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SUMMARY:The Stars along the Silk Roads: Astronomers from Central Asia in t
 he Abbasid Court during the ninth century  - Razieh S. Mousavi
DTSTART:20240315T140000Z
DTEND:20240315T150000Z
UID:TALK211360@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Said Reza Huseini
DESCRIPTION:The ninth century witnessed the expansion of Islamic empire in
  both eastern and western directions\, leading to the migration of diverse
  ethnic groups to the heart of the caliphate in central Iraq. This influx 
 laid the groundwork for scholarly exchanges and the encounter of diverse p
 erspectives. While recent research highlights the significant influence of
  political strategies employed by the caliphs on scientific advancements a
 nd the selection of scholarly traditions during that era\, it is essential
  not to overlook the intellectual background of the foreign scholars invol
 ved. This paper aims to explore why a noteworthy number of astronomers act
 ive in the Abbasid court hailed from Central Asian origins. Is this a mere
  coincidence\, or does it trace its roots back to preIslamic scientific tr
 aditions? Notable figures and families\, such as al-Khwārazmī\, Banū Am
 ājūr\, Ḥabash al-Ḥāsib\, and al-Farghānī\, are considered. The fo
 cus of this research is particularly on the latter\, who\, besides his ast
 ronomical skills\, contributed to urban construction projects in the Abbas
 id Empire. Al-Farghānī\, with roots in Central Asia’s Fergana as indic
 ated by his name\, incorporated elements of the Eastern traditions into hi
 s renowned astronomical treatise\, which is predominantly Ptolemaic.Notabl
 y departing from the Greek tradition\, he arrangesthe geographical place-n
 ames from east to west\, aligned with Persian and Indian traditions. Moreo
 ver\, in his star catalogue\, he referenced observations in a city with th
 e latitude of Fergana. It is crucial to highlight that the people of Ferga
 na held significant political roles in the Abbasid government simultaneous
 ly. Following the defeat of local governments in Central Asia\, many were 
 transported to Iraq as soldier-slaves and settled in distinct military cam
 ps near the Turks\, who held elevated political status at the time. Throug
 h an examination of the works and activities of astronomers with Central A
 sian origins\, this paper seeks to contribute to understanding the flow of
  knowledge along the Silk Road within the broader context of political and
  social settings.\n\n\nAbout the speaker:\nRazieh is a research fellow at 
 the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science\, Berlin. She is curre
 ntly a researcher on the ERC project “Science\, Society and Environmenta
 l Change in the First Millennium CE\,” where she is researching water en
 gineering and culture in the premodern Islamic Mediterranean. Razieh is al
 so preparing a book for publication with Brill: “Al-Farghānī’s Eleme
 nts of Astronomy: An Interplay of Meaning and Form at the Intersection of 
 Astronomical and Medical Traditions.”\n
LOCATION:Online Event
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