** the Caliphate Abbasid Caliphate learning










The Abbasid Caliphate: Learning


Figure 1.--This 13th century manuscript was illustrated by Al-Wasiti for the celebrated book 'The Assemblies'. It was Written by Hariri. It shows the famed library in Baghdad before it was destroyed by the Mongols. There was nothing like it in Christendom.

While the great age of Islamic expansion ended wih the Umayyads. It was the culture of Abbasid Caliphate that led it to be known as the Golden Age of Islam--the pinnacle of Arab culture. The Caliphate became a bustling center of world commerce and culture at a time that the civilization of the West was mired in the Dark Ages. In contrast there was an outpouring of learning and culture in the Islamic world. And this was not just religious learning. Baghdad in particular became a renowned center for learning, including science, mathematics, philosophy and literature--especially poetry. Matamatical achivements included the invention of algebra and advancs in geometry and trignometry. Medical advamces were paricularly impressive. The Abbasids invented the teaching hospital, The me medical encyclopedia preapared by Ababasis doctors was for 600 years used in Europe and better than anything the Europeans themselves produced. Scientific achievements were made in astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics. The Abbasids came very close to inventing the scientific method. There were also imprtant geographical works. Al-Idrisi compiled a world atlas with the most accurate maps of the day (10th century). [Al-Idrisi] Several tavelers accounts provide invaluable accounts. We thus have views of the Mediteranean to Cetral Asia. The accounts Ibn Battuta are especiall important as his travels took him from Morocco into the Middle East in the wake of the Mongol invasion (14th cenury). An important part of Arab learming was the collction and training of the ancient texts a well as the acquisition of contemprary works. Renounded universities, libraries, and public baths were built at Baghdad. The House of Wisdom/Books became the great repository for texts from the known world, the greatest collection of the day. The Abbasid philosophers, scientists, mathamaticians, inventors, and poets created a body of learning and inspiration that pved the way for the European Renaissance.

Agriculture

The Middle East, even the Fertile Cressent includes large arid regions. Thus the river systms and irrigation methods are vital to agriculture. The Abbasids were a trading people, but most of the population ws peasants involved in agriculture. And the success of those peasants and their harvests were vital for the Abbasid economy to thrive. There was an important link between agriculture and politics. Th vital irrigation system required a strong political system to maintain.

History

Al-Masudi is often described as the Arab Herodotus. He is one of the great travel writers of all time. He did not, however, unlike Herodotus seriously address the reason as to why the Abbasid Caliphate and Islamic rule in general failed.

Mathamatics

Arabic numbers including the concept of zero came to Europe through Abbasid mathmaticians, but were actually the creation of Indian mathmaiticans. Advanced math is not possible without Arabic numerals. Matamatical achivements included the invention of algebra and advancs in geometry and trignometry. Al-Khwarizmi used the foundation of Babylonian, Greek, and Indian math to crete and study algebra and other symbolic algorithms. Algebra became a major mathamatical discipline. Omar Khayyam, today better known as a poet, was also a figure in Annasid mathamatics.

Medicine

Medical advamces were paricularly impressive,. The Abbasids invented the modern teaching hospital, The medical encyclopedia preapared by Abbasid doctors was for 600 years used in Europe and better than anything the Europeans themselves produced. Ibn Sina was known as Avicenna in the west. He was one of the great thinkers of the Abbasid Caliphate and deserves a place among the founders of modern medicine. Abbasid doctors produced other foundational texts on medicine and medical ethics. Mohammed ibn Zakariya (864- ) known as al-Razi in the West was Persia. Like many Abbasid thinkers, he was also intersted in Alchemy, but is best known today forhis work in the development of effective medicines.

Philosophy

Polymath Ibn Sina (Avicenna) is best know for his work in the medicl fiekd, but he was also an important bphilosopher. Many historians identify as the single most important Islamic philosopher. And he has to be included in any list of the most influential thinkers of all time.Like other Abbasid philosophers he built on the Greek aristolian tradition. Abbasid scholars continued the ontological queries began in classical Greece. Parmenides is one of the most important Greek ontological philosophers. Plato pursued ontological studies and is the best know ontological philosopher. Ontology is the philosophical study into the nature of being. This meant questioning becoming, existence, and reality. Ontological philosophers also pursued the basic categories of being and their relations. It is seen as part of the branch of philosophy known as metaphysics. Ontology often focuses on the philosophical questions associated with whether entities exist or can be seen as existing and how they should be grouped. Ontology as highly theoretical undertaking. It does have some practical application in information science and technology which are now known as ontology engineering. Abbasid scholars continued the Greek inquiries into ontology. They were very influential in mot only Islamic theologians, but Christians and Jewish theologians as wel as they wrestled with the nature of God and the central issue of the relationship between faith and reason.

Physical Sciences

Scientific achievements were made in astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics. The Abbasids came very close to inventing the scientific method, more than a half a mellinnium before Galilleo. The Abbasids oversaw a shift from astrology to astronomy. Their achievements are reflected in the nunber of stars that today have Arabic names. They challenged Ptolemy's flawed world view which continued to dominate Western cosmology for centuries. Al-Jahiz played with ideas resembling evolution, but did not identify the mechanism driving it. Some of the greatest advances were made in chemistry as alchemy to chemistry. Perhaps the greatest of the many Abbasid thinkers making advances in chenistry was Ibn Hayyan. He was, like many of the great Abbasid thinkers, a polymath--astronomer, engineer, pharmacist, philosopher, physicist, and physician. Some 3,000 works are attributed to him. Abu Yusuf Yaqub known as al-Kindi was an important mathematician who came to be known as the philosopher of the Arabs. Like many others he practiced alchemy, but came to see converting lead into gold as impossible. He is believed to be the first individual to distill alcohol. He produced brandy. But as a result of the Koranic prohibition of alcoholic drinks, he focused on the profuction of perfumes. Al-Haytham produced a revolutionary book on optics. It was first modern attempt an understanding light and vision. His seven volume treatise is a classic od scientific discovery.

Astronomy

The Abbasids oversaw a shift from astrology to astronomy. Their achievements are reflected in the nunber of stars that today have Arabic names. They challenged Ptolemy's flawed world view which continued to dominate Western cosmology for centuries. Many Abbasid scholars addressed astronomy and their ground breaking wirk often required a sophisticated lnowlwdge of mathematics, perhaps a reason that Abbasid scholarship ncluded so many advances in math. Muslims including Islamic scholars who were not always impressed with secular learning, were very interested in astonomical work. They needed basic astronomical information religious purposes. Requirements of the religion included knowing certain times of the day, as well as sun and moon patterns. Without basic astronomical knowledge, everyday rituals could not be consistently practiced. Baghdad was a major center of study under the Abbasid caliphs al-Mansur (r. 754–75) and al-Ma’mun (r. 813–33), but local rulers throughout the Islamic cultural area (Cairo, Rayy, Isfahan, and other cities) supported astronomical work, in part because of the religious connection. ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (903–86) was Persian and one of the most important astronomers of the era. He was supported by the Buyid sultan ‘Adud al-Dawla and it was to al-Dawla that dedicated his Illustrated Book of the Fixed Stars. al Sufi described the 48 constellations formed by what he called the 'fixed stars'. These were the stars identified as the celestial objects that seem not to move in relation to the other objects that we now know are planets. His work was based on observations made at Isfahan, rather than the writings of earlier astromers. Other important investigators gha worked on astronomy were al-Biruni (973–1048), who wrote Al-Qanun al-Mas’udi dedicated to Sultan Mas’ud of Ghazna. It addressed solar, lunar, and planetary moovements. Ibn al-Haytham, known in the West as Alhazen (c965-1039) measured the thickness of the atmosphere and how it impacted celestial observations.

Biology

Al-Jahiz played with ideas resembling evolution, but did not identify the mechanism driving it.

Chemistry

Some of the greatest Abbsid advances were made in chemistry as alchemy to schemistry. Chemistry was perhaps the most important of all the fields addressed by Abbasid scholars. The alchenists attempt to produce gold, drove unparalelled experimentation--the key to the scientific method. Perhaps the greatest of the many Abbasid thinkers making advances in chenistry was Jabir Ibn Hayyan (721-815) known a Geber in the West. He was, like many of the great Abbasid thinkers, a polymath--astronomer, engineer, pharmacist, philosopher, physicist, and physician. A huge corpus of work is attributed to him. Some 3,000 works are connected to him. He could not have authored them all, but he must have written most of them. His name is virtually synomamous with alchemy, but his work bridged the gap between alcheny and chemistry.The Arabic version of the Emerald Stone/Tablet is attributed to him. It was originally believed to be a Greek text, but is now widely belived to be an Arab original, probably authored by Ibn Hayyan. It was translated into Latin (12th century). It be came one of the most important works of medival alchemy, the secret or magical pursuits of medieval/early modern Europe. Ibn Hayyan confusing, apparently deliberately mysterious language appears to be the origin of the term gibberish--due to the Western name Geber. The book came to be seen as a code to be broken. Ibn hayan wrote, "The purpose is to baffle and lead into error everyone except those who God loves and provides for." Hayyan was obssessed with 'takwin'--the artificial generation of life. His Book of Stones were strange recipies to create scorpions, smakes, and even humans. Once created they would be under the achemist's control. All of this, of course sounds absurd to the modern reader, bu what makes Hayyan really important is that he emphasized that above all else hat the practisioner 'must perform practical work and perform experiments'. ^his of close comes very close to the scientific method--the very core of sciebce. And as a result, he came up with a series of ground breaking fimdings, nearly a millenium before hemistry emerged as a modern sciebce in Europe. He took the first realtic steps toward classifying elements (metals and non-mettals). He developed three catergories: 1)spirits that profuced vapors (gas) such as aesnic, mercury, suphur, and ammonium, 2) maleable metals, including gold, silver, lead, tin, copper, and iron, and 3) non-malleable substances like stones which were not maleable, but instead turned into a powder. Hayyan worled with compounds, discovering nitric and suphuris acids as well as decribtions of known acis likke citric and tanic acids. He worked on both crytilization and distilation. And he exprimented with compunds of the elements he categorized. It was Hayyan that invented much of the basic glass laboratory equipment. Perhaps the greatest of the many Abbasid thinkers making advances in chenistry was Ibn Hayyan. He was, like many of the great Abbasid thinkers, a polymath--astronomer, engineer, pharmacist, philosopher, physicist, and physician. Some 3,000 works are attributed to him. He could not have authored them all, but he must have written most of them. His name is virtually synomanous with alchemy, but his work bridged the gap between acheny and chemistry. Al-Jazari is called by Muslims as the 'father of robotics'. This is an exageration, but his work was highly advanced at the time. The Abbasid acurately estimated the circumference of the earth. It is not always possible to neatly categorizeAbbasid thinkers. Abu Yusuf Yaqub known as al-Kindi was an important mathematician who came to be known as the philosopher of the Arabs. Like many others he practiced alchemy, but came to see converting lead into gold as impossible. He is believed to be the first individual to distill alcohol. He produced brandy. But as a result of the Koranic prohibition of alcoholic drinks, he focused on the profuction of perfumes.

Physics

The Abbasids made major advanced in physics, nit as impressive as the wirk in chemistry, but still far superior yo anything in the West. The Abbasid acurately estimated the circumference of the earth. Al-Haytham produced a revolutionary book on optics. It was first modern attempt an understanding light and vision. Some identify him and not Galilleo as the world's first true scientist. We are not sure tht this was true, but it is worth noting that al-Haytham worked a half millennium before Galilleo. The Arabs because of their environment were fascinated by water, There was apecial interest in fountains. Thus we see work on fountains and related areas such as xself-playing musical instruments. Al-Jazari is called by Muslims as the 'father of robotics'. This is an exageration, but his work was highly advanced at the time.

Religion

Iman al-Bukhari 200 years after Mohammed's death searched through countless alleged sayings attributed to Mohammed and compiled the official Hadith--the collected sayings of Mohamme outside the Koran. Aassessing authenticity was a major problem working as he did so long after Mohammed's death. The major religious effort during the Abbasid era was interperying and defending the Koran. This became known as Koranic tofsir or exegesis. A major figure here was al-Tabari. Abbasid theologians wrestled with the tension between faith and reason. Their work influenced this basic discussion, not only within Islam, but the other two Abrahamic religions. Ibn Sina was particularly influential. Moses Maimonides is considered one of the greatest Talmudic scholars of all time. The Abbasids lost political control of Al-Andalus. But it was in the Abbasid cultural area. Maimonides was not hust aaludic scholar, but developed important insights into the relationship between the three great Abrahamic religions and especially the tebsion between faith and reason.

Social Sciences

There were also imprtant geographical works. Al-Idrisi compiled a world atlas with the most accurate maps of the day (10th century). [Al-Idrisi] Several tavelers accounts provide invaluable accounts. We thus have views of the Mediteranean to Cetral Asia. The accounts Ibn Battuta are especiall important as his travels took him from Morocco into the Middle East in the wake of the Mongol invasion (14th cenury).

Other

Some scholars are just to difficult to associate with one single discipline. Abū Rayḥān Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Biruni (973-1048) was a polymath who worked with anthroplogy, astronomy, geography, history, math, physics, and more. Al-Biruni was Persian born in what is now modern Uzbeckistan, but part of the extended Abbasid cultural world.

Sources

Gearon, Eamonn. "The history and achievements of the Islamic Goldem Age," The Great Cources.

(Al-) Idrisi. Tabla Rogeriana

Jawad, Mustafa and Ahmad Susa. "A detailed guide to Baghdad's map," in Baghdad's Plans, Old and Modern. (Baghdad: Iraqi Scientific Academy Press, , 1958), 405p.





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Created: 1:18 AM 2/14/2017
Last updated: 1:18 AM 2/14/2017