The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c17.12

c17.12

The difference between the two schools is too well known to need elaboration; and the category into which Jai Singh's work places itself is perfectly clearly indicated; and the hypothesis that he received his main astronomical inspiration from Hindu tradition is completely eliminated. He followed "the martyr prince, Mirza Ulugh Beg" of Samarqand. Since both the Hindus and Arabs obtained their astronomy from the Greeks, they have much in common, but the work of Jai Singh was exactly of that nature which differentiates between the two schools; and, what the Muslim astronomers had, and, what Hindus lacked, attracted Jai Singh. In his work there is no point of contact with Hindu astronomy that did not also touch the work of the Muslims, while, on the other hand, there are many points of contact between his work and Muslim astronomy that are remote from the teaching of the Hindu schools.