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Garma
Garam More
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Faith & Religion |
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By Dr. Nasim Akhtar India, a secular state since ancient times, has had a mysterious aura in the field of learning. Over the ages, enlightened persons have preached love and peace, aiming to serve humanity. The teaching of the Upanishads that "the whole world is like a family and we are the members of that great family" has been followed in letter and spirit in this land. The Indian philosophy of tolerance and its cultural climate have always attracted the rest of the world.
Al Fazari and Yaqoob bin Tariq (8th century AD) were the first Muslim scientists who studied Indian astronomy. According to Al Barauni, they had learnt this from a Hindu astronomer, who had come from Sindh to the court of the Abbasid Caliph, Al Mansoor in Baghdad. The famous Sanskrit manuscript of Brahmagupta's Brahma Siddhanta (7th century AD) was translated into Arabic in the 8th century AD by Al Fazari. Khawarazmi too prepared an astronomical
handbook entitled 'Sind Hind al Saghir'. This was based on Al Fazari's work. Brahmagupta's Kanda Khada Yaka was also translated into Arabic during this period with the title of 'Arkand' by Al Fazari. The Laghu Jataka of Varahmihir (6th century AD) was translated by Al Biruni into Arabic. Long passages from the Brihat Jataka as well as from Krishna Avatar and Vishnu Puran find mention in the Kitabul Hind by Al Biruni. During the Abbasid period, a number of Indian scholars and scientists were invited to Baghdad. The main task entrusted to them was the translation of various Sanskrit manuscripts into Arabic. Pandir Manka, Kanka, Deepankar, Nukul and Sindbad were some such distinguished scholars. Yahya Barmaki played a significant role in developing cultural, social and religious interrelations between the Hindus and Muslims. Barmaki's forefathers had migrated from Afghanistan to Baghdad. It was due to his keen personal interest that hundreds of Sanskrit manuscripts were translated into Arabic. Al Fehrist by Ibn Nadeem, an Arab historian, is a long list (index) of these translations. Barmaki also deputed a learned man to India to collect Indian herbs. This man also compiled a manuscript containing the religions of India (Melalul Hind wa Adyanoha). The early Muslim period finds Indians being recruited for civil and military posts. Coins were inscribed in Arabic on one side and in Sanskrit on the reverse. Unsury, the court poet of Sultan Mahmud, composed the story of the two Buddhist images of Bamyan (Afghanistan) in Persian verses. Shihabuddin Mohammad Ghauri had matrimonial alliances with the Hindus. According to Ibn Batuta, some Hindu customs were adopted in the marriage ceremony of the sister of Mohammad bin Tughlaq. The Sultan made it a point to drink only Ganga water, even when he was in the Deccan (southern India). He also named a city in Awadh as 'Suwarg Duwari' (Gateway to Heaven). Firoze Tughlaq had appointed Nauha and Soha to repair the Qutb Minar when it was damaged by a thunderbolt in 1369 AD. During the Sultanate period, the scholars used to learn Indian philosophy and Sanskrit from the Hindu scholars, while Hindu scholars used to learn Islamic philosophy from them. According to Badauni, during the reign of Sikander Lodhi, a Brahmin scholar taught Islamic jurisprudence to a Muslim student. Sultan Zainul Abdeen of Kashmir promoted Sanskrit and established a "bureau" for translating Sanskrit works. Qazi Ruknuddin Samarqandi translated the Amritkunda into Persian and Arabic. However, it was the Mughal emperor Akbar who developed it into a social and intellectual movement, giving it a decisive form and direction. Thus, the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagvad Gita and several such texts were translated into Persian, while texts like Kalila-wa-Dimna, Ilmul Hisab, Ilmul Haiat, Tarikh-I-Kashmir and Razmnana were translated into Sanskrit. It is noteworthy that these translations were produced due to the cooperation extended by the Hindu scholars. This is acknowledged by various Islamic scholars; they admit that this task would not have been completed but for the Sanskrit scholars employed as interpreters and translators. The firmans (royal decrees) of the Mughal emperors reveal that no distinction or discrimination was made in granting jagirs (land endowments) to temples or mosques. In this context, the 'firmans' in the possession of Vrindavan Research Institute are an important collection documenting temple grants by various Mughal emperors. Sufism also played a very important role in the heritage of secular India. Sufism is a moral and spiritual way of life, and it found an exceptional ground for its growth and development in India. Besides the natural inclination of Indians towards mysticism, almost all mystical tenets that developed in other religions and philosophical schools were already to be found in the clearest of terms in Vedic and Upanishadic literature. The Rigveda says that "The Almighty is one; the poets have given it different names". Chhandayoga Upanishad argues very clearly and forcefully that "all variations are matters of mere words and names." There is, in fact, a striking similarity between the mystical ideas of Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahma) of Advaita Vedanta and Wahdatul Wujud (Oneness of Existence) of the Sufis. The most striking idea of the Advaita philosophy is the essential unity of all beings. It is also the basic philosophy of the Arab philosopher Ibn-ul-Arabi, popularized by the Sufis in the later period as the Persian term of "Hamaust". Thus it is that both Sufism and the Bhakti mysticism that developed in medieval India preach the unity of mankind, equality of all human beings, condemnation of caste distinctions and communal discriminations. Both these movements played a very important role in creating an atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding and established a deep communication with the masses. The mystical ideas of Islam were so appealing to many Indians that they studied Persian to be able to recite the Mathnavis! The Sufi saints of India made special efforts to acquaint themselves with Hindu traditions, philosophy and beliefs. Many of them came to the conclusion that Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Gautama Buddha were the prophets appointed for the guidance of the people of India. Several Muslim poets and writers have written original compositions in praise of Hindu gods and goddesses in Persian and Arabic. Thus, ethical and humanistic ideals have influenced the thoughts and social attitudes of Hindus and Muslims to bring about the secular India that we are so proud of today. The author is a Keeper at the National Museum, New Delhi. Source:
India
Perspective |
Foreigners
migrated
from
time
to
time
to
the
fertile
Indo-Gangetic
plains
and
gradually
moved
to
other
parts
of
the
country.
The
Aryans,
Semeites,
Mongoloids,
Sakas,
Kushans,
Bactrians,
Scythians
and
Huns
in
the
ancient
period
and
the
Uzbeks,
Turkmans,
Iranians
and
Afghans
in
the
medieval
period
migrated
to
India,
each
bringing
with
them
their
beliefs,
social
customs,
The
creation
of
secular
ambience
and
mutual
understanding
between
the
Hindus
and
Muslims
in
India
owes
its
origin
to
men
like
Al
Fazari,
Yaqoob
bin
Tariq
(8th
century
AD),
Masudi,
Idrisi,
Buzurg
bin
Shaharyar
and
Al
Barauni.
Their
pioneering
works
are
the
earliest
serious
attempts
at
introducing
Hindu
culture
to
the
Muslim
world.
When
Muslims
settled
in
India,
the
cultural
and
religious
interaction
became
more
regular
as
one
impressed
the
other.
Hundreds
of
manuscripts
in
several
libraries
and
museums
prove
the
point.
Masudi,
Idrisi
and
other
Arab
historians
of
the
9th
and
10th
centuries
AD
indicate
that
a
large
Muslim
populace
had
migrated
from
Bejasra,
Sairaf,
Amman,
Basra,
Baghdad
and
other
places
to
India,
married
Indian
women
and
settled
here.
Most
of
them
were
traders.