Читать книгу Memory of the World: The treasures that record our history from 1700 BC to the present day - UNESCO - Страница 35
ОглавлениеInscribed 2011
What is it
The manuscript, written in Persian in the 11th century, is one of the world’s oldest scientific works on mathematics and astrology.
Why was it inscribed
Using precise mathematical calculations, it brought astronomical rigour to traditional astrology and contributed towards the astronomy revolution during the Renaissance.
Where is it
Library of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Tehran, Iran
Al-Tafhim li Awa’il Sana’at al-Tanjim is a Persian language work by the renowned Iranian scientist, abu-Rayhan al-Biruni (973–1048). It is the oldest Persian text on mathematics and astrology and was written when Iranian scientists and scholars used Arabic to write their scientific works. By composing his book in Persian, al-Biruni contributed to the creation of scientific Persian. He also composed an Arabic version simultaneously.
This book was written at the request of Rayhanah, the daughter of Hussein or Hassan Khwarizmi, in 1029. As a self-study text on astrology for a Persian-speaking girl, it is an important example of the ancient Persian vernacular and offers a wealth of insight into the history, traditions and chronology of Iranian culture of that era.
To aid his readers in their comprehension of a complex subject, al-Biruni begins with the principles of geometry and arithmetic; he then proceeds to astronomy and chronology, and after introducing the use of the astrolabe for astronomical and astrological purposes, he explains the principles of astrology. The book is logically structured into 530 questions and answers. Each new topic starts with a question posed by an imaginary student and ends with an answer by an imaginary professor. It is illustrated with clear and elegant figures in red and black inks and the text is also coloured, with bright red questions and black answers.
Leaves of the manuscript
The book is a concise compilation of al-Biruni’s knowledge of mathematics and astrology and is a treasury of scientific and literary wisdom. At the time it was written, political leaders and ordinary people searched for guidance in their lives and found the systemic links between the stars and human activities useful and believable. It is still cited today as an example of how scientific instruction can be presented in a simple and easy-to-understand way.
Al-Biruni wrote many volumes in Arabic, but this is his only remaining work in Persian. Its historical authenticity, scientific merits and literary significance have made this rare book one of the most famous in the Persian language. It has been reprinted in many formats and translated into English, Italian, German and Russian.
The oldest Arabic manuscript of this book dates back to 1177 and is preserved in Chester Beatty Library in Dublin; this Persian manuscript was transcribed in 1143, less than 100 years after al-Biruni ’s death.
Arabian astrolabe, 11th century
