Golden age of Islam | World History | Khan Academy

Summary

This video script explores the early Islamic empires' preservation of Byzantine and Persian infrastructure and culture, highlighting the Abbasid Caliphate's role in fostering knowledge. It discusses the Abbasids' collection of knowledge from various cultures, the establishment of Baghdad as a center of learning under Caliph al-Rashid, and the House of Wisdom founded by al-Ma'mun. The script emphasizes the contributions of scholars like Al-Kwarizmi, who introduced algebra and the Hindu numeral system to the Islamic world, and the broader impact of the Islamic Golden Age on global knowledge and learning.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The early Islamic empires preserved and expanded upon the infrastructure, bureaucracy, and culture inherited from the Byzantine and Persian empires.
• 📚 The Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties collected knowledge from various cultures, including Indian and Chinese, and made significant contributions to learning and science.
• 🏛 The Abbasid Caliphate, particularly under Caliph al-Mansur, established Baghdad as the new capital and a hub of intellectual and cultural development.
• 👑 Caliph al-Rashid is renowned for transforming Baghdad into a center of learning, valuing scholarly excellence over nationality or faith.
• 🤝 Cultural exchanges, such as the gift of a water clock from Haroon al-Rashid to Charlemagne, highlight the advanced knowledge of the Islamic world compared to contemporary Europe.
• 🏫 Al-Ma'mun, al-Rashid's son, founded The House of Wisdom in Baghdad, a pivotal institution for the study of mathematics, astronomy, physics, medicine, and more.
• 📈 The Abbasid Caliphs sponsored scholars to translate and compile knowledge from various languages into Arabic, centralizing it in libraries across cities like Baghdad.
• 🔢 Al-Kwarizmi, a Persian mathematician, is celebrated as the father of algebra, and his work significantly influenced the development of the decimal numeral system used today.
• 📐 Al-Marwazi and al-Buzjani are credited with establishing the core trigonometric functions, foundational to the field of trigonometry.
• 👓 Alhazon contributed to a sophisticated understanding of light and vision, employing the scientific method centuries before the European Renaissance.
• 📝 Omar Khayyan was a polymath known for his poetry, as well as his work in mathematics, including early investigations into what is now known as Pascal's Triangle.

Q & A

What did the early Islamic empires preserve from the Byzantine and Persian empires?

The early Islamic empires preserved much of the infrastructure including roads and bureaucracy, as well as a lot of the culture from the Byzantine and Persian empires.

What was the significance of the Umayyad dynasty in the collection of knowledge?

The Umayyad dynasty began the process of collecting knowledge from within the empire and from the peoples encountered on its borders, including Indians and Chinese, laying the foundation for the later flourishing of learning.

Why is the Abbasid Caliphate notable for its contributions to knowledge and learning?

The Abbasid Caliphate is notable for its contributions to knowledge and learning because it reached its full fruition during this period, with the establishment of Baghdad as a center of learning and the creation of The House of Wisdom.

What was the role of Caliph al-Mansur in the Abbasid Caliphate?

Caliph al-Mansur played a significant role by building Baghdad and moving the capital of the empire to this city, which later became a renowned center of learning.

How did Caliph al-Rashid contribute to making Baghdad a center of learning?

Caliph al-Rashid made Baghdad a center of learning by appointing learned men from various religious backgrounds to posts of great responsibility and promoting them to higher-ranking jobs in the government.

What was the significance of the exchange of gifts between Haroon al-Rashid and Charlemagne?

The exchange of gifts, such as the water clock sent by Haroon al-Rashid, signifies the cultural and intellectual interactions between the Islamic world and Western Europe, highlighting the advanced knowledge of the Islamic empire.

What is The House of Wisdom, and what was its purpose?

The House of Wisdom was a center of learning in Baghdad established by al-Ma'mun, where scholars studied and translated texts on mathematics, astronomy, physics, medicine, geography, map-making, poetry, and philosophy.

Who was Al-Kwarizmi, and what is his contribution to mathematics?

Al-Kwarizmi was a Persian mathematician and physicist, known as the father of algebra. His work introduced the Indian number system to the Islamic empire and laid the foundation for the modern decimal numeral system.

What is the origin of the word 'algorithm'?

The word 'algorithm' originates from the name of Al-Kwarizmi, who was known in Latin as 'Algoritmi', which was pronounced as 'algarism' and later 'algorithm'.

Who was al-Marwazi, and what did he contribute to trigonometry?

Al-Marwazi was a mathematician based in Baghdad who, along with al-Buzjani, contributed significantly to trigonometry by developing the core trigonometric functions such as sine, cosine, and tangent.

What was the role of Omar Khayyan in both mathematics and poetry?

Omar Khayyan was a Persian polymath known in the West for his poetry but also recognized for his significant contributions to philosophy, mathematics, and the study of Pascal's Triangle and the binomial theorem.

How did the Islamic empire act as a bridge of knowledge during the Dark Ages in Europe?

The Islamic empire acted as a bridge of knowledge by collecting and translating texts from various cultures, including Indians, Chinese, and Ancient Greeks, and preserving them during the period when Europe was experiencing the Dark Ages.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Cultural and Intellectual Preservation in Early Islamic Empires

The script discusses how the early Islamic empires, particularly during the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, preserved and expanded upon the cultural and infrastructural legacy inherited from the Byzantine and Persian empires. It highlights the Abbasid Caliphate's establishment of Baghdad as a capital and center of learning, emphasizing Caliph al-Rashid's role in promoting scholars of various faiths based on merit. The script also contrasts the Abbasid's scientific advancements with Charlemagne's Europe, illustrating the exchange of knowledge through gifts like the water clock. The narrative culminates in the description of the House of Wisdom, a pivotal institution for the translation and collection of knowledge across various disciplines.

05:02

📚 Contributions of Islamic Scholars to Mathematics and Science

This paragraph delves into the significant contributions of Islamic scholars to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and physics, among others. It acknowledges Al-Kwarizmi as the father of algebra, whose work laid the foundation for the modern numeral system and the concept of algorithms. The paragraph also credits Al-Marwazi and al-Buzjani for developing the core trigonometric functions and identities. Furthermore, it discusses Alhazon's sophisticated understanding of light and vision and his application of the scientific method, predating the European Renaissance. The paragraph concludes with a mention of Omar Khayyan, a polymath known for his poetry, work on Pascal's Triangle, and the binomial theorem, emphasizing the Islamic Golden Age's impact on human knowledge.

10:02

🌍 The Islamic World as a Bridge of Knowledge During the Dark Ages

The final paragraph of the script reflects on the broader historical context of the Islamic world's role as a bridge of knowledge during a period often referred to as the Dark Ages in Western Europe. It cites historians Phillip Hiti and Bertrand Russell to argue that the Islamic empires were instrumental in preserving and advancing human knowledge, with Arabic serving as a language of learning and intellectual progress. The script challenges the Eurocentric view of civilization by acknowledging the flourishing of civilizations from India to Spain and the significant contributions of Arabic-speaking scholars to various fields of study.

Keywords

💡Islamic Empires

Islamic Empires refer to the various states and caliphates established by the followers of Islam across different historical periods. In the context of the video, it highlights the early Islamic empires that preserved and expanded upon the cultural and infrastructural legacies of the Byzantine and Persian empires, emphasizing their role in collecting and disseminating knowledge.

💡Abbasid Caliphate

The Abbasid Caliphate was the third of the Islamic caliphates, known for its golden age of cultural, scientific, and economic development. The video script mentions the Abbasids as a period when the collection of knowledge reached its peak, with the establishment of Baghdad as the capital and the House of Wisdom as a center of learning.

💡Caliph al-Mansur

Caliph al-Mansur was the second Abbasid caliph who is noted for moving the capital of the Islamic Empire to Baghdad. His actions set the stage for the cultural and intellectual advancements discussed in the video, particularly the development of Baghdad into a center of learning.

💡Caliph Haroon al-Rashid

Caliph Haroon al-Rashid, a successor of al-Mansur, is famous for promoting learning and appointing scholars of various faiths to high-ranking positions in the government. His rule is depicted in the video as a time when intellectual achievements flourished, and he is known for his correspondence with Charlemagne, the Frankish king.

💡The House of Wisdom

The House of Wisdom was an academy established in Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate, which became a major intellectual hub. It was a center for the translation and production of scholarly works, covering a wide range of disciplines including mathematics, astronomy, and medicine, as mentioned in the script.

💡Al-Kwarizmi

Al-Kwarizmi was a Persian mathematician and astronomer, often referred to as the father of algebra. His work significantly contributed to the development of the field, and the term 'algebra' itself is derived from the Arabic title of his book, as explained in the video. His contributions bridge the script's discussion on the transmission of knowledge from the Islamic world to the West.

💡Al-jabr

Al-jabr is an Arabic term that refers to the operation of completing or balancing equations, which is foundational to the field of algebra. The video script explains how Al-Kwarizmi's work on al-jabr led to the development of algebraic principles and the term 'algorithm' being derived from his name.

💡Hindu-Arabic numeral system

The Hindu-Arabic numeral system is the base-10 number system that includes the digits from 0 to 9, which was introduced to the Islamic world and later to Europe. The video script highlights Al-Kwarizmi's role in bringing this numeral system to the Islamic empire, which eventually replaced the Roman numeral system in Europe.

💡Al-Marwazi

Al-Marwazi was a Persian astronomer and mathematician who is credited with developing the core trigonometric functions such as sine and cosine. His work, as mentioned in the script, laid the foundation for the field of trigonometry, which is essential in various scientific and engineering applications.

💡Alhazon

Alhazon, also known as Alhazen, was an Arab mathematician, astronomer, and physicist who made significant contributions to the understanding of light and vision. The video script quotes his views on the propagation of light, reflecting his sophisticated understanding of optics, which predated the European Renaissance by several centuries.

💡Omar Khayyan

Omar Khayyan was a Persian polymath known for his poetry, as well as his work in mathematics and philosophy. The video script discusses his investigation of Pascal's Triangle and the binomial theorem centuries before Pascal, and his famous poetry, which reflects the intellectual and cultural richness of the Islamic Golden Age.

Highlights

The early Islamic empires preserved much of the infrastructure, culture, and knowledge from the Byzantine and Persian empires.

The Abbasid Caliphate marked the peak of collecting knowledge from various cultures and establishing Baghdad as a center of learning under Caliph al-Rashid.

Calph Haroon Rasheed valued excellence in learning over nationality or faith, appointing learned men of different religions to high-ranking government positions.

The exchange of knowledge and gifts between Caliph Haroon al-Rashid and Charlemagne, highlighting the advanced state of Islamic knowledge at the time.

Al-Ma'mun established The House of Wisdom in Baghdad, a center for learning in various fields including mathematics, astronomy, and medicine.

The Abbasid Caliphs sponsored scholars to translate and collect knowledge from Sanskrit, Greek, Chinese, and Persian into Arabic, creating a unified repository of human knowledge.

Al-Kwarizmi, a Persian mathematician and physicist, is known as the father of algebra, with the term 'algebra' derived from the Arabic word al-jabr.

Al-Kwarizmi introduced the Hindu numeral system to the Islamic empire, which later became the bridge to the decimal system used in the West.

The word 'algorithm' comes from the name of Al-Kwarizmi, highlighting his significant contributions to mathematics.

Al-Marwazi and al-Buzjani are credited with developing the core trigonometric functions and many trigonometric identities.

Alhazon provided a sophisticated understanding of light and vision, using the scientific method centuries before the Renaissance in Europe.

Omar Khayyan was a renowned poet, philosopher, and mathematician who investigated Pascal's Triangle and the binomial theorem over 500 years before Pascal.

Khayyan's poetry reflects the intellectual and philosophical depth of the Islamic Golden Age, with translations by Fitzgerald.

The Islamic world served as a bridge of human knowledge during the Dark Ages in Europe, preserving and advancing knowledge from various civilizations.

Historian Phillip Hitti emphasized the significant contributions of Arabic-speaking people to human progress during the Middle Ages.

Bertrand Russell noted that the term 'Dark Ages' is a narrow view focused on Western Europe, while civilizations in other regions like China, India, and Spain flourished.

Transcripts

- [Instructor] In other videos we talk about the rapid

spread of Islam, and one of the interesting things

about these early Islamic empires

is they preserved much of what they inherited

from the Byzantine and the Persian empires.

The infrastructure including the roads,

the bureaucracy.

A lot of the culture.

And they also began to collect the knowledge

from within the empire and from the peoples

that they encountered on the borders of the empire

including the Indians, and the Chinese.

And they did this throughout the Umayyad dynasty.

But it really came to its full fruition

during the Abbasid Caliphate.

Now the Abbasid Caliphate, one of the first things

they did under the Calph al-Mansur

is build Baghdad and move the capital of the empire

to Baghdad.

Now one of al-Mansur's successors

al-Rashid, is famous for making Baghdad

a center of learning.

According to the historian John William Draper

this is a sense of what life was like

under al-Rashid's rule.

During the period of the Calphs the learned men

of the Christians and the Jews were not only

held in great esteem, but were appointed

to posts of great responsibilities

and were promoted to the higher ranking jobs

in the government.

He, Calph Haroon Rasheed, never considered

to which country alerted person belonged

nor his faith in belief but only his excellence

in the field of learning.

And to get a sense of how much learning

and how advanced the knowledge began to be

especially under the rulership

of al-Rashid, during this time

he was a contemporary of Charlemagne

who was the Frankish king.

He was also the first holy Roman emperor.

And so it's this region right over here.

And they were trading gifts

and this is a historical account

Haroon al-Rashid sends

Charlemagne this water clock.

And it's so foreign to the Francs

to Charlemagne, that he thinks that it's

it must be some type of magic.

That it can't be explained by just normal means.

And then things really get invested in terms

of collecting knowledge

as we get into the rule of al-Rashid's son

al-Ma'mun where he creates in Baghdad

what is called The House of Wisdom.

Which is this center of learning,

of mathematics, astronomy, physics,

medicine, geography, and map making,

poetry, philosophy.

And, over the next several hundred years

these Abbasid Caliphs are going to

sponsor scholars from India,

learn it in Sanskrit and the ancient Sanskrit text

in Greek, Chinese, Persian to translate as much

of the knowledge and to collect it

in libraries in cities, like Baghdad.

To translate it into Arabic, and to collect all

of that knowledge in one place.

And just to get a sense of the type of advances

that occurred during this golden age of Islam

which correlates strongly, or is essentially during

the Abbasid dynasty and it ends with the Mongol invasion

in the middle of the 13th century right over here.

There are scientists like Al-Kwarizmi.

And Al-Kwarizmi is a Persian mathematician

and physicist.

And he's famous for being the father of algebra.

The word algebra that we now have today

the subject you can learn a lot about on (mumbling) Academy

it comes from the Arabic word al-jabr

and his book al-Kitab al-mukhtasar

fi hisab al-jabr

wal-muqabala

which literally means, and those of you who might speak

Arabic, or Persian, or even Hindi

or who might recognize Kitab as book.

And then hisab is calculation.

And al-jabr is an operation of completion

and it's essentially it's one of the operations

we now do in algebra where you're doing

the same thing to both sides of the equation

Balancing is also a very similar operation.

He also brought the Indian number system

or the Hindu numerals.

He brought them to the Islamic empire.

And that was really the bridge to bringing it

to the west.

Famously Pope Sylvester the second

he was educated in Catalonia

with the point of acquiring knowledge

that was gained from the Arabs.

Remember, the Arabs were in control

over the Islamic empires.

It was not the Abbasids

it was actually the remnants of the Umayyads

who were in control of Spain at the time.

But because of that, this area was considered

a center of learning.

And Pope Sylvester, who got his education there,

he's the one that is often given credit for

being one of the first to introduce the

decimal numeral system.

This Hindu Arabic decimal system

that we now use for our numeric system

as opposed to something like Roman Numerals.

Well another very interesting thing is not only

the word algebra comes from al-jabr

but the word algorithm is literally

comes from his name.

The name Al-Kwarizmi, Al-Kwarizmi in Latin

they pronounce as algarithme.

So other significant contributors to

the science of all of human civilization

are people like al-Marwazi.

Al-Marwazi, once again, in Baghdad.

And he would have been a contemporary

of al-Kwarizmi.

And he, if you've ever taken trigonometry,

or if you're about to take trigonometry,

he is accredited with coming up with

the core trigonometric functions.

We're talking about sine, cosine.

Tangent and cotangent

it might have been Marwazi or it might

have been another mathematician

named al-Buzjani who came

a little bit after, or a lot

depending on a human scale,

but was also based in Baghdad.

And together, they came up with the six

the six trigonometric functions.

They weren't contemporaries of each other

but they both made significant contributions

to what we now call trigonometry.

Including many of the trigonometric identities

that we now learn in high school.

Now you also have physicists, mathematicians,

astronomers,

like Alhazon.

And he is credited as getting one of the more

sophisticated views of how light and vision works.

These are some quotes from Alhazon.

From each point of every color body illuminated

by any light issue light and color along every

straight line that can be drawn from that point.

This is a fairly sophisticated view of how light

actually works.

And he's also credited with using and understanding

the scientific method

several hundred years before the Renaissance in Europe.

The duty of a man, the duty of the man who investigates

the writing of scientists.

If learning the truth is his goal

is to make himself an enemy of all that he reads

and attack it from every side.

He should also suspect himself as he performs

his critical examination of it

so that he may avoid falling into either prejudice

or leniency.

And now another very famous poet philosopher

mathematician poly math of the time

was Omar Khayyan.

And in the west, he's most famous for his poetry.

Most famously the work of the (mumbling)

the translation by Fitzgerald.

But he was also a significant philosopher

mathematician.

This is a picture of some of his work right over here.

You can see that he did his work in the 11th

and the 12th centuries.

And he did it from (mumbling).

But he investigated Pascal's Triangle

and the binomial theorem.

And keep in mind, this was over 500 years

before Pascal.

So maybe it should actually be called

Khayyam's Triangle.

And just to get a sense of his poetry, or a sense of

the (mumbling) in general, which I encourage you to

look up and read.

And this is at least Fitzgerald's translation of it.

And that inverted bowl we call the sky

where under crawling cooped we live and die.

Lift not they hands to it for help

for it rolls impotently on

as thou or I.

So as you can imagine, this Islamic world

these empires between the eighth

and 13th centuries, it was actually a very powerful

bridge of human knowledge

taking knowledge from the Indians, the Chinese,

the Ancient Greeks, and providing a bridge

during the Dark Ages in Europe.

And get a sense of that, we have some text

from some historians on that time period.

This is some text from

this is some text from

the historian Phillip Hiti.

And he wrote,

During all the first part of the Middle Ages

no other people made as important a contribution

to human progress as did the Arabs.

If we take this term to mean all those

whose mother tongue was Arabic

and not merely those living in the Arabian peninsula.

For centuries, Arabic was a language of learning,

culture, and intellectual progress

for the whole of the civilized world

with the exception of the Far East.

From the ninth to the 12th century, there were more

philosophical medical historical religious

astronomical and geographical works

written in Arabic than in any other human tongue.

And we also have a frame, a point of view from

Bertrand Russell in his History of Western Philosophy

who wrote,

Our use of the phrase the Dark Ages

to cover the period from 699

to 1000 marks our undue concentration

on Western Europe.

In China, this period includes the time of the

Tang dynasty, the greatest age of Chinese poetry.

From India to Spain, the brilliant civilization

of Islam flourished.

What was lost to Christendom at this time

was not lost to civilization, but quite the contrary.

To us it seems that Western European civilization

is civilization, but this

is a narrow view.