Indian Medicine and Iranian’s Role in Its Transition to the Islamic Era

Extended Abstract
Effective factors in the dynamics of science and publication, and the enhancement of the knowledge and achievements of a nation or civilization; is the association of scientists with each other and the exploitation of achievements and information. Meanwhile, with the range of Muslim territories and the geographical distance of the center of the Islamic caliphate with the land of India; The ambiguity in this study is based on; how Islamic medicine used Indian medicine and how Indian medicine influences the Islamic world, and what routes and methods have been transmitted. How can the Iranian people, as officials and scholars, play a role in understanding and understanding Muslims of Indian medicine in the Islamic era? With the approach to this ambiguity, by studying existing documents and evidence and analyzing historical sources information, the present researched achieved to these results: Thus, with Muslim rule in the Sassanid kingdom, Hindu medicine, were attracted to the Muslims; together with Iranian scholars. of course, Iranian ministers and medicine had a special contribution to combining Islamic medicine with Indian medicine.
Keywords: Indian medicine, Islamic medicine, Iran, Iranian physicians, Barmakids

Introduction

India is a great land in the Southeast Asia with a large population enjoying ancient civilizations, various regions, and different religions. It is reported that Indians have always been pioneers in science and technology by historians and tourists. The scientific exchanges between Iran and India continued in the Islamic era by the Arabs’ conquests and the expansion of Islamic territory to India, which had a very close relationship with Iran. After the appearance of Islam, the Indian teachers and students connected with the capital of Islamic government through Iran and their own participations in the Sassanid territory. This connection has led to the fact that most parts of Islamic works of historians and geographers have belonged to Indian history.
Considering Indian science and technology, the expansion of knowledge and medical achievements of this territory among the ancient civilizations in addition to the popularity of Indian knowledge in Islamic era; this research intends to find out what benefits Islamic medicine has received from the Indian one by studying the features and positions of Indian medicine in the ancient world. Additionally, this study is to find out how the combination of Islamic and Indian medicine has occurred generally, and which factors have been impressive in Muslims familiarity with the Indian medicine. Also, the important issue of Iranians’ role in introducing Indians’ culture and knowledge to the Islamic world is going to be studied.
The impression of Indian medicine on the “Islamic medicine” and its importance and value can be inferred from the answers of the above questions. Taking into consideration the interferences of various people and countries in the foundation and glory of Islamic civilization; therefore, it seems crucial to study the role of India and its medicine achievements in the construction of Islamic medicine, and the role of Iran, its high positions and scholars in the transition of Indian medicine knowledge to the Islamic territory in the studies of Islamic civilization.

Research methodology

This research following library methodology firstly recognized the existing documents, then prioritized the resources based on their significance and credibility. In the following, the information were assembled through flash cards and the contents were scientifically analyzed by the use of descriptive-analytic methodology.

Discussion

Indian medicine was mostly integrated with prayers, incantations, and any kind of spells, and each of the gods was associated with a disease, in other words, accounted as a specific disease repellent (Rig Vada, 1993: 480, 475-79). Meanwhile, the Indian medicine achieved a significant progress before the other civilizations achieving such great products. In fact, Vedict doctors found methods for facing a variety of diseases. They believed that diseases were mostly rooted in heredity although they themselves expressed that the cause of some diseases was seasonal changes. Interestingly, they expressed that some other diseases produce very small creatures in body (Renan, Bita; 278), also they were familiar with diabetes and analyzed the disease by tasting the sick’s urine (Khazar Akavi, 2000;50). Such an improvement in Indian medicine led to its popularity in the ancient world, as most of historians and authors of medicine history works accounted India as one of the principal cornerstones in medicine and pharmacology (Ibn Abi Osaybe, 1970: 35). It is worth mentioning that in the ancient India, surgery and autopsy improved significantly, while surgery was taught to medicine students (Rana, 1987,120). Political and cultural relationships between Iran and India have been reflected in documents as in the eras of Achamenian, Parthian, and specially in Sassanid the exchanges between the two countries were highly posited (Nak: Kavyani Pouia, 2015, 97: 105). As in Gondishapur (Bit Lapat), which was one of the biggest medical centers in the world before Islam, a group of Indian doctors were always teaching Indian medicine beside the other ones (Abbott, 1968: 71; Taylor, 2010: 8-9). After the Sassanid era in the Islamic one, Islamic historians and geographers have discussed the exchanges between Iran and India in which Indian products being very practical in medicine, enjoyed a high position (Ibn Balkh, 1995: 455-449, 286-299). Indian medicine became specifically popular as one of the three principles of Islamic medicine by the entrance of Indians to the Muslims’ capital. Different factors were involved in transition and prevalence of Indian treatment and medicine methodology in Islamic medicine. Among them, Indian medicine was brought directly into the Islamic capital firstly by the Indian doctors who studied medicine in Iran and Gondishapur scientific centers, meanwhile the support of Barmecide ministers and their actions were significantly impressive. Additionally, Iranian doctors in Islamic era played very important roles in transition of Indian medicine knowledge to the Islamic world by translating the Indian works. Therefore, most of the Indian works, treatment methods, and pharmaceutics transited to the Islamic world (Jurji zaydan, 1993: 549). The Iranian doctors like: Rabn Tabari, Zakaria Razi, Abu Mansur Ibn Heravi, and Abu Rayhan Biruni defended the Indian medicine methods against the Greek one and they tried their bests in order to integrate it with the Islamic one even much better than the Indian doctors.

Results

Islamic medicine is a combination of medical sciences in ancient civilizations in which the Indian medicine and scholarship has been one of the three main principles in the Islamic era. In addition, Indian medicine became famous very soon in this era and Indian treatment methodology enjoyed proper attention as a practical one since Indian medicine included leading treatments and pharmaceutics. In fact, the Indian medicine succeeded in having access to various treatment methods especially in surgery and autopsy hundred years before Christ Birth. Based on the direct relationships with Iran and the establishment of the greatest scientific-medical centers in Sassanid era, Indian doctors travelled to Iran and were admitted in the scientific centers, then Indian medicine enjoyed a great popularity beside the Iranian and Greek ones in the Sassanid era. By the downfall of the Sassanid and especially in the Abbasi period, Indian doctors beside the Iranian ones entered the Islamic territory while in this entrance Barmecide family and other high positions of Iran played significant roles since this family encouraged the Indian and Iranian scholars in translation and transfer of the Indian science to the Islamic capital. Therefore, because of the previous connections between Iranians and Indians and Iranians’ familiarity with the Indian medicine, doctors, and pharmacists, Iranians tried their bests to advertise and use the Indian medicine even more than Indians did. Actually, the first works in medicine in the Islamic era including Indian medicine and drugs were authored by Iranians, this works led to Indian medicine to compete with the popular medicine of that time, especially the Greek one. 

Reference.
Nabia ,“Appendix Jundishapur: Apre Liminary Historical Sketch”, VOL. 7, Ars orientalis;1968.
Al-Jahiz,ʿAmr ibn Baḥr,Albaian o altabiin,VolI, Beirot: Darolmajtab Alhelal, 2002.
al-Majusi, 'Ali ibn al-'Abbas, Kāmil aṣ-Ṣināʿa aṭ-Ṭibbiyya, VoII, Ghahere:1877.
Al-Tha'ālibī, Ghorar Akhbar molok akfors o seirhom, Trans: mohammad fazaeli, Noghre press,1989.
Arian, Lashkarkeshi eskandar, trans:Mohsen khadem,Tehran: markaz vashr-e daneshgahi,
‌Bahrami,rohahhah,"Enteghal danesh pezeshli hendian be alam-e Eslam",Faslname tarikh islam, 7 ^th year,spring 25:2006,p;5-34.
Bal'ami, Abu Ali Muhammad, Tarikhnameye-i Bal'ami,VoL4, pazhuhesh-e mohammad roshan, Tehran:Alborz press,1994.
Bar Hebraeus, Gregory, mokhtasara tarikh o dowall, trans; abdolmohammad aiati, Tehran:Elmi o farhangi press,1988.
Biruni,Aburihan.alseidane fe tab,. trans bagher mozafar zade,Tehran :Farhangestan adab farsi,2004.
Biruni,Aburihan.Asarolbaghiye anel ghorun e lkhaliye. Trans: Ali Akbar Dana sereshet, Tehran: Amir kabir press,2010.
Bouvat, Lucien,Barmakian, trans: Abdolhosein meikadeh, Tehran:Elmi farhangi press,
Brosius, Maria, The Persian Empire from Cyrus II to Artaxerxes I, trans: haide mashaiekh, Mahi press,
Browne, Edward Granville, Tarikh-e teb Islamic, trans: masoud rajab nia, Tehran: bongah tarjome o nashre ketab,1958.
Dampier, William Cecil Dampier, Tarikh-e Elm, Trans: Abdolhosein azarang, Tehran: samt press,1992.
Diodorus Siculus,Iran va ketabkhne tarikhi, Trans:hamid bikas, esmaiel sangari, Tehran: Jami,2005.
Elgood, Cyril Lloyd, Tarikh pezeshki iran o sarzaminhaie khelafat-e sharghi, Trans: baher Forghni, Tehran: Amirkabir,1992,2007.
Ferdosi, Abolqasem , Shahname, editions: Julius von Mohl, be koshesh Akbarian, Tehran: Ekham press,2008.
Fuat Sezgin , Geschichte des arabischen Schrifttums, vol;3., Leiden, 1967-1984.
GARDĪZĪ, ABU SAʿĪD,Zein o alakhbar,tashih Habibi, Tehran: Donyaie ketab,1984.
George Sarton, Moghadame bar tarikh elm az Homer ta ommar khaiam, VolI, Trans:Gholamhosein afshar,Tehran: entesharat daftar tarvij olome vezarat olom,1974.
George Sarton,Tarikh-e Elm, Trans: Ahmad Aram,Tehran: Amirkabir press,1967.
Ghefti,jamak-e din, tarikh o alhokama,be koshesh Bahman daraei, Tehran: Tehran university,1992.
Ghiravani,ebrahim ibn ali,Zahr o aladab o samar o albab,VolI, Beirut: Daraljalil. undated.
Gutas, Dimitri, Tafaror-e Yonani Farhang-e Arabi, Trans: mohammad saeid hanaei kashani, Tehran:markaz nashr-e daneshgahi,2002.
Hanna Al-Fakhoury, Tarikh-e Adabiat zaban arabi, Trans: Abdolmohammad Aiati, Tehran: Tos press,1999.
Heravi, Abu Mansur Movafaq,Alabnie an haghegh aladvie, VolI, Tehran: Tehran university,1967.
Herodotus, Tavarikh, Trans: vahid mazandarani, Donyaie ketab, 2007.
Ibn Abī Uṣaybiʿa, Muʾaffaq al-Dīn, Oyun-al-Anba fi Tabaqat-Al-Attebba, VoLI, trans;seyyed jafar ghazban,mahmmod najm abadi, Tehran: Tehran university,1970.
Ibn Balkhi, Fars-Nama, Shiraz: boniad fars shenasi,1995.
Ibn Juljul, abu Dawud Sulayman, 'Uyun al-anba' fi tabaqat al-atiba', trans;seyyed mohammad kazem Emam, Tehran: Tehran university,2015.
ibn Miskawayh Abū ʿAlī Aḥmad, Tajarob alomam, VolI, , Trans:Abolghasem emami,Tehran:sorosh,1990.
Ibn Nadīm, Muḥammad ibn Ishāq, 'alfehrest, trans: mohammad reza tajadod, Tehran: asatir,
Jurji Zaydan,Tarikh tamadon islami, Trans: Ali javaher kalam,Tehran:Amirkabir press,1993.
Kateb Chalabi ,Mostafa bin Abdullah, kashf alznon an asami alkotob va alfonon, VolII, Baghdad:maktab almosana, undated.
Kavyanipooya,hamid,"Taamol o tabadolat elmi, Farhangi iran dar rozgar sasanian", Faslname motaleat shbhe Ghare"Winter:2015,p;93-108.
Kavyanipooya,hamid,Tarikh-e- Bimarestanha va marakez darmani dar iran, Tehran: Almaei,
R. G," Old Persian", New Haven, American Oriental Society, 1953.
khezr akavi,rahab, Almoje fi tarikh altbeb end alarab, Beirot: daromanahel,2000.
Maloori,J.P and others, Se goftar darbari Arian, Trans:masoud rajab nia, Tehran: Amirkabir,1975.
Meadows, Andrew R. The Adminstration of the Achaemenid empire, John Curtis and nigel Tallis (ed), in forgotten Persian empire: The world of Ancient Persia, London: British Museum, (from p181 to p 210), 2005
Mohaghegh, Mehdi, Hezar o pansad yaddasht dar mabahes loghavi , adabi, tarikhi, Falsafi va kalami va tarikh olom dar islam, Tehran: Tehran uninersity,1999.
Mohammadi Bolbolanabad,badri,olohi nazari, Zahra," Enteghal Tebe Hendi be jahan Islam", majale teb sonata islam o Iran,3th nomber, 2012, p;351-364.
Mubārakpūrī (Qāz̤ī) ,Abu al-Maali Athar,Rejal alsend , alhend ela algharn alsabe, ghahere: Dār al-Anṣār, 1977
Naeini,Jalal,Sanavian dar ahd-e Bastan,Esfahan:Toba press,2005.
Najmabadi,mahmod,Tarikh teb dar iran, VolI, Tehran:Tehran university,1992.
Nasr, Hossein, Elm o tamadon dar islam, Trans:Ahmad Aram, Tehran:kharazmi,1980.
Ojha,K.C, The history of foreign rule in ancient India,Gyan, Allahabad,1968.
Rabban al-Tabari, Ali ibn Sahl, Ferdos al-Hekmah,Berkin: mohammad zobair sedighi press,1928.
R.D,”Pharmacy in Ancient India" ,India Jiurnal of science 1987.
Raste Amoze bezeshki moghan, gozaresh roham ashe, masood mirshahi, Tehran: Asatir,
Rig Veda, Trans: mohammad reza jalali naieni, Tehrak:Noghre press,1993.
Ronan,calin A, Tarikh-e Elm cambridg, Trans:Hasan Afshar, Tehran:Nashr-e markaz, undated
Safa,zabiholah, Tarikh- e olome aghli dar tamadon-e islami, VolI, Tehran: Amirkabir,
Sezgin, Fuat, Tarikh negaresh-haie Arabi, Trans:Tadvin o Amade sazi moasese fehrestegan, Tehran: Printing and Publishing Organization,2001.
Tabari, Mohammad jarir, Tarikh Tabari, VolII, Trans:Abolghasem paiandeh, Tehran: Boniad farhang iran,1974.
Tafazzoli,Ahmad, Tarikh adabiat pish az islam, Tehran:Sokhan press,2004.
Tarachand,"Hejrat afsane o dastanhaie hendi",Aeine khand, 10th year,1973.
Gail Marlow,”The Physicians of Jundishapur, University of California”, Irvine sasanika: 2010.
j.e, Ceylon, : an account of the island, physical, historical, and topographical with notices of its natural history, antiquities and productions, VOL I ,London:1860
Thapliyal Uma Prasad, Foreign elements in ancient Indian society,Manshiram, New Delhi, 1979: 44-48
Upanishads, trans:Mehdi javaherian,paiam yazdanjo, Tehran: nashr-e markaz,2008.
Venzmer, Gerhard,panj hezar sal pezeshki, Trans:siavosh Agah, Tehran:Elmi o Farhangi,1987.
Wajestyk Dominik,”Medicine ,India(the new Dictionary of the Ideas)”,Draft of 15 th Aguest 2003.
Will Durant,Tarikh Tamadoon, VolI, Trans:Ahmad Aram, Tehran:Elmi o farhangi, 1997.
Will Durant,Tarikh Tamadoon, VolII, Trans: Ahmad Aram, Tehran:Entesharat o Amozesh Enghelab,1988.
Ya'qubi, Ahmad ibn Abu Ya'qub, Tarikh Ya'qubi, VolI, Trans:Ebrahim Ayati, Tehran: bongah tarjome o nashre ketab,1964.
Yusufi Heravi, Yusuf ibn mohammad, Ryaz oladvie, VolI, Tehran:Almaei,2012.