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128 f<br />
' NOTES<br />
ON THE THIRD DISCOURSE<br />
(Khiva) 1 on Dhu'l-Hijja 3, A.V. 362 (Sept. 4, A.D. 973), and died (probably<br />
at Ghazna) on Rajab 2, A. ft. 440 (Dec. 1 1, A.D. 104$) at the age of 77 lunar<br />
years and 7 months. He was one of the greatest men of science produced<br />
k>y Persia, and in him, as Dr Sachau says, A there is much of the modern<br />
spirit and method of critical research," in which respect "he is a phenomenon<br />
in the history of Eastern learning, a*nd literature." As a writer<br />
his industry equalled his learning.<br />
had reached the age of 65 lunar<br />
In A.H. 427 (A.D. 1035-6),<br />
(63 solar) years, he drew up for a<br />
correspondent a list of his writings, which has been fortunately preserved<br />
to us, and of which the original Arabic text is included by Sachau in<br />
the Gerrpan Introduction to his edition of al-Athdru?l-Bdqiya (pp. xxxviii-<br />
(<br />
when he<br />
xlix). This list comprises over a hundred works, arranged in 13 classes<br />
as follows : >.<br />
,.<br />
I. Geometry, Astronomy, etc. ... 18 works<br />
II. Geography ... < 15<br />
III Arithmetic 8 ,<br />
IV. Light 4<br />
V. The Astrolabe ... ... ... 5<br />
VI. Times and Seasons ... ... 5 ,<br />
VII. Comets... ... ... ... 5 ,,<br />
VIII. Stations of the Moon ... ... 12<br />
IX. Astrology 7 ,,<br />
X. Persian and other tales ... 13<br />
XL Religion ... ... ... 6<br />
XII. Books of which the author re-<br />
tained no copy ... ... 5<br />
XIII. Unfinished books ... ... 10<br />
Total: "113<br />
He also enumerates 25 other works written by three other men of<br />
learning and ascribed to him, viz. 12 by Abil Nasr Mansdr ibn 'Ali ibn<br />
'Arraq; 12 by Abu Sahl 'fsa ibn Yahya al-Masihi; and one by Abii 'Ali<br />
al-Hasan ibn 'Ali al-Jili. Further, Hajji Khalifa enumerates 15 more of<br />
al-Biriini's works not appearing in the above list, though some of them<br />
are no doubt included in it under slightly different titles, while others<br />
^re probably wrongly ascribed to our author. In., Europe he is ch'iefly<br />
known by his "Chronology of Ancient Nations ", (al-AthdruU-Bdqiya<br />
'-ani'l-Qurunfl-Khdliya) and his work on India, editions and translations<br />
of both of which we owe to the learning and industry of Dr< Edward<br />
Sachau. The former, unfortunately, presents many serious lacunae:<br />
"Many most essential 2<br />
parts," says Dr Sachau , "Jboth., large and small,<br />
are missing, e.g. the chapter on Zoroaster, a most deplorable loss, arising<br />
probably from Muslim bigotry." On Nov. 12,^1912, however, I received<br />
a letter from my colleague Professor Bevan in which he wrote:*-"! have<br />
just received from Salemann in St Petersburg<br />
an article which he has<br />
1 Mirza Muhammad points out to me that the original capital city of Kkwarazm<br />
wds Kath on the eastern bank of the Oxus. Later (and probably already<br />
in al-Biriini's<br />
time) its place .was taken by Urganj or Gurganj (called in Arabic Jurjaniyya) on the<br />
western bank. t The modern city of Khiva is situated some distance to the soitth-west<br />
of the older Urganj.<br />
2 Preface tp the English translation, p. xiii.