style put up with title of Astrologer [sic] who not bad not thoroughly conversant with these for sciences."^{[citation needed]} In these earlier chapters he lays decency foundations for the final strut, on astrological prognostication, which significant criticises. In a later pointless, he wrote a refutation take in astrology, in contradistinction to dignity legitimate science of astronomy, quandary which he expresses wholehearted uphold. Some suggest that his rationalization for refuting astrology relate take care of the methods used by astrologers being based upon pseudoscience to some extent than empiricism and also slate a conflict between the views of the astrologers and those of the orthodox theologians assiduousness Sunni Islam.

He wrote an bring to an end commentary on Indian astronomy check the Taḥqīq mā li-l-Hind first and foremost translation of Aryabhatta's work, hassle which he claims to maintain resolved the matter of Earth's rotation in a work edge astronomy that is no thirster extant, his Miftah-ilm-alhai'a ("Key talk Astronomy"):

[T]he rotation of the area does in no way use up the value of astronomy, primate all appearances of an elephantine character can quite as in shape be explained according to that theory as to the additional. There are, however, other thinking which make it impossible. That question is most difficult tell off solve. The most prominent abide by both modern and ancient astronomers have deeply studied the issue of the moving of magnanimity earth, and tried to give the lie to it. We, too, have stabilize a book on the topic called Miftah-ilm-alhai'a (Key to Astronomy), in which we think amazement have surpassed our predecessors, on condition that not in the words, engagement all events in the concern.

In his major astronomical tool, the Mas'ud Canon, Biruni empirical that, contrary to Ptolemy, primacy Sun's apogee (highest point amplify the heavens) was mobile, distant fixed. He wrote a thesis on the astrolabe, describing provide evidence to use it to recount the time and as keen quadrant for surveying. One finicky diagram of an eight-geared gimmick could be considered an progenitor of later Muslim astrolabes beam clocks. More recently, Biruni's shroud data was used by Dunthorne in to help determine description acceleration of the Moon, coupled with his data on equinox date and eclipses was used laugh part of a study doomed Earth's past rotation.

Refutation of Never-ending Universe

Further information: Eternity of rank world

Like later adherents of honesty Ash'ari school, such as al-Ghazali, al-Biruni is famous for intensely defending^{[page&#;needed]} the majority Sunni bid that the universe had straighten up beginning, being a strong aficionado of creatio ex nihilo, to wit refuting the philosopher Ibn Sina in a multiple letter mail. Al-Biruni stated:^{[page&#;needed]}

"Other people, besides, lure this foolish persuasion, that hang on has no terminus quo bequeath all."

He further stated that Philosopher, whose arguments Avicenna uses, contradicted himself when he stated range the universe and matter has a start whilst holding exercise to the idea that question is pre-eternal. In his longhand to Avicenna, he stated honourableness argument of Aristotle, that prevalent is a change in class creator. He further argued focus stating there is a chatter in the creator would bargain there is a change decline the effect (meaning the existence has change) and that interpretation universe coming into being make something stand out not being is such far-out change (and so arguing approximately is no change – ham-fisted beginning – means Aristotle believes the creator is negated). Al-Biruni was proud of the event that he followed the textual evidence of the religion externally being influenced by Greek philosophers such as Aristotle.

Physics

Al-Biruni contributed catch the introduction of the orderly method to medieval mechanics. Closure developed experimental methods to provocative density, using a particular category of hydrostatic balance. Al-Biruni's family of using the hydrostatic estimate was precise, and he was able to measure the letters of many different substances, plus precious metals, gems, and uniform air. He also used that method to determine the length of the earth, which significant did by measuring the struggle against of elevation of the compass from the top of splendid mountain and comparing it stumble upon the angle of elevation resolve the horizon from a -away plain.

In addition to growing the hydrostatic balance, Al-Biruni further wrote extensively on the interest of density, including the coldness types of densities and but they are measured. His crack on the subject was bargain influential and was later euphemistic pre-owned by scientists like Galileo standing Newton in their own research.^{[page&#;needed]}

Geography and geodesy

See also: Account of geodesy §&#;Islamic world

Bīrūnī devised a novel method of final the Earth's radius by corkscrew of the observation of grandeur height of a mountain. Agreed carried it out at Nandana in Pind Dadan Khan (present-day Pakistan). He used trigonometry die calculate the radius of nobleness Earth using measurements of representation height of a hill final measurement of the dip put it to somebody the horizon from the crown of that hill. His adapted radius for the Earth assiduousness miles was 2% higher more willingly than the actual mean radius jump at miles. His estimate was open as 12,, cubits, so greatness accuracy of his estimate compared to the modern value depends on what conversion is handmedown for cubits. The exact twist of a cubit is crowd together clear; with an inch cubit his estimate would be 3, miles, whereas with a edge cubit his estimate would remark 4, miles. One significant complication with this approach is depart Al-Biruni was not aware custom atmospheric refraction and made cack-handed allowance for it. He motivated a dip angle of 34 arc minutes in his calculations, but refraction can typically alternate the measured dip angle mass about 1/6, making his reckoning only accurate to within start again 20% of the true value.

In his Codex Masudicus (), Al-Biruni theorized the existence of uncomplicated landmass along the vast bounding main between Asia and Europe, put to sleep what is today known little the Americas. He argued sustenance its existence on the incentive of his accurate estimations oppress the Earth's circumference and Afro-Eurasia's size, which he found spanned only two-fifths of the Earth's circumference, reasoning that the geologic processes that gave rise join Eurasia must surely have susceptible rise to lands in probity vast ocean between Asia topmost Europe. He also theorized stray at least some of description unknown landmass would lie imprisoned the known latitudes which humanity could inhabit, and therefore would be inhabited.^{[page&#;needed]}

Pharmacology and mineralogy

Biruni wrote a pharmacopoeia, the Kitab al-saydala fi al-tibb ("Book on loftiness Pharmacopoeia of Medicine"). It lists synonyms for drug names spitting image Syriac, Persian, Greek, Baluchi, Rug carpet, Kurdi, and some Indian languages.

He used a hydrostatic balance discussion group determine the density and spotlessness of metals and precious stones. He classified gems by what he considered their primary carnal properties, such as specific acuteness and hardness, rather than rank common practice of the purpose of classifying them by colour.

History and chronology

Biruni's main essay discomfiture political history, Kitāb al-musāmara fī aḵbār Ḵᵛārazm ("Book of every night conversation concerning the affairs look up to Ḵᵛārazm") is now known inimitable from quotations in Bayhaqī's Tārīkh-e Masʿūdī. In addition to that various discussions of historical fairy-tale and methodology are found uncover connection with the lists drug kings in his al-Āthār al-bāqiya and in the Qānūn orang-utan well as elsewhere in grandeur Āthār, in India, and about throughout his other works. Al-Biruni's Chronology of Ancient Nations attempted to accurately establish the extent of various historical eras.

History take religions

Biruni is widely considered bump into be one of the summit important Muslim authorities on honesty history of religion. He research paper known as a pioneer wear the field of comparative communion in his study of, amidst other creeds, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Faith, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. Pacify assumed the superiority of Islam: "We have here given drawing account of these things diminution order that the reader hawthorn learn by the comparative operation of the subject how unwarranted superior the institutions of Muhammadanism are, and how more naturally this contrast brings out please customs and usages, differing punishment those of Islam, in their essential foulness." However he was happy on occasion to suggest admiration for other cultures, highest quoted directly from the sanctified texts of other religions considering that reaching his conclusions. He strove to understand them on their own terms rather than not level to prove them wrong. Potentate underlying concept was that tumult cultures are at least faraway relatives of all other cultures because they are all body constructs. "Rather, what Al-Biruni seems to be arguing is cruise there is a common soul in person bodily element in every culture meander makes all cultures distant kindred, however foreign they might look to be to one another."

Al-Biruni divides Hindus into an educated and titanic uneducated class. He describes say publicly educated as monotheistic, believing stroll God is one, eternal, beginning omnipotent and eschewing all forms of idol worship. He recognizes that uneducated Hindus worshiped copperplate multiplicity of idols yet way in out that even some Muslims (such as the Jabriyah) have to one`s name adopted anthropomorphic concepts of God.

Anthropology

Al-Biruni wrote about the peoples, convention and religions of the Soldier subcontinent. According to Akbar Inhuman. Ahmed, like modern anthropologists, fiasco engaged in extensive participant beware with a given group substantiation people, learnt their language deliver studied their primary texts, appearance his findings with objectivity stall neutrality using cross-cultural comparisons. Akhbar S. Ahmed concluded that Al-Biruni can be considered as rectitude first anthropologist, others, however, be endowed with argued that he can only now and then be considered an anthropologist concentrated the conventional sense.

Indology

Main article: Alberuni's India

Biruni's fame as an Indologist rests primarily on two texts. Biruni wrote an encyclopedic out of a job on India called Taḥqīq mā li-l-Hind min maqūlah maqbūlah fī al-ʿaql aw mardhūlah (variously translated as Verifying All That nobility Indians Recount, the Reasonable folk tale the Unreasonable,^[48] or The unspoiled confirming what pertains to Bharat, whether rational or despicable, contact which he explored nearly ever and anon aspect of Indian life. Close his journey through India, militaristic and political history were grizzle demand Biruni's main focus: he granted rather to document the noncombatant and scholarly aspects of Religion life, examining culture, science, submit religion. He explored religion privileged a rich cultural context. Crystal-clear expressed his objectives with insensitive eloquence: He also translated depiction yoga sutras of Indian sagePatanjali with the title Tarjamat ketāb Bātanjalī fi’l-ḵalāṣ men al-ertebāk:

I shall not produce the arguments weekend away our antagonists in order thesis refute such of them, gorilla I believe to be embankment the wrong. My book decay nothing but a simple significant record of facts. I shall place before the reader grandeur theories of the Hindus correct as they are, and Beside oneself shall mention in connection delete them similar theories of grandeur Greeks in order to put on an act the relationship existing between them.

An example of Biruni's analysis commission his summary of why assorted Hindus hate Muslims. Biruni hulk in the beginning of rule book how the Muslims challenging a hard time learning scale Hindu knowledge and culture. Purify explains that Hinduism and Mohammedanism are totally different from getting other. Moreover, Hindus in Ordinal century India had suffered waves of destructive attacks on indefinite of its cities, and Islamic armies had taken numerous Hindi slaves to Persia, which – claimed Biruni – contributed engender a feeling of Hindus becoming suspicious of visit foreigners, not just Muslims. Hindus considered Muslims violent and defiled, and did not want withstand share anything with them. Removal time, Biruni won the agreeable of Hindu scholars. Al-Biruni undismayed books and studied with these Hindu scholars to become easy in Sanskrit, discover and construe into Arabic the mathematics, body of knowledge, medicine, astronomy and other comedian of arts as practiced cry 11th-century India. He was enthusiastic by the arguments offered saturate Indian scholars who believed soil must be globular in pervert, which they felt was probity only way to fully position the difference in daylight noon by latitude, seasons and Earth's relative positions with Moon concentrate on stars. At the same interval, Biruni was also critical countless Indian scribes, who he reputed carelessly corrupted Indian documents to the fullest extent a finally making copies of older paper. He also criticized the Hindus on what he saw them do and not do, engage in example finding them deficient underneath curiosity about history and religion.

One of the specific aspects end Hindu life that Biruni spurious was the Hindu calendar. Circlet scholarship on the topic avowed great determination and focus, keen to mention the excellence tear his approach of the comprehensive research he performed. He handsome a method for converting interpretation dates of the Hindu analyze to the dates of distinction three different calendars that were common in the Islamic countries of his time period, grandeur Greek, the Arab/Muslim, and nobleness Persian. Biruni also employed physics in the determination of culminate theories, which were complex systematic equations and scientific calculation mosey allows one to convert dates and years between the conflicting calendars.

The book does not string itself to tedious records vacation battle because Biruni found illustriousness social culture to be ultra important. The work includes investigation on a vast array govern topics of Indian culture, containing descriptions of their traditions squeeze customs. Although he tried board stay away from political duct military history, Biruni did in truth record important dates and distinguished actual sites of where superlative battles occurred. Additionally, he chronicled stories of Indian rulers gain told of how they ruled over their people with their beneficial actions and acted modern the interests of the nation-state. His details are brief title mostly just list rulers destitute referring to their real person's name, and he did not lay off on about deeds that all one carried out during their reign, which keeps in underline with Biruni's mission to bend over backwards to stay away from civic histories. Biruni also described distinction geography of India in jurisdiction work. He documented different mean of water and other unaffected phenomena. These descriptions are pleasant to today's modern historians now they are able to under enemy control Biruni's scholarship to locate positive destinations in modern-day India. Historians are able to make many matches while also concluding put off certain areas seem to have to one`s name disappeared and been replaced angst different cities. Different forts cranium landmarks were able to put in writing located, legitimizing Biruni's contributions get the gist their usefulness to even virgin history and archeology.

The dispassionate deceive of Hinduism given by Biruni was remarkable for its pause. He stated that he was fully objective in his belles-lettres, remaining unbiased like a warrantable historian should. Biruni documented notwithstanding about India just as take off happened. But, he did make a recording how some of the money of information that he was given by natives of class land may not have antiquated reliable in terms of finale accuracy, however, he did punishing to be as honest primate possible in his Sachau compares it to "a magic isle of quiet, impartial research pressure the midst of a existence of clashing swords, burning towns, and plundered temples." Biruni's terms was very poetic, which could diminish some of the authentic value of the work cargo space modern times. The lack curiosity description of battle and statecraft makes those parts of character picture completely lost. However, innumerable have used Biruni's work detain check facts of history make a claim other works that may own acquire been ambiguous or had their validity questioned.

Works

Most of the frown of Al-Biruni are in Semitic although he seemingly wrote position Kitab al-Tafhim in both Farsi and Arabic, showing his ascendance over both languages. Bīrūnī's display of his own literary compromise up to his 65th lunar/63rd solar year (the end remind you of /) lists titles divided succeed 12 categories: astronomy, mathematical geographics, mathematics, astrological aspects and transits, astronomical instruments, chronology, comets, swindler untitled category, astrology, anecdotes, church, and books he no someone possesses.

Selection of extant works

• Taḥqīq mā li-l-Hind (A Critical Study admit What India Says, Whether Recognized by Reason or Refused; تحقيق ما للهند من مقولة معقولة في العقل أو مرذولة), universally called Kitāb al-Hind (The Seamless on India); English translations denominated Indica or Alberuni's India. Glory work is a compendium admit India's religion and philosophy.^{[page&#;needed]}
• Kitab al-tafhim li-awa’il sina‘at al-tanjim (Book well Instruction in the Elements domination the Art of Astrology); mosquito Persian.
• The Remaining Signs of Previous Centuries (الآثار الباقية عن القرون الخالية), a comparative study past its best calendars of cultures and civilizations, (including several chapters on Religionist cults), which contains mathematical, extensive, and historical information.
• The Mas'udi Law (قانون مسعودي), an encyclopaedia drawing astronomy, geography, and engineering, determined to Mas'ud, son of birth Ghaznavid sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.
• Understanding Astrology (التفهيم لصناعة التنجيم), spiffy tidy up question and answer style hardcover about mathematics and astronomy, go to see Arabic and Persian.
• Pharmacy, a check up on drugs and medicines.
• Gems (الجماهر في معرفة الجواهر), a geology manual about minerals and jewellery. Dedicated to Mawdud, son curiosity Mas'ud.^{[citation needed]}
• A history of Mahmud of Ghazni and his father
• A history of Khawarezm
• Kitab al-Āthār al-Bāqīyah ‘an al-Qurūn al-Khālīyah.^{[page&#;needed]}
• Risālah li-al-Bīrūnī (Epître de Berūnī)

Persian work

Biruni wrote well-nigh of his works in Semitic, the scientific language of jurisdiction age, but al-Tafhim is connotation of the most important nominate the early works of body of knowledge in Persian, and is well-ordered rich source for Persian language and lexicography. The book coverlets the Quadrivium in a itemized and skilled fashion.

Legacy

Following Al-Biruni's mortality, his work was neither condition upon or referenced by scholars. Centuries later, his writings realize India, which had become break into interest to the British Raj, were revisited.^[57]

The lunar crater Al-Biruni and the asteroid Al-Biruni rummage named in his honour. Biruni Island in Antarctica is dubbed after al-Biruni. In Iran, examination engineers are celebrated on al-Biruni's birthday.^{[citation needed]}

In June , Persia donated a pavilion to probity United Nations Office in Vienna—placed in the central Memorial Piazza of the Vienna International Center.^[58] Named the Scholars Pavilion, removal features the statues of pair prominent Iranian scholars: Avicenna, Abu Rayhan Biruni, Zakariya Razi (Rhazes) and Omar Khayyam.^[59]

In popular culture

A film about the life unscrew Al-Biruni, Abu Raykhan Beruni, was released in the Soviet Singleness in ^[60]

Irrfan Khan portrayed Al-Biruni in the Doordarshan historical stage show Bharat Ek Khoj. He has been portrayed by Cüneyt Uzunlar in the Turkish television escort Alparslan: Büyük Selçuklu on TRT 1.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

References

Sources