ABURAJHON BERUNI AND HIS ROLE IN STUDY OF

THE INDIAN SCIENCE AND CULTURE

Professor AbdulhayKomili

Deputy rector on international relations NosiriKhusrav Kurgan-Teppa State University, Tajikistan

In the history of medieval science one of the most places of honour by right belongs to the great Persian-Tajik scientist of encyclopedic knowledge Aburajhоn Ahmad Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Beruni (973-1048) which has left after himself the valuable contribution to world science treasure.

Native land of AburajhonBeruni is Khoresm, the most ancient Iranian state in Central Asia. As S.P.Tolstov fairly thinks, already in ancient times in the territory of Khorezm there was a centerof the advanced civilization, which originated about II millennium BC [4]. Trade and crafts prospered in Khorezm already during rather remote times. Khorezm was in tight trade and economic dialogue with its east and western neighbor’s. Khorezm merchants travelled to China and India, to the Near East and even to the Eastern Europe.

There are all foundation to suppose, that in Ancient Khorezm there were rudiments of natural sciences – mathematics, mathematical geography, geodesy, mechanics, physics and astronomy. These sciences have actually played the important role in the development of the difficult system of irrigation constructions, calculation and measuring of the earth, construction of buildings and fortresses and etc. Development of the exact sciences in particular Astronomy in Ancient Khorezm is confirmed by the documents of a calendar content discovered during the archeological excavations. AburajhonBeruni himself also testifies this fact he described the Khorezm calendar system in details and compared it to the systems of other nations.

By X-th century Arabian khalifat has broken up to a number of the new states. In the territory of Central Asia there was the Somoniyon state, which had favorable conditions for the advancement of science and culture. The remarkable scientists, whose works has made huge impact on the further advancement of science of all medieval East, testifies on science blossoming during the Somoniyon. However, appearance of Mahmud Gaznavi on historical and political arena hampered the advancement of science in that epoch.

AburajhonBeruni conducted the active scientific activity at govermorMamune II ruling in Khorezm up to 1017. When Khorezm became under the power of the known conqueror of the extensive territory, but ephemeral empire, Mahmud Gaznavi, AburajhonBeruni along with his teacher and friend Ibn Iraq had appeared in Gazna, the capital of Gaznaviyon. The despotic ruler, Mahmud Gaznavi has enclosed himself with writers, poets and scientists, but did not appreciate the value of scientific creativity.AburajhonBeruni notes about it with bitterness: “Present time does not favour to science”. But in spite of all hardships, he deepened his knowledge in various fields of knowledge and science during his stay in the environment of Mahmud Gaznavi.

Mahmud Gaznavi waged incessant wars, in course of which he seized the northern India, dealing shortly with its population. Despite the full dependence from Mahmud Gaznavi, the scientist sharply condemns him for religionism and cruelty in destruction of cultural values of India, AburajhanBeruni wrote about this fact with undisguised sarcasm: “Mahmud has destroyed prosperity of Indians and has made in their country such miracles because of which they as if have turned to the dispelled ashes and the carried rumour” [3, p.67].

AburajhonBeruni had to accompany Mahmud Gaznavi in the Indian campaigns.AburajhonBeruni devoted his time during the country stays to study of her people, history, culture and science. The scientist has mastered Sanskrit and has translated into it some classical Ancient Greek works, including “Beginnings” of Euclid and “Almagest” of Ptolemaist, as well as his own treatise about astrolabe from the Arabic. Also he translated several works from Sanskrit into Arabic.

All these facts testifies that he had learnt Sanskrit very well. Along with Khorezm language, which belongs to the group of Iranian languages, AburajhonBeruni knew Persian (Tajik), Sogd, Ancient Greek, Hebrew, Sanskrit and, certainly, Arabic languages.

Close observation of the life and study of the Indian literature had allowedAburajhonBeruni to learn completely about the cultural value of the country and to create the remarkable work – “Mo li-l-Hind” (“India”) [3]. In this valuable work he collected information about the Indian philosophy, history, science, country geography, ethnic composition of the population, its customs and habits, religious beliefs, etc.

In this book about India AburajhonBeruni appears to us not only as the outstanding scientist, historian, philosopher, linguist, geographer and astronomer, but also as the great humanist, the fighter against racial and religious prejudices. Despite his full dependence from Mahmud Gaznavi, the scientist condemns Mahmud for his cruelty, fanaticism and despotism.

His scientific interest was very versatile and causes amazement of each researcher studying his biography. He had left after himself a large quantity of works and transactions on various problems of humanitarian and natural sciences of his epoch. Attention of AburajhonBeruni was attracted with history, linguistics, philosophy, geography, pharmacology, meteorology and mineralogy. However he was especially interested in exact sciences: mathematics, physicist, astronomy and geodesy, to which development he made a great contribution.

Still hiswell known work:”Mo li-l-Hind” (“India”) along with “Asar-ul-bakija” (“The Monument of the past generation”) [2] is the major source for study of history and culture of the Eastern people.

In his other known work “The Monument of the past generations” AburajhonBeruniconsiders “the chessboard problem” which is related to the Old Indian legend: it is required to calculate the total number of wheat grains if on first board cell to place one grain, on second cell – grains, on the third cell – four grains and so on, doubling the quantity of grains on each of the following cells [2, p.154-155].

In other words, discovering the members’ sum of the geometrical progression

1+2¹+2²+2³+…+2⁶³

Thus, AburajhonBerunishowed the final result, which is:

18 446 744 073 709 551 615,

and then he explained the solution.

AburajhonBerunidevoted his other treatise “the Book about Indian rashikah” [1] to arithmetical “rule of three magnitudes” which was extremely popular in the medieval East. It is necessary to note, that “rule of three magnitudes” consists in unknown value xdetermination from the ratio:

a:b=c:x, if a,b,care known.

AburajhonBeruni explained how this rule was applied by Indians who termed it “trajrashika”, i.e. “possessing three places”.

Thus, his unusually versatile activity has brought AburajhonBeruni the glory of the real encyclopedic scientist and one of the most outstanding thinkers of the Medieval East. He played a huge role in study and spread of science and culture in the whole, and the Muslim and Indian Medieval science, in particular.

The literature

1.Al-Biruni Abu-R-Rajhon. The book about Indian rashikah. The translation and notes by B.A.Rozenfeld//From history of science and technics in the East countries, Issue III. – M: East literature, 1963. – p.148-167.

2.Biruni Abu Rajhon. The selected works. V.I– A monument of the past generations. The translation and notes by M.A. Sale. Tashkent: Publishing house AS Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, 1957.

3. Biruni Abu Rajhon. The selected works.V.II. India.Translated by A.B.Halidova and J.N.Zavadovski and A.B.Halidova s comments. –Tashkent Publishing house AS Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, 1963.

4.Tolstov S.P. On tracks of Ancient Khorazm civilization, Moscow, “Literature” publishing house, 1948.