The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c5.s6.2

c5.s6.2

The general solvent which at the same time was supposed to possess the power of removing all the seeds of disease out of the human body and renewing life, was called the *philosophers stone*. Naturally, there was a keen desire to get hold of one. India was known for possessing knowledge of herbs which prolonged life. Alberuni writes about the science of alchemy (*Rasayan*) about which he so learnt in India: Its (*Rasayans*) principles (certain operations, drugs and compound medicines, most of which are taken from plants) restore the health and give back youth to fading old age white hair becomes black again, the keenness of the senses is restored as well as the capacity for juvenile agility, and even for co-habitation, and the life of the people in this world is even extended to a long period.⁶³ In *Jamiul Hikayat* Muhammad Ufi narrates that certain chiefs of Turkistan sent ambassadors with letters to the kings of India on the following mission. The chiefs said that they had been informed that in India drugs were procurable which possessed the property of prolonging human life, by the use of which the kings of India attained to a very great age. The Rais were careful in the preservation of their health, and the chiefs of Turkistan begged that some of this medicine might be sent to them, and also information as to the method by which the Rais preserved their health so long. The ambassadors having reached Hindustan, delivered the letters entrusted to them. The Rai of Hind having read them, ordered the ambassadors to be taken to the top of an excessively lofty mountain (Himalayas?) to obtain it. In the same book a story refers to a chief of Jalandhar, who had attained to the age of 250 years. In a note Elliot comments that this was a favourite persuasion of the Orientals.⁶⁴ But Alberunis conclusion is crisp and correct. He writes: The Hindus do not pay particular attention to alchemy, but no nation is entirely free from it, and one nation has more bias for it than another, which must not be construed as proving intelligence or ignorance; for we find that many intelligent people are entirely given to alchemy, whilst ignorant people ridicule the art and its adepts.⁶⁵