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Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t86: Spread of Hindu Astronomy Among Muslims

Bhāratīya Jyotiḥśāstra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c12.s2.t86

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Spread of Hindu Astronomy Among Muslims

v2.c12.s2.t86.1

The Sind province was under the control of the Caliphs of Bāghdād for someyears. During the reign of Caliph MANSOOR (753 to 774 A. D.) some ambassadors were sent to his court by the ruler of a State in Sind in 771 A. D. They were accompanied by some astronomers. It was at the hands of these astronomers that some astronomical works in Sanskrit were translated into Arabic. A Hindu astronomer was staying at Bāghdād in 778 A. D. During the reign of Caliph Haroun (786-806 A. D.) also some Hindu works on medicine and astronomy were translated in Arabic. It appears that in those days Brahmagupta's Brahma Siddhānta and Khaṇḍakhādya had already been translated and independent works were compiled in Arabic with the help of different Sanskrit astronomical works.

v2.c12.s2.t86.2

The Arab astronomers AL FAZARI, YAKUB-BIN-TĀRIQUE, and ABU AL HĀSĀN, lived in the latter half of the 8th century A. D. They compiled astronomical works in Arabic with the help of the Indian astronomers referred to above. These works are not at present available; still Beruni had with him the works written by these three astronomers. He has often referred to the works written by the first two. Those works contained several of the following subjects usually found in Sanskrit works, viz. measures of time, numbers of the revolutions of planets in Mahāyuga or Kalpa ; lengths (in yojanas of planetary orbits, calculation of ahargaṇa for finding the mean positions) of planets ; sines of angles ; rising and setting of planets ; first visibility of the moon, etc. The Arabs first learnt astronomy from the Hindus and then they came to know of Ptolemy's work. Al Fazari was the first to teach Hindu astronomy to Mahomedans. The Khaṇḍakhādya had already been translated into Arabic when Yakub compiled his work. That translation may have been made by Al Fazari.

Cites (1)