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Sindh’s contribution to Arab sciences
S A Naseer Rizvi
The contribution of Sindh to Arab sciences has been tremendous. During
the Khilafat of early Abbasid’s, valuable addition was made to the
human knowledge by the scientific work from Sindh which was transfered
to Baghdad. Even before the advent of Islam cultural exchanges did
exist between Sindh and West Asia. Iran served as an intermediary
between the Indus valley and the semitic world.
According to the book Tabaqat-al-Uman, the first philosophical work
which found its way to the Arab World was brought to Iran from Sindh
during the Sassanid period. Physician Burzoyah was specially deputed
to bring useful medical herbs from Sindh by the then ruler of Iran
Chosros An-Nausherwan, who took keen interest in Indian medicines.
Burzoyah who was a great scholar, took with him to Iran some works of
Indo-Pakistan origin which were translated probably into Pahalvi. The
most celebrated among these works was the famous Panchtantra, which
was renamed as Khalilah-wa-Dimnah. During the same period the famous
games of the sub-continent chatrang and chausar were also introduced
in Iran. Thereafter Sindh scholars were invited to the Persian Academy
of Gande-sabur, where a curious blending took place. How far this
blending influenced west Asia can be gathered from the names of the
plants and drugs in Syrian, Greek and Persian works. This shows that
the cultural influence of Indus valley extended even to the Greek
World long before the Sassanid period of Iranian history. (History of
Sindh-Arab Period by Dr Mumtaz Hussain Pathan)
The country of Sindh (or Indus valley) acted as an early source of
inspiration to the Arabs, specially in wisdom, literature and
mathematics. The scholars of Sindh who were invited to Baghdad during
the early Abbasids were appointed to lucrative high posts in Bayt
al-Hikmah, which itself owes its origin, to the influence of Indus
work Panchtantra. They were assigned the duties of helping in the
translation of the various works brought from Sindh by scholars named
Manik, Bhola Ram, Ganga, Dhanwatrai, Sangal and others. These works
included among others Surya-Sidhanta, Arya-Bhat, Khanda-Khandak,
Artha-Shahatra, Mahabharta and a number of other works of which the
original names have been lost, but they have survived through other
names given to them by the Arabs.
The most important of these works was Surya Sadhanta which was
translated into Arabic by Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim al Fazari. The
translation of Sindhanta resulted in the invention of zero hitherto
unknown to the world of scholarship. The zero which the Arabs named
“Sifer” is of capital importance to the science of mathematics and
other allied sciences. It was from this zero that decimal system came
into being and calculations of enormous sums became possible. Even the
numerals now in use in the whole world, were introduced to the Arab
world by the scholars of Sindh and this is attested from the writings
of Arabs themselves.
In the science of Astronomy too, influence of the Sindhi works appears
dominant and this is evident from the works of famous Arab
astronomers. Al-Fazari, Al-Batani, al-Beruni and Al-Khayyam were all
influenced by the principles of Sindhi astronomy. Al-Khawarizmi
prepared his astronomical tables under the influence of Sidhanta and
as such he called it Sindh Hind al-Saghir. Al-Battani under the
influence of Sidhanta, Arya Bhat and Khanda Khandek, make several
emendation to Ptolemy and rectified the calculations for the orbit of
moon and other planets. Umer Al-Khayyam reported to be the first to
prepare solar calendar was chiefly influenced by the Braham Gupt (work
of Sindhi origin). In Braham Gupt the length of the solar year is
known as 365 days, 6 hours, 12 minutes and 9 seconds as against the
modern calculations which comes to 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes and
9-23/100 seconds.
Arya Bhat also believes in the revolution of earth around the sun and
its rotation around its own axis.
The influence of Sindhi works appears to have been much more on Arab
medicine as compared to other sciences. The Arab writers have given
instances in which the Sindhi physicians were consulted by Harun
al-Rashid, the Abbasid Caliph. In one of these cases the Caliph
himself fell seriously ill and he sent for Manka, because his personal
physicians failed.
In another case the cousin of the Caliph was saved from instant death
by Sindhi physician named Saleh Ibn Bhala. Saleh who was a converted
to Islam cured him by using Sindhi mode of cure. Physician Manic is
also credited, with having translated the works of Sushratta and
Chanaya’s works on poison. The medical works of Sindh which have lost
their original names and survived through the Arab names as given by
the Arab scholars are so many.
Sindhis also excelled in zoological sciences. Pal-Kapiah, Brihaspati,
Jay-Dat, Nikal and Gun are reported to have written a number of works
on the treatment of animals, birds and even insects. Pal-Kapiah’s work
Gaj-Warpen principally deals with the diseases of Elephants and their
treatment. His three other works on the animal life namely-
Gaj-Chaktasia, Gaj-Ayurredic and Gaj-Preksha deal with horses,
pedigree, birth stable arrangements, the colour and caste of the
horses and other cattle at large.
In chemistry and botany some works were translated from Sindhi sources
but their influence does not seem to have been more apparent as in
mathematics, astronomy and medicine.
Ibn Nadim has given an account of the number of books which were
translated into Arabic on political and administration. Of these the
work of Chanakiya deals with the arrangement of battles array and the
selection of proper persons suited to their merit. It also deals with
the organisation of army, its discipline, food and the use of poison.
Viyaghar’s work on the other hand deals with the weapons of warfare
specially the swords and their qualities. The most important work on
politics which was translated into Arabic was Arth-Shastra of
Kautaliya, which dealt with the economic system of the state.
Sindh which formed part of the Indo-Pak sub-continent has contributed
greatly towards the science of philosophy from the earliest know
times. Various systems of philosophy existed in the sub-continent as
is evident from Yoga-Sutras, the Samkhya treatises, the Mimasa-Sutras
and a number of other commentaries.
Even the games of Indo-Pak origin appear to have exercised unbounded
influence on the Arabs specially the Chatrang (Shatranj) and Nard
(Chausar). These games which are based on mathematical calculations
represented two different schools of thought of philosophy. The game
of chauser indicates that human being is not a free-agent and his
destiny is guided and controlled by outward powers viz; stars, planets
and men. Chatrang on the other hand teaches that man is a free agent
and he can change bad into good and wrong into right by using his
will-power and intelligence.
The Indus valley civilisation is the most ancient one and when Aryans
invaded the area 4000 years ago the people were living in the most
civilised ways in peace and harmony. They were self-sufficient in food
and other necessities of life, but they never thought of making arms
for aggressions against other nations to grab their lands and wealth.
also contribution of panini
Born: about 520 BC in Shalatula (near Attock), now Pakistan
Died: about 460 BC in India
Show birthplace location
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Panini.html
[This message has been edited by rvikz (edited April 17, 2002).]