Intellectual Guidance Was Acquired By The Ajams From The Scholars Of Bukhara And Samarqand
By Dr Aashiq-ul-Islam
January 28,
2021
Samarqand/Photo:
Advantour
------
The advent
of Islam in the eighth century widened the scope of further development and in
the course of time the heart-land of Asia was centralized and brought under one
administrative system in the process of development and due to the incursion
and settlement of migrants from the Uighur region, Bukhara, which was a vast
marshy land developed into a centre of cohesion. People from all walks of life
irrespective of their caste, colour, and creed settled in Bukhara and thus
Bukhara became the seat of the Muslim power in Central Asia.
Bukhara and
Samarqand in the tenth and eleventh centuries paralleled the major splendid
cities of Islam. It was not a mushroom growth of a town, but a systematic
development of an important urban centre, diverting merchants, scholars,
administrators, fortune seekers and soldiers all alike. Both Samarqand and
Bukhara emerged as a beacon of light to the entire Muslim world. As a matter of
fact, the Muslims of the Ajam got consolidated and the intellectual guidance
was acquired by the Ajams from the scholars of Bukhara and Samarqand.
The Muslim
culture flourished with all its dimensions. Arts, crafts, fine arts,
architecture, Music and other cultural contours spread with full vigour, transmitting
the same to the areas as far as Rome in the West and Beijing in the east. The
Sufis and the Ulama of Bukhara were instrumental in spreading faith of Islam in
the far reaching regions of Kashmir valley and Russian. With the expansion of
the Islamic territory Islamic culture found its way outside Arabia, as a
consequence of which the heritage of Arab knowledge and learning reached to the
remotest areas of the globe including Central Asia. Muslim bin Qutabiyah was in
fact instrumental in shifting Arab culture and heritage to central Asia in 706
A. D, as a result of which reputed centres of learning in Central Asia emerged
at Samarqand, Bukhara, Tus, Siestan, Herat, Marv, Balkh, Nishapur and Tirmiz,
etc.
The spread
and expansion of Islam in Central Asia gave birth to a highly skilled and
modified system of education which undoubtedly was a major phase of
intellectual activity, initiated in the area. The conquest of Central Asia by
Muslims as such was not confined to military achievements only but brought in
their wake total socio-economic transformation and moral changes in favour of
the masses. Keeping in view the importance and significance of education in
Islam and its subsequent development in Samarqand and Bukhara in the form of
Mosques Maktabas, the process was given a fresh fillip by renowned scholars,
rulers, and government and semi-government institutions.
Apart from
the Mosques in Central Asia, there existed many other centres of learning and
institutions imparting general course of study in various branches of education
especially Kutub Khanahs and Madrasas. Khateeb Baghdadi has reported this
venture in these words; “Among other centres of the academic excellence were
Khizanat al-Kutub and Madrasa. The Khazanat al Kutub (libraries) was public, semi-
public, private and some under state patronage. The semi-public libraries,
often supplemented the libraries of the Mosques, because they contained books
in which the Mosques were not much interested, notably on logic, geometry,
astronomy, music, and chemistry, the latter were called al- Ulum al- Qadima or
Ulum al- Awail, in this respect the academy Bayt al- Hikmah, founded by Mamun
(813-833) in Baghdad deserves first mention as his successors instructed
to follow the same pattern in
establishing academics throughout their jurisdictions”.
The period
extending from 9th century onwards witnessed unprecedented development in Arts,
literature, science Fiqh, and philosophy. The centre of this movement was
Bukhara where great works were composed; stupas, mosques and Khanqahas
constructed. Bukhara produced outstanding scholars who added to the human
knowledge by their writings, discoveries and philosophical thoughts. According
to a famous historian Seddillot, the vast literature which existed from 9th to
the 13th century A.D justify the opinion that the scholars of Central Asia were
the masters of everything.
The local
rulers particularly the Samanid Kings (874-999 A.D) were great patron of art
and literature. During this period books were dedicated in honor of these
rulers. According to Ibn Sina, he once visited the royal library of the Samanid
kings and he found there many rooms filled with books, which were arranged in
cases row by row. One room was allotted to works on Arabic philology and
poetry, another to jurisprudence and various other books on each particular to
science. The scholars of Central Asia were the main torch bearers of 
culture
and civilization throughout the Islamic world.
Knowledge
and learning however reached its point of culmination in both Samarqand and
Bukhara during 14th century under the patronage of Timur. Who although remained too busy with his
campaigns, conquests and expeditions. Samarqand reached the highest level of
development during his regime. During 35 years of his rule Timur brought with
him mathematicians, astronomers, architectures, and musicians from his
aggressive campaigns to his country. Timur in the late 14th century established
the Timurid Dynasty in Central Asia. This dynasty took a living interest in the
education of their subjects, and founded Schools and Colleges and literary
societies in various parts of their country.
The
grandson of Timur Ulugh Beg, 1409, at the age of sixteen became governor of
Samarqand; was more inclined towards science than war. Consequently Ulugh Beg
was deeply involved in the construction of Madrasas in Samarqand and Bukhara,
and extended all encouragement to those who had an aptitude for knowledge and
learning. During his reign, the eminent scholars like Ala udin Ali Qushaji, the
great astronomer, Qazi zadah Rumi, Gayathudin Jamsheed and Moinmudin of Kashan
produced astronomical tables, day- night duration charts, seasonal calendars
and equipments to check the cardinal directions.
Central
Asia in its totality is distinguished for its scholarship and academic
excellence, the centres of learning like Samarqand, Bukhara, Herat, Merv and
Shiraz throughout the course of history earned fame and reputation owing to its
innumerable academic centres. The scholars associated with the establishment
and promotion of knowledge and learning, received scholarships and subsistence
allowance from rulers. The high stand and wealthy men always patronized and
encouraged the students and to extend moral and economic support was considered
as an act of worship and fortune. Samarqand and Bukhara occupies a unique place
all over the Muslim world, as there lived the great Muhaddith, Imam Bukhari
complier of the most authentic Hadith book known as Sahih Bukhari. His
collection has acquired a quasi-sacred character. An oath taken on it is valid
as if taken on the Qur’an itself. Next to Qur’an, this is the book that
exhorted the greatest influence over the Muslim world.
Apart from
this book, he wrote many books on freedom of thought, Hadith and literature
like ‘Al-Abad-al-Mufrad’. Another illustrious scholar which Central Asia
produced was Al –Beruni and his scholarly traits were encouraged by his various
masters, including Abu Nasr Mansur, the noted mathematician. Qanun al-Masudi
and Tahdid Nihayate-Amaken are his two valuable works, which contain
calculations still unknown to the West. Europeans were fruitlessly seeking the
key to turning base metals into gold, long after Al-Beruni had concluded that
alchemy was nothing more than a make-believe science motivated by an excessive
desire to acquire wealth and misfortune. It was in ‘Kitab al Hind’ that he
disclosed his theory of evolution by artificial selection.
He,
therefore, is the first scientist to do so in the Muslim world. Another
towering figure was Abu Mashar and is figured as a pioneer in the field of in
iconography. He communicated to Europe the laws of the tides which in a
treatise he explained on the basis of the relation to the moons rising and
setting.
His works
exercised a determining impact on the development of the science in Christian
Europe. Ibn Buttata says when he visited the graves and tombs of the famous,
‘ulama of Bukhara, where he saw their names along with the titles of their
works, was wonder- struck and could easily and rightly guess what a great centre
of learning this city, known as Qubbat- ul Islam would have been during
preceding centuries. During the Samani regime it was made the capital and,
because of this distinguished place poets, writers, learned Men and skilled
artisans and craftsmen flocked and flourished. Ibn Sina (980-1037) was
attracted to Bukhara and had started living here. Here the library of Nuh- bin-
Mansur had great fascination for the learned; Ibn Khalkan recorded in
Wafiyatul- al- Ayan that this Kutub Khanah possessed books on almost all the
arts and sciences and a good deal of them were so rare that they were hardly to
be traced anywhere else.
Ibn Sina
also spoke highly of this Kutub Khanah and admitted that it contained many
books, “The very titles of which were unknown to most persons and others which
I never met before or since”. There were a number of centres of learning like
Herat, Marv, Tus, Nisa, and Shiraz etc where knowledge flourished and men of
letters were honored and rewarded.
-----
Dr Aashiq-ul-Islam teaches at Department of
Islamic Studies, GDC Pampore.
Original Headline: Literary Legacy of Bukhara
and Samarqand
Source: The Greater Kashmir
URL: