1 century-about the period of the early French kings Hugh Capet and Robert the Wise, and before the Norman invasion of England. Born in A.D. 973 at Khwárizm, the modern Khiva, or (if we are to accept his name as the PersoArabic "outsider ") more strictly in the suburbs of that town, he is supposed to have passed his early years in his native land and on the southern shores of the Caspian, and in A.D. 1017, on the conquest of Khwárizm by Mahmúd of Ghazni, to have been carried off by the conqueror to Afghanistán. He accompanied the Sultáns Mahmud and Mas'úd on their Indian campaigns, and died at Ghazni in A.D. 1048, at the age of seventy-five, some twelve years after his contemporary, the famous Abu 'Ali Ibn Sina, better known as Avicenna. He was a most prolific writer, and the number of his works, according to his own statement, exceeded a hundred. Few are unfortunately now to be traced. In the British Museum are the following only: I. Alâthâr Albâkiya ‘an-il-Kûrûn Alkhâliya, the English version of which by Dr. Sachau was published for the Oriental Translation Fund in 1879, under the title of "The Chronology of Ancient Nations." It professes in the Preface to describe the "religious institutes of various nations and sects, founded in more ancient times, and, more or less, still practised or adhered to by the Oriental world about A.D. 1000." The dedication of the book to Kábús bin Washmgír Shams-alma'álí, Prince of Hyrcania, seems to corroborate the fact of its appearance at the latter date. Two copies will be found registered in the catalogue of Arabic MSS., both comparatively modern. II. Kitab Altafhim l'Awail Altanjim, a Persian treatise on Astronomy, of which a notice of two copies is given in the Catalogue of Persian MSS. Dr. Rieu writes: "The author, after remarking that, before entering upon the 1 Dr. Sachau writes of the Persian birún: “The vowel of the first syllable is a yai-majhal, which means that in more ancient times it was pronounced bérûn (or bayroon)" But in vol. ii. of Dr. Rieu's Catalogue of Persian MSS. at the British Museum, p. 451, the quotation from Sam'ání is.... What all which rules the application of the Kasr, converting bê into bi. ART. IV.-Sachau's Albirúni.1 By Major-Gen. Sir F. J. GOLDSMID, C.B., K.C.S.I., M.R.A.S. In the Notes of the Quarter for October last it was stated that, owing to the exceptional character of two recent publications, a critical notice of them would be deferred to the January number of the Royal Asiatic Society's Journal. These were Dr. Sachau's edition of Al Beruni's India in the Arabic original, and the Introduction and second fasciculus, Part I. of Howell's Arabic Grammar. Neither issue could be dismissed with a hasty line of approval, however unqualified, nor were the names of the authors, however distinguished, and abstract of title-pages, sufficient-in respect of the particular volumes under reference-to convey, to the world without, a clear notion of the long and continuous labour the result of which had been placed at the disposal of Orientalists in Europe. Further consideration led to the conclusion that a separate article might with propriety be devoted to the first of the two works named-both important additions to the library of Arabic scholars. As regards the first-named work, a word or two recalling the personality of the writer of the original text may not be inappropriate, even if it be superfluous for many readers. Abú Raiḥán Muḥammad bin Aḥmadu'l Birúní-commonly named Al-Birúní-was a philosopher, astronomer, and writer of great repute in Central Asia and India, who flourished at the close of the tenth and in the first half of the eleventh 1 Al Beruni's India: An account of the Religion, Philosophy, Literature, Chronology, Astronomy, Customs, Laws and Astrology of India about A D. 1030; edited in the Arabic original by Dr. Edward Sachau, Professor in the Royal University of Berlin. Published under the patronage of H. M. Secretary of State for India in Council (London, Trübner and Co., 1887). VOL. XX.- -[NEW SERIES.] 9 1 century-about the period of the early French kings Hugh Capet and Robert the Wise, and before the Norman invasion of England. Born in A.D. 973 at Khwárizm, the modern Khiva, or (if we are to accept his name as the PersoArabic "outsider ") more strictly in the suburbs of that town, he is supposed to have passed his early years in his native land and on the southern shores of the Caspian, and in A.D. 1017, on the conquest of Khwárizm by Mahmúd of Ghazni, to have been carried off by the conqueror to Afghanistán. He accompanied the Sultáns Mahmud and Mas'úd on their Indian campaigns, and died at Ghazni in A.D. 1048, at the age of seventy-five, some twelve years after his contemporary, the famous Abu 'Ali Ibn Sina, better known as Avicenna. He was a most prolific writer, and the number of his works, according to his own statement, exceeded a hundred. Few are unfortunately now to be traced. In the British Museum are the following only: I. Alâthâr Albâkiya ‘an-il-Kûrûn Alkhâliya, the English version of which by Dr. Sachau was published for the Oriental Translation Fund in 1879, under the title of "The Chronology of Ancient Nations." It professes in the Preface to describe the "religious institutes of various nations and sects, founded in more ancient times, and, more or less, still practised or adhered to by the Oriental world about A.D. 1000." The dedication of the book to Kábús bin Washmgír Shams-alma'álí, Prince of Hyrcania, seems to corroborate the fact of its appearance at the latter date. Two copies will be found registered in the catalogue of Arabic MSS., both comparatively modern. II. Kitab Altafhim l'Awäïl Altanjim, a Persian treatise on Astronomy, of which a notice of two copies is given in the Catalogue of Persian MSS. Dr. Rieu writes: "The author, after remarking that, before entering upon the 1 Dr. Sachau writes of the Persian birún: "The vowel of the first syllable is a yûi-majhûl, which means that in more ancient times it was pronounced bérûn (or bayroon)" But in vol. ii. of Dr. Rieu's Catalogue of Persian MSS. at the British Museum, p. 451, the quotation from Sam'ání is.... Wall , which rules the application of the Kasr, converting bê into bi. investigation of astronomical problems, it was necessary to make one's self acquainted with the configuration of the heaven and earth, and the technical terms used by astronomers, states that he had written the present elementary treatise at the request of Raiḥánah, daughter of al-Hasn of Khwárizm, and had set forth in it, by questions and answers, the principles of geometry and arithmetic, the figure of the world, and judicial astrology," We learn from the same authority that the work contains many diagrams, astronomical tables and drawings of the constellations; that its date of composition, 25th Ramazan, A.H. 420 (A.D. 1028-29), is fixed by a passage in the chronological section; that there are two copies of an Arabic edition of the "Tafhím" in the Bodleian Library, the contents of which quite agree with the Persian, though neither edition purports to be a translation from the other; and that the title of the book above shown accords with that recorded by the author in the list of his own compositions, except that التنجيم is omitted in the former before صناعة the word III. Al-Kánún Al Mas'udi, a work on Astronomy in Arabic, of which we are told that a fine copy reached the British Museum too late for insertion in the Catalogue of Arabic MSS.-the collection noted in vol. iii. of the Persian Catalogue referring to extracts only. From its dedication to the Sultan Mas'úd it must have appeared after the accession of that monarch in A.D. 1031. Dr. Sachau considers it as the "greatest work" of Al-Birúní's life. Independently of these three legacies of a distinguished Muslim author, to be found, as already stated, in our own National collection, Dr. Sachau refers to a fragment from the same hand which has come down to us as the last part of the great chronicle of the royal house of Maḥmúd, composed by Albaihaki." This is an Extract from "the Chronicle of Khwárizm," in which the writer" had probably recorded all 1 The reading would therefore be "Book of Instruction in the Principles of Astrology," instead of "Book of Instruction in the Principles of the Science of Astrology." the traditions relating to the antiquity of his native country, and more especially the history of those events of which he had himself been a witness." But we have now more particularly to notice the Kitáb Abú Raihan Muhammad bin Ahmadu'l Biruni fi tahkik má lil Hind min makúlah makbúlah f'il'akl wa marzúlah-briefly, and literally, Al-Birúní's book certifying what, in Hindú teaching, is admissible according to reason, and what is to be rejected. The learned Editor has cleared all doubtful expressions from the title by rendering it as "an accurate description of all categories of Hindu thought, as well those which are admissible as those which must be rejected." Of the history of this work the instructive Preface supplies us with much interesting information. Referring to Prince Baldassare Boncompagni's treatise on the subject, published in 1869, for fuller details, it sets forth that the Paris MS. was received in the Bibliothèque Nationale in 1816, but for more than 20 years failed to attract the attention of scholars. In 1839 it fell under the observation of M. Rainaud, who made use of it a few years later in his contributions to the Journal Asiatique, and, notably in 1845-46, in papers read before the Institut, and subsequently published. The Kosmos of Alexander Von Humboldt noticed it in 1847; and in 1863 M. Woepcke gave to the world a Mémoire sur la propagation des Chiffres Indiens-being the first results of an examination of the book, undertaken in accordance with an appeal on its behalf by M. Jules Mohl to the Société Asiatique: but the said Orientalist died in the following year. M. Munk, too, who, so far back as 1843, had expressed his intention to edit and translate the whole of this particular work of Al Birúní, had become blind, and died in 1867. The task was then left in the hands of M. MacGuckin de Slane, who, eventually, recognising the special fitness of the present editor, and believing himself "too old to complete" it, proposed its transfer to Dr. Sachau. The proposal was formally put to See Preface to the translation of the Chronology of Ancient Nations (Allen, 1879). |