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Alberuni

Alberuni

Section titled “Alberuni”

2020-04-27 12:05:17

  • Alberuni 972-1048, Muslim indologist, polymath, first anthropologist, Tarikh Ul Hind, founder of Indology
  • 1017 came to India, studied religion, language, philosophy
  • Ghazni patronised him along w/ many other scholar like Firdausi
  • Helped modern Historians identify initial year of Gupta era it began 241 yrs before Shaka

Khitab Ul Hind Aka Tarikh Ul Hind -

Section titled “Khitab Ul Hind Aka Tarikh Ul Hind -”
  • Accounts the socio-religious condition, institutions
  • Shortcomings of their socio-political order that led to defeat
  • Philosophy, religion, alchemy, social life, laws, science etc
  • Chapters begin with question, concludes w/ comparison to other cultures
  • Narrates political history chronologically
  • IN depended on tradition heavily, criticises social discrimination prevalent, lack scientific spirit, arrogance of Brahmans cause of it
  • Learnt Sanskrit to study Indian texts, quoted Gita, Puranas, Patanjali etc
  • Also analysed oral sources, advices historians to be critical
  • Records facts, admits his shortcomings, presents his views without bias
  • Hindus don’t write on hides In the south on tari leaves/ leaves of date palm and In North and Central India on the bark of tuz tree
  • Acknowledges the existence of various scripts

Religion

Section titled “Religion”
  • Hinduism Islam totally different, M attacks made H suspicious of all foreigners, considered M as barbarians
  • Compares Indian philosophy to Greek

Society

Section titled “Society”
  • Caste ridden, do not live together at same place, not allowed to dine together.
  • Antyaja were below Shudras included juggler, shoemakers, sailors, weaver etc lived outside city.
  • Untouchables also mentioned like Chandalas.
  • Only Brahmans Kshatriyas capable of attaining Moksha
  • Compares it with social division of ancient Persia.
  • Vaishyas were degenerating to rank of Shudras.
  • Forbidden to go overseas, do not like sharing their knowledge
  • Social evils child marriage, sati, low position of women esp widows.
  • Mentions rich heritage of India.
  • Cutoms like earthern plates, chewing arecanut, turbans in vogue, permission while leaving from women.

Religion

Section titled “Religion”
  • Mentions festivals, educated H believed in one eternal god, w/o beginning or end
  • Calls polytheism as vulgar, mentions beliefs in spirits, souls not differing from each other
  • Concept of Naraka, Swarg, Moksha
  • transmigration of soul, karma defining their next birth

Polity

Section titled “Polity”
  • Dates destruction of Somnath by Mahmud, not gives infor about political events
  • History of Hindushahi’s

Science

Section titled “Science”
  • IN had knowledge of astronomy, metrology, alchemy, geography, mathematics
  • Critical account, Astronomy most popular connected w/ religion, mentions Varahmihira’s Panchasiddhantika, Brahmagupta, Arayabhatta Dasagitika
  • Planets and their motion, zodiac signs
  • Causes for solar, lunar eclipse known
  • Calculation of equinoxes, earth rotated around sun elliptical in shape
  • Tola, Yava, Kala, Dropa are some measures of weight
  • Arithmetic - Brahmagupta
  • Charaka Samhita known,
  • Decimal system, zero were know, mentions value of pi
  • Considers his knowledge superior to others, compares alchemy to witchcraft
  • Hindus are haughty, foolish, superiority complex

Criticism of Alberuni

Section titled “Criticism of Alberuni”
  • Depended only on Brahmana works
  • Misinterpretation wrong understanding of texts
  • Ignored non Sanskrit text
  • Does not mentions places he visited, lacks positive evidence, myths are taken as facts
  • Direct observational description is lacking
  • Oral informants could be wrong

PYQs and Answers

Section titled “PYQs and Answers”
  1. Discuss the salient features of Indian society on the eve of the campaigns of Mahmud of Ghazni, with particular reference to the observations made by Al-Biruni. [1989, 60m]
  1. Write a short essay on: “AIBiruni’s India” [1998, 20m]
  1. Attempt a critical essay of the Indian Science and Civilization in the light of Alberuni’s writings. What merits and drawbacks, do you find in his account? [2003, 60m]
  1. Evaluate the ‘Kitab al-Hind’ of Alberuni as a source of history of India. [2014, 15m]
  1. Comment on the veracity of Alberuni’s account of the Indian society. [2016, 10 Marks]
  1. Write a short essay on: “Alberuni on science in India” [2007, 20m]