Who is Biruni?

Al-Biruni (973-1048)

Abu Reyhan Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Biruni was born in 973 in Khwarezm, in what is now Uzbekistan. He received his first scientific education from Abu Nasr Mansur, a member of the ruling family of the region. Abu Nasr Mansur was a distinguished mathematician and astronomer and taught al-Biruni Euclidean geometry and Ptolemaic astronomy.

Mahmut of Ghazni, one of the leading 11th century rulers, took Al-Biruni with him on his expeditions to India. Al-Biruni lived in India between 1017 and 1030, during which time he wrote his famous work Kitab'ut-Tahkik Ma li'l-Hind, in which he analyzed Indian culture, religions and scientific traditions.

Influenced by the works of Greek philosophers Aristotle, Archimedes and Democritus, Al-Biruni began his scientific research at the age of 17. He calculated the altitude of the sun and the longitude of the city where he lived. He determined the beginning of the seasons by observing the movements of the sun. He also calculated the diameter of the Earth very close to today's values and was known as the founder of the science of geodesy with his work in this field.

He also put forward important ideas on trigonometry, which he learned in India. He advocated trigonometry as a separate branch of science from astronomy and suggested using the radius as the unit in trigonometric calculations.

He expressed his deep respect for scientific knowledge with the following quote:
"The knowledge you acquire should not be like your clothes, it should not flow away while you are washing."

Al-Biruni's works made great contributions to science in many different fields from mathematics to astronomy, geology to history, making him one of the most important scientists of his time.