#History #HoliThought
Mahmud of Ghazni was good to India!
I am sorry. That was meant to attract your attention. How can I? I mean, he did a Balakot onto India in the 11th century AD.
Jokes apart, I would like to talk about a great Iranian born Arabic scholar #Alberuni, who came to India with Mahmud of Ghazni. Hope you will enjoy knowing him as significant credit goes to him for the foreign perception about India based on his 11th century book - Ta'rikh al-hind (The History of India).
Alberuni mastered Sanskrit and studied Indian texts on mathematics, natural sciences, literature, philosophy and religion. He spoke to as many Indian experts as he could find. It was this compilation of knowledge in the form of his book that stood the test of time as a proof to many Indian intellectual traditions, social customs and more importantly Indian achievements.
Alberuni wrote about Aryabhatta (476 AD) about his explanation of solar and lunar eclipses with methods of measuring shadows. He wrote about #Aryabhatta's courage to oppose religious orthodoxy to reject their views that sun revolves around the earth, in favour of earth's rotation.
Alberuni judged Brahmagupta (7th Century) as the best mathematician and wrote about his theories about the force of gravity to explain why objects are not thrown out as the earth rotates. He translated Brahmagupta's Sanskrit book, Brahmasiddhanta into Arabic. It was through Arab scholars that the decimal system & Indian numerals reached Europe.
Alberuni concludes the book with a profound statement about cultures and civilizations in general. It holds immense importance today when we are fighting widespread hatred. He writes,
'In all manners and usages, the Indians differ from us to such a degree as to frighten their children with us, with our dress, and our ways and customs, and as to declare us to be devil's breed, and our doings as the very opposite of all that is good and proper. BY THE BYE, WE MUST CONFESS, IN ORDER TO BE JUST, THAT A SIMILAR DEPRECIATION OF FOREIGNERS NOT ONLY PREVAIL AMONG US AND THE INDIANS, BUT IS COMMON TO ALL NATIONS TOWARDS EACH OTHER. '
It was in this context, Alberuni wrote about the nastiness & atrocities of the Mahmud in Mathura, Kanauj, and Somnath Temple. He wrote in disgust that 'Mahmud utterly ruined the prosperity of the country, by which Hindus became like atoms of dust scattered in all directions. As a result, he wrote, a section of Hindus cherish the most inveterate aversion towards all Muslims.
Alberuni argued that evil behavior like that of the Mahmud, can arise from a lack of understanding of, and familiarity with other people. He thought it very important for people in one country to know how others elsewhere live, and how progressive or backward they are and what they think. That was the basis of his book and his staying back with the Indians to learn Sanskrit.
From him, I have learnt a very profound wisdom that if we try to know about people who we don't like, we may end up not disliking them. One Muslim plundered. The other gave us an invaluable gift.
We can build an united India that understands each other to not hate each other. Only an atmosphere of peace can usher in progress.
Happy Holi.
Mahmud of Ghazni was good to India!
I am sorry. That was meant to attract your attention. How can I? I mean, he did a Balakot onto India in the 11th century AD.
Jokes apart, I would like to talk about a great Iranian born Arabic scholar #Alberuni, who came to India with Mahmud of Ghazni. Hope you will enjoy knowing him as significant credit goes to him for the foreign perception about India based on his 11th century book - Ta'rikh al-hind (The History of India).
Alberuni mastered Sanskrit and studied Indian texts on mathematics, natural sciences, literature, philosophy and religion. He spoke to as many Indian experts as he could find. It was this compilation of knowledge in the form of his book that stood the test of time as a proof to many Indian intellectual traditions, social customs and more importantly Indian achievements.
Alberuni wrote about Aryabhatta (476 AD) about his explanation of solar and lunar eclipses with methods of measuring shadows. He wrote about #Aryabhatta's courage to oppose religious orthodoxy to reject their views that sun revolves around the earth, in favour of earth's rotation.
Alberuni judged Brahmagupta (7th Century) as the best mathematician and wrote about his theories about the force of gravity to explain why objects are not thrown out as the earth rotates. He translated Brahmagupta's Sanskrit book, Brahmasiddhanta into Arabic. It was through Arab scholars that the decimal system & Indian numerals reached Europe.
Alberuni concludes the book with a profound statement about cultures and civilizations in general. It holds immense importance today when we are fighting widespread hatred. He writes,
'In all manners and usages, the Indians differ from us to such a degree as to frighten their children with us, with our dress, and our ways and customs, and as to declare us to be devil's breed, and our doings as the very opposite of all that is good and proper. BY THE BYE, WE MUST CONFESS, IN ORDER TO BE JUST, THAT A SIMILAR DEPRECIATION OF FOREIGNERS NOT ONLY PREVAIL AMONG US AND THE INDIANS, BUT IS COMMON TO ALL NATIONS TOWARDS EACH OTHER. '
It was in this context, Alberuni wrote about the nastiness & atrocities of the Mahmud in Mathura, Kanauj, and Somnath Temple. He wrote in disgust that 'Mahmud utterly ruined the prosperity of the country, by which Hindus became like atoms of dust scattered in all directions. As a result, he wrote, a section of Hindus cherish the most inveterate aversion towards all Muslims.
Alberuni argued that evil behavior like that of the Mahmud, can arise from a lack of understanding of, and familiarity with other people. He thought it very important for people in one country to know how others elsewhere live, and how progressive or backward they are and what they think. That was the basis of his book and his staying back with the Indians to learn Sanskrit.
From him, I have learnt a very profound wisdom that if we try to know about people who we don't like, we may end up not disliking them. One Muslim plundered. The other gave us an invaluable gift.
We can build an united India that understands each other to not hate each other. Only an atmosphere of peace can usher in progress.
Happy Holi.
