Abu Reyhan Muhammad ibn Ahmed al-Biruni (973-1048) - Central Asian encyclopedist. Born on the outskirts of the city of Kyat, the capital of the ancient state of Khorezm (now part of Uzbekistan). Living under the dominance of the Muslim religion, which was hostile to science, he boldly opposed the religious worldview. Biruni believed that in nature everything exists and changes according to the laws of nature itself, and not according to divine command. These laws can only be understood with the help of science. For his progressive views, Biruni was persecuted and was forced to leave his homeland three times and live in exile.
Biruni's scientific works cover various fields of knowledge: astronomy and geography, mathematics and physics, geology and mineralogy, chemistry and botany, history and ethnography, philosophy and philology. The main works (over 40) are devoted to mathematics and astronomy, which were of great practical importance for the economic life of Khorezm - for irrigated agriculture and trade travel. The most important tasks of astronomy were the improvement of the calendar and methods of orientation on Earth by celestial bodies. It was necessary to be able to determine as accurately as possible the positions of the Sun, Moon, and stars in the sky, and also to measure with the greatest possible accuracy the so-called basic astronomical constants - the inclination of the ecliptic to the equator, the length of the solar and sidereal year, etc.
Every nation has distinguished itself in the development of some science or practice.
Al-Biruni
And this, in turn, required the development of mathematics, in particular plane and spherical trigonometry, on the one hand, and the improvement of tools for precise observations, on the other. Biruni's results and achievements in all of these areas remained unsurpassed for several centuries: the largest wall quadrant - a goniometric instrument that made it possible to measure the position of the Sun with an accuracy of 2`; the most accurate determination of the inclination of the ecliptic to the equator and the secular change of this value; a new method for determining the radius of the Earth - by the degree of depression of the horizon when observed from a mountain. Biruni almost accurately determined the radius of the Earth (more than 6000 km), based on the idea of its spherical shape.
Biruni adopted and developed the progressive ideas of ancient Greek and ancient Indian philosophers on some general problems of astronomy: he asserted the same fiery nature of the Sun and stars, in contrast to dark bodies - planets; the mobility of stars and their enormous size compared to the Earth; the idea of gravity. Biruni expressed reasonable doubts about the validity of Ptolemy’s geocentric system of the world.
In his very first work, “Chronology of Ancient Peoples” (1000), Biruni collected and described all the calendar systems known in his time, used by various peoples of the world. Astronomical research was presented by him in the “Book of Interpretation of the Fundamental Principles of Astronomy” and in other scientific works.
A scientist acts consciously even when he spends money.
Al-Biruni
Al-Biruni - photo
Al-Biruni - quotes
A scientist acts consciously even when he spends money. 
“India” by Biruni (973–1048) is a remarkable monument of science from the countries of the Asian East, containing the most important information about the peoples of India, their customs, religion and philosophical systems, presented with deep knowledge of the matter and objectivity that was amazing for that time. The information presented in the book fully retains its significance today as valuable factual (historical, ethnographic and geographical) material, in many ways unique and completely reliable.
The Russian translation of this book was commissioned by the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR and was previously published as part of the “Selected Works” of Abu Rayhan Biruni, published in Tashkent. Naturally, the publication's circulation was small and was sold almost entirely in Uzbekistan, outside of which the book remained little known. Meanwhile, the translation is addressed not only to specialists, but also to a wider readership. Now a modern Russian history buff, who grew up after the publication of the Tashkent edition, will be able to familiarize himself with it.
The translation, fortunately, did not require revision. It was based on the only critical publication of the Arabic original, prepared in Europe on the basis of a perfectly preserved manuscript from the mid-12th century, which directly goes back to Biruni’s autograph. Since the publication of our publication, no materials have been discovered that could significantly clarify it. Therefore, only a few corrections have been made to this reprint to eliminate the noted errors and typos of the first edition.
The work itself and its author are described in detail in the preface of 1961. Let us only note that the intervening period has not changed anything in the scientists’ understanding of “India”. According to the author's intention, the work was intended to serve Muslim intellectuals as a source of knowledge about the spiritual culture, traditions and customs of the Indian people.
It would seem that today's Russians do not need to turn to a medieval Arabic source in order to understand Indian culture, because they have enormous, ever-expanding opportunities to obtain any information about India and its closest neighbors (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan) , with which this country shares the great southern subcontinent, is what is actually meant when talking about India in a broad historical context, as for example in Biruni’s book. In addition, numerous translations from Sanskrit and other Indian languages, as well as studies by domestic and foreign Indologists, have become available to the modern Russian-speaking reader.
Nevertheless, Biruni’s work retains its significance as a unique treasury of thought and a monument of literature. He absorbed and captured the perception of a representative of a different, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cultural tradition, a Muslim, of the inexhaustible Indian heritage. The critically thinking author of “India” either calmly retells the facts known to him, then presents events with obvious sympathy and admiration, then moves on to open polemics. We hope that Biruni’s immortal work will not leave the interested Russian reader indifferent.
Preface 7
Introduction 57
India (Text) 63
Chapter I, in which general information about the Indians is presented and established before our story about them begins.
Chapter II, which expounds the Indian faith in God - praise be to him!
Chapter III, which talks about the belief of the Indians regarding rational and sensory creatures.
Chapter IV is about the cause of action and the connection of the soul with matter.
Chapter V is about the state of souls and their journey in the world through transmigration from one body to another.
Chapter VI, telling about other worlds and places of retribution in heaven and hell.
Chapter VII is about how deliverance from the mortal world occurs, and a description of the path leading to this.
Chapter VIII is about the different types of creatures and their names.
Chapter IX, dealing with the castes which the Indians call "flowers" and the lower castes.
Chapter X is about the source of the religious and secular laws of the Indians, about the prophets and about the possibility of repealing certain laws.
Chapter XI is about the beginning of idol worship and what these idols are.
Chapter XII, which talks about the Vedas, Puranas and religious literature of the Indians.
Chapter XIII, which talks about the books of the Indians on grammar and poetry.
Chapter XIV, which talks about Indian books on other branches of knowledge.
Chapter XV, which gives information about the Indian system of measures to facilitate the understanding of the measures found in this book.
Chapter XVI, which gives information about Indian writing, arithmetic, and similar subjects, and some Indian customs that may seem outlandish.
Chapter XVII, which tells of their sciences, which spread their wings over the horizon of ignorance.
Chapter XVIII, containing various information about their country, rivers, sea and some distances between their regions and borders.
Chapter XIX is about the names of planets, zodiac signs, lunar stations and the like.
Chapter XX, which talks about Brahmanda.
Chapter XXI - about the shape of the earth and sky according to religious ideas, which go back to oral news and traditions.
Chapter XXII, which tells about the pole and legends about it.
Chapter XXIII, which talks about Mount Meru according to the views held by the authors of the Puranas and others.
Chapter XXIV, which talks in detail about the seven dvipas according to the Puranas.
Chapter XXV, which deals with the rivers of India, their sources and their course through various regions.
Chapter XXVI - about the shape of the sky and earth according to the teachings of Indian astronomers.
Chapter XXVII is about the original two movements according to the teachings of Indian astrologers and authors of the Puranas.
Chapter XXVIII - about the definition of the ten countries of the world.
Chapter XXIX - about the definition of the inhabited part of the earth according to the ideas of the Indians.
Chapter XXX, which talks about Lanka, known as the "Dome of the Earth."
Chapter XXXI is about the difference in distances between regions, which we call the “difference of two longitudes.”
Chapter XXXII, which talks about duration and time in general, about the creation of the world and its destruction.
Chapter XXXIII is about the different types of day and about day and night.
Chapter XXXIV is about dividing the day into smaller parts.
Chapter XXXV - about the different types of months and years.
Chapter XXXVI is about the four measures of time, which are called mana.
Chapter XXXVII - about the parts of the month and year.
Chapter XXXVIII is about what is made up of a day, including the duration of Brahma's life.
Chapter XXXIX is about that which exceeds the life span of Brahma.
Chapter XL, which talks about sandhi, that is, the interval connecting two periods of time.
Chapter XLI is about explaining the terms kalpa and chatur-yuga and defining one of them by means of the other.
Chapter XLIІ is about the division of chatur-yuga into yugas and about conflicting opinions on this issue.
Chapter XLIII is about the special features inherent in the four yugas, and a story about everything that is expected at the end of the fourth of them.
Chapter XLIV, which talks about the Manvantaras.
Chapter XLV, telling about the constellation Ursa Major.
Chapter XLVI is about Narayan, his appearance at different times and his names.
Chapter XLVII, telling about Vasudeva and the Bharata wars.
Chapter ХLVІІІ is about explaining the measure of akshauhini.
Chapter ХLIХ - general information about the eras of [Indians].
Chapter L is about how many sidereal cycles are included in each kalpa and each chatur-yuga.
Chapter LI is about the explanation of the terms adhimasa, unaratra and ahargana, expressing different periods composed of days.
Chapter LII is about the general explanation of the calculation of ahargan, that is, the conversion of years and months into days and the reverse action of converting days into years.
Chapter LIII is about the conversion of years [into months] by private actions applied to certain divisions of time [in eras].
Chapter LIV is about calculating the average position of the planets.
Chapter LV is about the order, distances and sizes of the planets.
Chapter LVI - about lunar stations.
Chapter LVІІ - about the solar ascensions of the stars and a story about the sacrifices and rituals of the Indians at this time.
Chapter LVIII is about the consistent change of tide in the waters of the ocean.
Chapter LIX, telling about solar and lunar eclipses.
Chapter LX, which talks about parvana.
Chapter LXI is about the masters of time from the point of view of religious law and astronomy and other related issues.
Chapter LXII is about the sixty-year-old samvatsara, also called shashtyabda.
Chapter LXIII is about what especially concerns brahmanas and what they should do during their lives.
Chapter LXIV is about the customs that are followed throughout their lives by representatives of castes other than Brahmins.
Chapter LXV, which talks about sacrifices.
Chapter LХVI is about pilgrimage and visiting revered places.
Chapter LХVІІ is about alms and what follows from property.
Chapter LХVІІІ - about what is permitted and prohibited for consumption in food and drink.
Chapter LХІХ - about marriages, menstruation, the state of embryos and childbirth.
Chapter LXX is about litigation.
Chapter LXXI is about punishments and atonements.
Chapter LXXII - about inheritances and the rights of the deceased to inheritance.
Chapter LXXIII is about fulfilling one’s duty towards the body of the deceased and the rights of the living to their bodies.
Chapter LXXIV is about fasting and its varieties.
Chapter LXXV is about determining the days of fasting.
Chapter LХХVI - about holidays and amusements.
Chapter LХХVІІ - about especially revered days, about happy and unlucky moments for achieving [heavenly] reward.
Chapter LХХVІІІ, which tells about the karanas.
Chapter LXXIX, telling about yogis.
Chapter LXXXX, which deals with the fundamentals of the Judicial Astrology of the Indians and gives a summary of their calculations.
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Welcome! Khush kelibsiz! Kosh keldiniz! Kosh keldynyzder!Khush omaded! Hoş geldiňiz! !ترحيب Brilliant people don't die. Because their intellectual, emotional and spiritual Universe is so rich, voluminous, multifaceted that after their physical death we feel not only their influence, but also their invisible presence. We compare our actions with them, consult, and learn. And therefore from distant centuries great teacher Beruni addresses us today. |
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Abu Rayhan Beruni(Biruni; Abu Rayhan Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Biruni) (973–1048). 75 years old Outstanding Uzbek scientist-encyclopedist. Born on September 4, 973 in the ancient capital of Khorezm - the city of Kyat. Very little is known about Beruni’s early life, except that he was an orphan. He wrote about his origins: “... I don’t know the truth of my genealogy. After all, I don’t really know my grandfather, and how can I know my grandfather, since I don’t know my father!” |
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Beruni spent his childhood and youth in the house of the cousin of Khorezmshah Abu Abdallah from the local Iraqid dynasty - one of the outstanding mathematicians of Khorezm at that time - Abu Nasr Mansur ibn Ali ibn Iraq (he owned one of the first proofs of the theorem of sines for plane and spherical triangles).
Abu Nasr was sincerely attached to his pupil, and retained this affection throughout his life, continuing to touchingly patronize him and give instructions, even when the student’s scientific fame far surpassed his own. Over the years, mentoring gave way to cooperation, and the spiritual closeness of these two people, who placed selfless service to the truth above all earthly goods, will determine the amazing similarity of their human paths - fate, which separated them often and for a long time, will ultimately bring both of them together in exile, where both will end their lives life without ever seeing his native land.
Since childhood, the inquisitive Beruni tried to expand the information about the world that he received from his teacher. In his work “Pharmacognosy in Medicine,” he wrote that by nature, from a young age, he was endowed with excessive greed for acquiring knowledge. As evidence of this, Beruni gives the following example: when he was about seven years old, a Greek settled in their area, to whom he brought various grains, seeds, fruits, plants, etc., asked what they were called in his language, and wrote down the names. Then the Greek introduced Beruni to another knowledgeable person named Masikhi, who recommended the books he needed to read and explained incomprehensible things. Beruni wrote his first work, “Chronology of Ancient Peoples,” in which he collected and described all the calendar systems known in his time and used by various peoples, when he was a little over twenty years old.
Also surprising is the similarity of Beruni’s earthly path with the fate of his other greatest contemporary - Abu Ali Ibn Sina, with whom, by the way, they actively exchanged letters, discussing the natural philosophical views of Aristotle.
Like Ibn Sina, fate either lifted Beruni up or brought him down: years of a quiet life filled with scientific research and palace honors were followed by years of poverty and exile.
Beruni had to go through the loss of all his manuscripts several times, and had to start everything from scratch in a new place. But the strength of spirit and desire for scientific research did not allow Beruni to give up even in hopeless situations.
From 1017, after the conquest of Khorezm by Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznavi, Beruni lived in Ghazn at the court of Sultan Mahmud and his successors Masud and Maudud. Under the compulsion of the Sultan, Beruni participated in Mahmud’s campaigns in India, where he lived the second half of his life. There are many legends about the circumstances of his move to Ghazna. Did he voluntarily go to the capital of Sultan Mahmud in search of good earnings or was he forcibly taken there under guard and in shackles, like a dangerous criminal? Most researchers are inclined to the second version: when in 1017 the capital of the Khorezm principality was destroyed, the great scientist was captured and “as a prisoner-hostage, he, along with other prominent Khorezmians, was taken to Ghazna” and was even imprisoned there. After his release in Ghazna, the scientist led a secluded life, and only work remained his only joy.
Only for two days a year - on New Year's Day and on the Mihrjan holiday - did he devote himself to the worries of acquiring supplies of food and clothing, and on the remaining days of the year he devoted himself entirely to science.
There is a legend that one day Sultan Mahmud himself decided to test Beruni’s logic and knowledge. To do this, he arranged an audience in the large hall of his palace, which had four doors. And he ordered him to guess through which of them he would enter the hall. Beruni immediately asked for paper and ink, and, having written a note containing the answer, hid it under the pillow on which the Sultan usually sat. He ordered to break part of the wall in the hall and entered this gap. Taking out Beruni’s note from under the pillow, he found in it the answer that the Sultan should enter the hall through a hole in the wall.
The enraged Mahmud ordered to immediately throw the scientist out the window, but Beruni ordered a ramp to be prepared under the window ahead of time, and he rolled down it without any harm to himself.
In old age, Beruni lost his sight, but until the last minute of his life he considered a cheerful spirit to be the main “mechanism” for continuing life. Dying on December 9, 1048 in Ghazna, Beruni was fully conscious and, although weak, conducted conversations on scientific topics. Saying goodbye to his friends, he asked the latter: “Oh yes, I kept wanting to ask what you once told me about methods of counting unjust profits?” The amazed friend exclaimed: “Is this something to talk about now!” Biruni, already losing his voice, whispered: “Oh, you! I think it is better to leave the world having learned the answer to this question than to leave ignorant...”
Beruni was an encyclopedically literate person with diverse interests. Beruni learned the Arabic language, grammar and style himself. In addition, he knew nine languages of the East (in addition to Khorezm and Arabic), including Sanskrit and Hindi, as well as Greek and Latin.
In total, he wrote 45 works in various disciplines: medicine, pharmacology, pharmacognosy, history, geography, mathematics, astronomy, geodesy, philology, mineralogy. He calculated the radius of the Earth, established the angle of inclination of the ecliptic to the equator, described lunar eclipses with a change in the color of the Moon during them, as well as solar eclipses, having analyzed the nature of the solar corona, he expressed the idea of the fiery nature of the stars and the sun, in contrast to the planets.
As a reward for compiling star tables, the Sultan sent Beruni a gift of an elephant loaded with silver. But the scientist returned the gift to the treasury, saying: “I don’t need silver, I have the highest wealth - knowledge”.
Beruni's capital work "Pharmacognosy in medicine"(“Kitab al-Saydana fit-t-tibb”) is of great importance even today. In this book he goes into detail described about 880 plants, their individual parts and secretions; gave their exact descriptions and streamlined the terminology. Descriptions of plants are accompanied by drawings with their images. “Saidana” (“Pharmacognosy”) also contains rich material about the distribution of medicinal plants and their habitats.
Beruni collected and explained about 4500 Arabic, Greek, Syrian, Indian, Persian, Khorezmian, Sogdian, Turkic, and other plant names. These synonyms are still used in modern pharmacognosy when deciphering ancient treatises.
For European science, “Saidana” (“Pharmacognosy”) was unknown until 1902.
Beruni's aphorism: “A scientist acts consciously even when he spends money.”
Another aphorism: « No nation is spared from ignorant people and leaders, even moreignorant».
ASTROLOGERS OF THE REMOTE PAST
Knowledge is the most excellent of possessions. Everyone strives for it, but it doesn’t come on its own.
The greatest scientific genius of the early Middle Ages, Biruni, was fluent in Arabic, Persian, Greek, Syriac, and Sanskrit. Historians of science often call the entire first half of the 11th century the “Biruni era.” He can be considered one of the world's first encyclopedists, whose scientific feat could be repeated only by very few and much later. But Biruni also studied the science of the stars and was considered a great master of horary astrology. One of his most famous works is the unique treatise “The Book of Instructions on the Fundamentals of the Art of Astrology.”
History knows many geniuses endowed with outstanding abilities in all areas of human activity. Such people constitute the golden fund of humanity.
During the transition from the first to the second millennium, the East presented the world with a whole galaxy of thinkers, whose works are still included in the treasury of world culture. Among the names of Ibn Sina, Ibn Rushd and Omar Khayyam, al-Biruni rightfully stands out. His figure is unique. Historians of science often call the entire first half of the 11th century the “era of Biruni.” With good reason, he can be considered one of the world’s first encyclopedists, whose scientific feat could be repeated only by a very few, and much later. His creative heritage includes more than 150 works on astronomy, mathematics, geography, mineralogy, chemistry, ethnography, philosophy, history, biology, medicine and astrology.
Biruni (Abu-Raykhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad il Biruni) was born on September 4, 973 in the city of Kit, one of the cities of the ancient state of Khorezm (now the city of Biruni in the Republic of Uzbekistan). We know practically nothing about his childhood and adolescence. It is only known that he received an excellent mathematical and philosophical education. Biruni was fluent in Arabic, Persian, Greek, Syriac, and Sanskrit.
The main part of his life took place at the courts of the rulers of various states. Initially, he lived at the courts of the rulers of Kyat and Kurgan, and then in Khorezm at the court of Shah Mamun, where he created and headed one of the first scientific institutions in the world - the Mamun Academy, which became the largest science center in Central Asia. The high level of this Academy is evidenced by the fact that such world-famous scientists as Abu Ali ibn Sina, better known by the nickname Avicenna, and the founder of algebra, Muhammad ibn Musa al Khorezmi, worked in it.
In 1017, Khorezm was conquered by Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavid, and at his invitation, Biruni lived in Ghazni at his court. As a scientist, he took part in several of Mahmud's campaigns in India, and lived in this country for several years. In 1030, he completed a fundamental work, which was a consequence of his travels in India, “Explanation of the teachings belonging to the Indians, acceptable or rejected by reason,” better known as “India.” In it, he gave a detailed scientific description of the life, culture, history and philosophy of the Hindus.
Biruni is the brightest representative of the Virgo sign, along with the Sun and the Ascendant there are also Mercury and the Ascending Lunar Node.
In the entire zodiac, Virgo is the only sign where its ruler, Mercury, is both in the monastery and in its exaltation. That is, a person who has Mercury in this sign in his horoscope is, as a rule, distinguished by high intelligence, orderliness in acquiring information, excellent logic, as well as the ability to notice little things and classify them.
But here Mercury is highlighted especially, because. falls within one degree with the Ascending Lunar Node, i.e. all its qualities are enhanced many times over and are directly related to the evolutionary growth of man.
Moreover, the characteristic of this 25 degree of Virgo directly indicates greater mental activity, and most importantly, good luck and luck, because this is the royal degree.
In Biruni’s horoscope, the sign of Virgo is also the Ascendant sign, which concentrates the individual’s attention on the exact sciences. In fact, the beginnings of modern mathematics are inextricably linked with his name. It was he who brought from India the numbers that are now used by the entire civilization, which later received the name “Arab”. Possessing deep knowledge in this area, he predetermined its future development, in particular, he expanded the concepts of number, created the theory of cubic equations, and made a significant contribution to spherical trigonometry and the creation of trigonometric tables. Let us also recall that the founder of algebra, Muhammad ibn Musa al Khorezmi, was his direct Student!
The Supreme Virgo is an encyclopedist, which Biruni undoubtedly was. However, he is not only an encyclopedist-theorist, but also a practitioner and empiricist at the same time. In his writings, he emphasized the need for careful verification of knowledge by experience and observation, contrasting experimental knowledge with speculative knowledge. He developed astronomical methods for geodetic measurements and improved basic astronomical instruments. Al-Biruni personally carried out observations on a wall quadrant with a radius of 7.5 m built by an Nasawi in Ray, performing them with an accuracy of 2". This quadrant for accurate observations of the sun and planets for 400 years was the largest and most accurate in the world. He established also the angle of inclination of the ecliptic to the equator, calculated the radius of the Earth, described the change in the color of the Moon during lunar eclipses and the solar corona during solar eclipses. Many of the astronomical measurements he carried out remained unsurpassed in accuracy for several centuries. He developed an accurate method for determining the radius of the Earth, based on this. its spherical rather than flat shape.
Biruni’s interest in astronomy is not at all accidental. The ruler of the first house, Proserpina, is located on the cusp of the XI house in conjunction with Saturn, one of the significators of this house. Biruni made an outstanding contribution to the development of astronomy, and is rightfully considered one of the world's leading astronomers. More than a third of his extensive scientific heritage (62 works!) are related to this science. In 1036-1037, he completed work on his main work on astronomy, widely known among astronomers around the world - the Canon of Masuda. In it, he subjected a certain criticism to the Ptolemaic geocentric system dominant in science at that time, and for the first time in the Middle East and Central Asia he expressed the idea that the earth moves around the sun. The book contains trigonometric methods for measuring geographical longitudes, and also outlines the methods of trigonometric methods for measuring distances, which anticipated the discoveries of European scientists by 600 years.
Biruni was also an outstanding astrologer. 23 of his astronomical works are directly related to this science. His ability to foresee events was legendary even during his lifetime. According to one such legend, Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznavi once decided to test his astrological art. He invited him to the palace and asked him to predict which of the four doors of the reception room, located on the second floor, he would go out through. Biruni wrote an answer and, in front of the Sultan’s eyes, put it under the carpet. After this, the Sultan ordered the fifth door to be cut and went out through it. Immediately returning and taking out a piece of paper from under the carpet, Mahmud read: “It will not go out through any of these four doors. They’ll break through another door, and he’ll come out through it.” Caught in a trap, the Sultan ordered Biruni to be thrown out of the window. They did so, but an awning was pulled up at the level of the first floor, which saved his life. When Biruni was again brought to the Sultan, he exclaimed: “But you didn’t foresee this journey, did you?” “I foresaw,” Biruni answered and asked to bring his own horoscope as proof. The prediction for that day was: “I will be thrown out from a high place, however, I will reach the ground unharmed and rise healthy.” The angry Sultan ordered Biruni to be imprisoned in a fortress, in which he served six months and during his imprisonment he wrote the essay “The Science of the Stars.”
It was thanks to his fame as an astrologer, and not only a theorist, but also as a master of horary astrology, that in 1017, the Afghan Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, under the threat of invasion, demanded that the Shah of Khorezm hand over Biruni. The great scientist was forced to move to Ghazni, where he spent 17 years under virtual house arrest.
His natal chart also indicates the possibility of arrest. On the cusp of the XII house there is the Cross of Fate in conjunction with Mars and Venus! Mars, a minor evil, also has a negative aphetic status.
It should be taken into account that we interpret Biruni’s horoscope in the Porfiry system; it was in this system that natal birth charts were interpreted at that time. This has its reasons, since the system of houses, where the sectors between the main corner points are divided equally, indicates a person’s inclusion in a certain rigid system of relationships. The society of the Middle Ages was like that, which sharply distinguishes it from the New European era, where man (to a certain extent, of course) is his own legislator. In a horoscope built according to this system, the cusp of the XII house falls into the destructive 10 degrees of Leo, which again indicates negative problems associated with this house.
In the XII house, secrets and isolation are found in the conjunction of the VIII (Mars) and IX houses
changes in the color of the Moon during lunar eclipses and the solar corona during solar eclipses. Many of the astronomical measurements he made remained unsurpassed in accuracy for several centuries. He developed an accurate method for determining the radius of the Earth, based on its spherical rather than flat shape.
Biruni’s interest in astronomy is not at all accidental. The ruler of the first house, Proserpine, is located on the cusp of the XI house in conjunction with Saturn, one of the significators of this house. Biruni made an outstanding contribution to the development of astronomy, and is rightfully considered one of the world's leading astronomers. More than a third of his extensive scientific heritage (62 works!) are related to this science. In 1036-1037, he completed work on his main work on astronomy, widely known among astronomers around the world - the Canon of Masuda. In it, he subjected a certain criticism to the Ptolemaic geocentric system dominant in science at that time, and for the first time in the Middle East and Central Asia he expressed the idea that the earth moves around the sun. The book contains trigonometric methods for measuring geographical longitudes, and also outlines the methods of trigonometric methods for measuring distances, which anticipated the discoveries of European scientists by 600 years.
Biruni was also an outstanding astrologer. 23 of his astronomical works are directly related to this science. His ability to foresee events was legendary even during his lifetime. According to one of these legends, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznevi once decided to test his astrological art. He invited him to the palace and asked him to predict which of the four doors of the reception room, located on the second floor, he would go out through. Biruni wrote an answer and, in front of the Sultan’s eyes, put it under the carpet. After this, the Sultan ordered the fifth door to be cut and went out through it. Immediately returning and taking out a piece of paper from under the carpet, Mahmud read: “It will not go out through any of these four doors. They'll break through another door, and wow
(Venus). This is a clear indication that a person will receive secret, esoteric information on long journeys, which was completely lost in Biruni. It was he who was practically the first to gain access to the sacred knowledge of the ancient Hindus.
The Sun - the ruler of the 12th house - is located in the 1st house of the personality, which means that he must manifest and open this entire information layer of hidden knowledge for humanity, and this coincides with his evolutionary task, because there is also the Ascending Lunar Node.
At that time, it was almost impossible to join Indian scientific knowledge - knowledge of Vedic mathematics, astrology, Sanskrit itself, the “divine language”, according to the teachings of the Vedas, “mlecchas”, not Hindus, “cattle in the form of a man”, had not previously been transmitted. Even seven centuries later in India, British scientists faced enormous difficulties in similar research.
Let us return once again to the astrological works of al-Biruni. One of his most famous works is the unique treatise “The Book of Instructions on the Basics of the Art of Astrology.” It is interesting that this work was practically the only astrological treatise published throughout Soviet history, and in an academic edition (See Biruni, Abu Raikhan. Selected works. Vol. VI. Tashkent: Fan, 1975).
In the introduction to this book, Biruni briefly outlined his path to astrology: “... I started with geometry, then moved on to arithmetic and numbers, then to the structure of the Universe, and then to the verdicts of the stars, for only he is worthy of the title of astrologer who has fully studied these four sciences."
This treatise by Biruni contains a brief but encyclopedically complete presentation of the very foundations of astrology, with the necessary sections in related disciplines necessary in the work of an astrologer. This work has not lost its relevance to this day, and can be recommended to anyone who wants to master the basics of classical astrology.
In conclusion, we note that the fate of this outstanding scientist was largely mysterious in nature. He lived at the end of the 10th, beginning of the 11th centuries. According to Avestan teaching, it was precisely at this time that humanity transitioned to the Virgo microcycle within the framework of the 12,000-year cycle taken into account by the Avestan system.
This is the sacred cycle of the Earth, associated with the dominion of a certain zodiac sign over the earth's pole (it should not be confused with the precession cycle). In turn, it is also divided by 12, and each millennium passes under a certain sign of the Zodiac. The last 1000 years are a coincidence of the major and minor eras of Virgo. It was associated with the era of fragmentation, because its ruler Proserpina, the planet of analysis, trifles, fragmentation and transmutation, at this time a technocratic and scientistic civilization arose and developed globally.
Biruni lived at the very beginning of this era, symbolically connected with the 1st degree of Virgo, where he had Pluto. It is significant that, being an outstanding astrologer, he at the same time acts as a critic of astrological science, and this cautious criticism was subsequently brought to the point of absurdity by modern scientists, to the point of complete denial of astrology.
But recently we have entered a New Age, and in this new time the art of astrology should receive its rebirth.
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The sage al-Biruni said:
“...bodily pleasures leave behind suffering for those who experience them and lead to illness. And this is in contrast to the pleasure that the soul experiences when it learns something, for such pleasure, having begun, increases all the time, without stopping at any limit.”
Al-Biruni’s achievements are enormous, let’s note the most important:
He made one of the first scientific globes, on which populated areas were marked so that their coordinates could be determined;
- designed several instruments for determining geographic latitude, which he described in “Geodesy”: the latitude of Bukhara, according to his data, is 39° 20", according to modern ones - 39° 48"; the latitude of Chardzhou is 39° 12" and 39° 08" respectively;
- determined the radius of the Earth using a trigonometric method, obtaining approximately 6403 km (according to modern data - 6371 km);
- determined the angle of inclination of the ecliptic to the equator, establishing its secular changes. The discrepancies between his data (1020) and modern ones are 45"";
- estimated the distance to the Moon as 664 Earth radii;
- compiled a catalog of 1029 stars, the positions of which he recalculated from earlier Arabic zijas;
- considered the Sun and stars to be fireballs, the Moon and planets to be dark bodies reflecting light; claimed that the stars are hundreds of times larger than the Earth and similar to the Sun;
- noticed the existence of double stars;
- created a spherical astrolabe, which made it possible to monitor the rising and setting of stars, their movement at different latitudes and solve a large number of problems.
Al-Biruni learned to determine inaccessible distances, and his method is still used today. Let's consider this method.
To determineTo determine the width of the ravine BC, al-Biruni proposes to construct two right triangles ABC and ACD with a common side AC. An observer at point A, using an astrolabe, measures the angle BAC and constructs the same one - CAM. The point on the segment AM is secured with a milestone. After this, continuing the direction of the straight line BC in cside of the milestone M, finds point D, which lies at the intersection of BC and
AM. Now DC measures, this distance is equal to the desired distance BC.
Al-Biruni managed to measure the radius of the Earth during a trip to India. Angle "reduced"and Ihorizon,” he determined with the help of an astrolabe, and the height of the mountain from which he made measurements, with the help of an altimeter he constructed. Let h = AD - the height of the mountain, AB and AM - tangents to the Earth's surface, OD - the radius of the Earth, CMB - the visible horizon.
The figure shows that R = (R+h) cosa,
The merit of al-Biruni is the determination of the specific gravities (densities) of precious stones and metals. To measure volume, he designed a casting vessel. ChangeThe measurements were highly accurate (compare the data of al-Biruni and modern ones in g/cm3):
Gold: 19.05 and 19.32;
- silver: 10.43 and 10.50;
- copper: 8.70 and 8.94;
- iron: 7.87 and 7.85;
- tin: 7.32 and 7.31.
Biruni found out that the specific gravities of cold and hot, fresh and salt water are different, and he measured them. In Europe, similar measurements were made during the Renaissance, after Galileo built hydrostatic balances.
When compared with modern data, Biruni's results turn out to be very accurate. The Russian consul in America N. Khanykov in 1857 found a manuscript by al-Khazini entitled “The Book of the Scales of Wisdom.” This book contains extracts from Biruni’s book “On the relationship between metals and precious stones in volume,” containing a description of Biruni’s device and the results he obtained. Al-Khazini continued the research begun by Biruni with the help of specially designed scales, which he called “the scales of wisdom.”
Monument to al-Biruni in Tehran by Olga Ampel
Al-Biruni Monument decorating the southwestern entrance of Laleh Park in Tehran (Iran)
According to information, the posthumous list of his works, compiled by his students, took up 60 finely written pages. Al-Biruni received a broad mathematical and philosophical education. His teacher in the ancient capital of the Khorezmshahs, Kyat, was the outstanding mathematician and astronomer Ibn Iraq. After the capture of Kyat by the emir of Gurganj in 995 and the transfer of the capital of Khorezm to Gurganj, al-Biruni left for Ray, where he worked for al-Khojandi. Then he worked in Gurgan at the court of Shams al-Ma'ali Qabus, to whom he dedicated the "Chronology" around the year 1000, then returned to Khorezm and worked in Gurganj at the court of the Khorezmshahs Ali and Mamun II. From 1017, after the conquest of Khorezm by Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznavi, he was forced to move to Ghazna, where he worked at the court of Sultan Mahmud and his successors Masud and Maudud. Al-Biruni took part in Mahmud's campaigns in India, where he lived for several years.
He was dying in full consciousness and, having said goodbye to all his friends, asked the latter: “What did you once explain to me about methods of calculating unjust profits?” “How can you think about this in such a state?” - he exclaimed in amazement. "Oh you! - Biruni said barely audible. “I think that leaving this world knowing the answer to this question is better than leaving it ignorant...”
Buried in the city of Ganja in southern Afghanistan
: 1-202. . Excerpt from page 7:
“Al-Biruni wrote one of the masterpieces of medieval science, Kitab al-Tafhim, apparently in both Arabic and Persian, demonstrating how conversant he was in both tongues. The Kitab al-Tafhim is without doubt the most important of the early works of science in Persian and serves as a rich source for Persian prose and lexicography as well as for the knowledge of the Quadrivium whose subjects it covers in a masterly fashion"
