Top Ten Arab scholars:

Here, I will make a list of top ten Arab scholars; some who have been aforementioned on this blog. Later on, we will have top ten Moorish or Persian scholars. But for now....TEH TYOP TEN:

1. Ibn Khaldun- Sociology, economics, history, demography.

2.Al-Batani- (perhaps the most notable astronomer of the middle ages. Well, besides the Indian astronomer Aryabhatta.)

Like Aryubhatta, I think he did trigonometry as well as astronomy. Possibly of Sabian extraction; but noted as an Arab scholar according to Wikipedia.

3. Alhazen- A father of optics. Noted in physics as well. One of the more notable contributors (if not the most notable medieval contributor) to the improvement of the scientific method.

4. Al-Kindi- Cryptography. Modern cryptography started with the Arabs according to David Khan in his noted work "The Codebreakers"

5. Al-Nafis- Analyzed pulminary circulation centuries before William Harvey.

From Damascus and Cairo.

6. Al-Jazari- The father of robotics

7. Al-Jahiz- Biology. Put forth a hypothesis for evolution

8. Ahmad ibn Mājid-navigation and cartography, oceanography. A noted Omani navigator in the 1400s nicknamed "The Lion of the Sea"

9. Al-Masudi- The "Herodotus" of the Arabs. Geography and history.
Combined geography and history in his noted work
"Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems"

10 Al-Asma'i-zoology, botany, biology, animal husbandry and anatomy.



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HONORARY MENTIONS:


Abū Kāmil Shujāʿ ibn Aslam- Wrote the book on Algebra. Probably the most notable Muslim scholar in the field besides Al-Kwarizmi.



Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi- Egyptology and medicine



Al-Damiri- Zoology- Detailed about 931 animals, their dietary and medical use.


Al-Muqaddasi- Geography

Umar- Noted Caliph

Ibn Abi Usaibia- Noted medical historian


Yusuf al-Mu'taman ibn Hud- Arab mathemetician


Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Hamdani- Arab grammarian, astronomer, geographer, poet and historian

Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi- Wrote the first dictionary of the Arab language. Lexicographer and philologist.

Ibn Butlan- Arab Nestorian Christian from Baghdad. Wrote a manual on hygiene that caught on it late medieval western Europe.

Ibn Wahshiyya- Polymath in the fields of Alchemy, farm toxicology, agriculture, Egyptology, and history. Was from Iraq.

Mentioned the Harrow (agricultural tool) in his works; which he claimed he learned from the Babylonians during the 10th century.

Ibn al-Shatir- Arab astronomer who drastically reformed the Ptolemaic models according to wikipedia by introducing extra epicycles.

Abu'l-Hasan al-Uqlidisi- Wrote the earliest surviving work on the positional use of Indo-Arabic numerals. Also noted for using decimal fractions and carrying out calculations without deletion.





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Thābit ibn Qurra-a founder of statics (mechanics). But he was more of a Sabian.

Banū Mūsā scholars- Automation

(might have been of Persian extraction; but generally associated with Baghdad).

Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber)- Chemistry. Although, he might have been Persian.

Usamah ibn Munqidh- Poet, courtier, and diplomat, unclear extraction. Lived and wrote during the crusades; often about them.


Al-Mawardi-judge, diplomat, and author of influential works on governance and ethics- Might have been a Kurd though

Ibn Al-Athir- Arab or Kurdish historian


Hunayn ibn Ishaq- Noted translater of classical knowledge (especially of Galen)- Actually an Assyrian Christian


Al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf ibn Maṭar- Mathemetician and translator who translated Euclid's "Elements" in to Arabic.



OTHER: Here is a list of Arab scholars according to wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...s_and_scholars

list of Muslim scholars generally:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim_scientists

Moorish Raiders

Here, I will study Moorish Raiders in the context of 721-1000

The west lost Sicily, Andalucia, and many of it's cities were sacked by a bunch of Moorish raiders.

The raiders had their reversals however (most notable Tours).

Moorish raiders also conquered Malta and Crete (although they lost Crete ultimately, because it revolted). Moorish pirates also sacked Thessalonica, MonteCasino and Marseilles. Then there was the quasi-sack of Rome in 846.

It was from 827-961 that Crete was taken over by Andalusian exiles.

For a while, there were even "mountain Moors" who established a fortress for decades in Europe. Arabian raider may also have sacked Pisa in 1004. The Moors may also have sacked Pamplona in 924.


The noted Moorish general Almanzor sacked Barcelona according to wikipedia. Rather than re-take northern Spain; he sacked some of their cities; such as Santiago and Leon.

One thing you'll notice about Moorish raiders is how haphazard they were. They had major conquests (such as Sicily), but major botches (such as Toulouse, and perhaps, their raids of Sardinia). I wonder why that is.

It's possible that raiders, privateers are useful not despite but because their they are haphazard. If they win; it's a win. If they lose, all you've lost is a bunch of brigands. Although raids were often government backed; the Mulsim-world by 721 was already becoming too large to generalize.

Either way, a threat is established, and bandits are given their busywork.

I'd still like to know why the west fought curiously well against the Moorish Raiders in the context of 721-814 (Odo to Charlemagne)

In the 10th century the Moors had a notable fortress in Provence called Fraxinet. But they were defeated by William 1 of Provence at the battle of Tourtour in 973.

EXPULSION OF THE MOORS AND MORISCOES
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The Moors were expelled in 1525 from Spain.

The Moriscoes (Christian Moors, or those deemed as false converts) were expelled in 1614.

I think some of those who fled went to the Maghreb or even the Ottoman Empire.
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Republic of Sale

Was a short lived republic during the 1600s in modern day Morrocco; perhaps a side effect of the expulsion of Moors and Moriscoes from Spain.

Indeed, it may have had a Dutch Admiral and President Jan Janszoon (AKA Murad Reis)

In 1625 they may have sacked a Cornish town (though admittedly I don't have a respectable reference for that)

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NOTES:

In 700 Arabs captured the Italian island of Pantelleria. In 1553 the Turks got it.

The Arabs had malta but I think the Normans got it back.

Saracen raiders even established a threat to Lazio (latium), and sacked the Abbey of Farfa.

"random" notes

*Asturian rebels sacked Lisbon in 798

*from 815-1008, Cordoba Caliphate was on the offensive.

*Exploits of the Moorish general Al-Mansur; sacked every major non-occupied city in Spain if I am not mistaken

*The first Crusade was a success, in part because the Seljuk Empire had devoluted in 1092, and because it was backed by the Byzantines.

* Saladin won the second crusade

*Richard the Lion Heart won the Third Crusade. However, he failed to re-take Jerusalem.

I think he also took Cyprus from the Byzantines.

*The Crusaders twice invaded Egypt, and failed

*Baibers took the Krek De Chevalier, and re-took Antioch

*1291, Acre Castle fell to the Egyptians


*The second Mongolian invasion of Hungary was a blunder. This was in part because of the Golden Horde. By 1285 (the second Mongol invasion of Hungary), the Mongol Empire had devoluted

*The first Mongol invasion of Europe by Ogodei and Subodei was a success. Mistakes are mitigated by the fact that they were moot compared to the mistakes Mongols made fighting the Indians; or how much they were slowed down in Korea.


Wenceslaus I of Bohemia-Falsely rumored to have defeated the Mongols at the battle of Olmutz.



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Quantas Airlines- flag carrier airline of Australia.
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Hans Lippershey- Is often credited as the inventor of the telescope; although it may have been invented earlier.




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CHINESE AGRICULTURE

China had multiple seed drills.

Medieval China was good at plow-making by the Tang dynasty.

China, of course, wrote agricultural treatises too.

Notes on the Moors

In 711, the Moorish general Tariq-Al-Din invaded Spain, and conquered it

in 720, Tariq-Al-Din passed; this was an oppurtunity for the Spanish to revolt

The Moors translated Archimedes and Euclid in to latin and Arabic.

The Moors were good farmers; and brought several crops to Spain. The Balearic islands were used as an agricultural outpost.

For more on the Moors, check out blog entry: Top ten Moorish and Andalusian scholars

Some Moors were notable scholars.

Al-Marrakushi- Morroccon historian, scholar, historian, judge and biographer who wrote a collection of biographies of notable people from Morrocco and Andalusia.


Ibn Hayyan- A notable Andalusian historian. I'm not sure how many of his works have been lost.

Ibn Abd Rabbih- Wrote an anthology titled "The Unique Necklace".

Ibn Maḍāʾ- Andalusian Linguist





Ibn Idhari- was a 14th century historian from Morrocco who wrote about the Maghreb and Iberia.


Ibn al-Khatib- Was a historian from Grenada and Morrocco (though perhaps of Arab extraction).


Said al-Andalusi- historian who wrote a book called "history of science".


Al-Humaydi- Left Andalusia for Baghdad, and wrote Jadh'watu-i-muktabis (The Sparkle of Fire).


Nur ad-Din al-Bitruji- Some astrnomer and Qadi (judge or magister) from Morrocco and Andalusia.



In modern day Morrocco, there is
Mahdi Elmandjra in economics, futurism and sociology.

Why Charles Martel won the battle of Tours

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Charles Martel won the battle of Tours for the following reasons:

A: Leadership advantage (he may even have had the help of Odo/Eudes) Indeed, he did have the help of Odo according to Wikipedia.

B: Defensive advantage

C: He was barely even fighting Arabs or Bedouins (rather, he was fighting Moorish raiders). Perhaps one could even go as far to state the Moors were not Arabs (or at least, not the Arabs of the Rashidun Caliphate).

D: Strategically, from 720-760 the Arabs were in a "limbo" (a limbo caused by being overextended, as by 720 the Arabs were the world's largest empire the world had seen at the time. The "limbo" was also caused by the passing of the Moorish general Tariq-Al-din in 720. )

The limbo was also caused by berber revolts, civil wars, devolution (the Cordoba Caliphate devoluted in 756-759 and was no longer part of the Arab empire.) and a change of dynasties (from the Ummayads to the Abbasids).

Thus, Charles Martel won the battle of Tours in October 10 732.

Notes on the Reconquista

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722- Battle of Covadonga, the Asturias rebellion in Northern Spain beats Moorish raiders.

Pelayo of Asturias thus goes on to found the Kingdom of Asturias


759-Formation of the Cordoba Caliphate as a devoluted and independent entity from the Arabian empire.


798- The Asturias kingdom sacks Lisbon

1000- Almanzor (most notable leader of the Cordoba Caliphate) defeats Castille at the Battle of Cervera.

1031- Fall of the Cordoba Caliphate; basically falls as a result of infighting.

Devolutes in to smaller kingdoms known as "Taifas"

1057-1099- Career of El Cid



1248- Castille sattelizes the Moorish kingdom of Grenada.

1249-1255- Portugal captures the Algarve from the Moors, and then moves it's capital to Lisbon, thus the Portuguese reconquista is complete.

1340- Battle of Río Salado- Morrocco tries to help outGrenada. Morrocco loses.




1386- Portugal allies with England as per the treaty of Windsor

1415- Portuguese conquest of Cueta (Morrocco)

1492- Spanish annexation of Grenada.

Rebellion of the Alpujarras (1499–1501)-



Rebellion of the Alpujarras (1568–71)- Moriscoe (Christian Moor) revolt against Castille.

Ibn Al-Thahabi- Arab scholar who may have written the first known alphabetical encyclopedia of medicine.

Masawaiyh- Assyrian Nestorian Christian physician who translated some Greek works in to Syriac, and wrote the first systematic treatise on opthamology.

Salmawaih ibn Bunan- Like Hunayn Ibn Shaq, he was an Assyrian Christian translator of Galen.

Ibn al-Tilmīdh- Noted Christian Syrian pharmacologist; perhaps the most notable besides Al-Baitar or Ibn Sina. Mastered Persian, Greek, Syriac, and Arabic.

Ali ibn Isa al-Kahhal- noted tenth or 11th century opthamologist. In his work, we find the first time in literature that an anaesthetic is prescribed. First to discover the symptoms of VKH syndrome.

According to Wikipedia: (Ali) Ibn Isa is also thought to be the first to describe temporal arteritis, although Sir Jonathan Hutchinson (1828–1913) is erroneously credited with this.[5]


Gerard of Cremona- Translator of Arabic works in to Latin. He worked in Toledo, and was thus one of the more notable "Toledo translators".


Constantine the African- 11th century scholar. Also translated some Arabic books in to latin.

I think many Persian scholars (such as Rhazes) had been written or translated in to Arabic; thus I think he was able to translate Rhazes too.

Isaac Israeli ben Solomon- Arab Jew physician and philosopher in the 9th or tenth century.

Sa'ad al-Dawla- 13th century Persian Jew physician and vizier.


Samuel ibn Naghrillah- was a talmudic grammarian, philologist, soldier, politician, patron of the arts, and Hebrew who lived in Iberia at the time of Moorish rule according to wikipedia.

Qusta ibn Luqa- A Syrian melkite who helped translate some Greek works in to Arabic.


Ali ibn Ridwan- Arab physician and astronomer who described Supernova now known as SN 1006.

Also a commentator on Galen's Ars Parva.


Ibrahim ibn Sinan- tenth century mathemetician and grandson of Thabit Ibn Qurraa.

MORE ARAB SCHOLARS:
Ibn Hawqal- Arab writer, geographer, and chronicler in the 10th century.




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Paul Erdős- Hungarian mathematician ( March 1913 – 20 September 1996)

Sameera Moussa (1917-1952) - Egyptian nuclear physicist.

TOP TEN MOORISH AND ANDALUSIAN SCHOLARS!!

1. Ibn Battuta- travel, geography, exploration

Visited over 40 countries, including China, India (such as Calcutta), Middle East, grenada and Africa. Visited about 200 major cities (or at least places.....).

(from Morrocco I think)

2. Abulcasis- (surgery)

3. Al-Baitar- Improved pharmacology

4. Al-Muradi- clockmaking

5. Ibn Rushd (Averroes)- noted philosopher and commentator on Aristotle

6. Ibn Hazm- second most prolific scholar after Al-Tabari (in the IGA)

Wrote on history, ethics, Islamic jurisprudence and comparative religion

7. Ibn Tufail- was an Andalusian Muslim polymath a writer, novelist, Islamic philosopher, Islamic theologian, physician, astronomer, vizier, and court official.

Wrote a philosophical novel. Thus, arguably, a precedent for Voltaire's "Candide".

8.
Ibn al-'Awwam-often said to be Arab; yet associated with Seville.

Agriculture and livestock. According to wikipedia:


"He wrote a lengthy handbook on agriculture entitled in Arabic Kitāb al-Filāḥa (English: Book on Agriculture), which is the most comprehensive treatment of the subject in medieval Arabic, and one of the most important medieval works on the subject in any language."


9.
Ibn Bassal (1085 C.E.) -Botany. According to wikipedia he

"was a Moor botanist in Toledo and Seville, Spain who wrote about cultivation. Basal wrote the treatise The Classification of Soils which divided soil fertility into ten classifications. He worked in the court of Al-Mutamid for whom he created a royal garden.[1][2][3]"

10.Al-Jayyani- Trigonometry.

According to Wikipedia:

Al-Jayyānī wrote important commentaries on Euclid's Elements and he wrote the first known treatise on spherical trigonometry as a discipline independent from astronomy.


HONORARY MENTIONS:

Muhammad_al-Idrisi- geography and cartography. Made a map known as "The Book of Roger" for the Rogers of Norman Sicily.

I read somewhere that he may have made like 1150+ maps

Ziryab- Another andalucian polymath in the fields of astronomy, geography, meterology, botanics, cosmetic, culinary art and fashion. Also a musician.

Made a new type of deodorant for body odor. Said to have made an early toothpaste, and to have emphasized hygiene.

Heavily associated with Andalusia; but got started in Mesopotamia and Africa. Unclear extraction. 

Ibn al-Khatib- Arab from the Emirate of Grenada (and/or Morocco); poet, philosopher, politician, writer, historian and physician. Often said to have conceived of the idea of a contagion centuries before Pasteur. 

Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi- Andalusian poet, geographer, and historian

Ibn Zuhr- Physician. He performed a tracheotomy on a goat.

Avempace- Another Moor botanist, astronomer and physicist.

 Ibn Firnas- polymath and glassworker who detailed a method to produce colorless glass. Was known to produce corrective lenses.

Al-Zarqali- Astronomy, instrument maker (by instruments I mean telescopes, clocks, that sorta thing. I think he was also referenced by Copernicus in his heliocentric thesis along with Al-Batani)

Jabir ibn Aflah- An astronomer and mathemitician from Seville. Critiqued and corrected Ptolemaic astronomy. Also invented an early analog computer known as the

Torquetum.


Maimonedes- medieval Jewish astronomer and philosopher.

Maslama al-Majriti- Economics and astronomy

Ibn Jubayr- Geographer, traveler, and poet during the crusades; and wrote about them.

At-Turtushi- 12th century Andalusian political theorist. 


Ibn Juzayy- history, poetry, and law. Helped Ibn Battuta write about his travels.


Leo Africanus- Became an authority on North African geography around the 16th century.