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References in
Khazini’s Mizan al-Hikmat indicate that Beruni
had continued his specific gravity experiments
after his advent and settlement in Ghaznah here
he had brought more of metals and liquids under
study and increased the unit mass from 100
mithqal to ‘one cubit cube’ to determine
relative weights. Recounting the history of the
water balance and its use by scientists from
early times, Khazini says in the introduction to
his book that during the rule of the ‘House of
Nasir al-Din’ (i.e. the Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud
and his successors), the balance was used with
expertise by Abu Rayhan (Beruni)
“who took
observations on the relations of (different)
metallic bodies and precious stones, one to
another, as indicated by this balance, and
carried his deductions so far as to distinguish
one from another (in a compound), exactly and
scientifically, without melting or refining by
arithmetical methods.”
This interesting
observation shows than the 6th /12th
century Central Asia, when Khazini wrote in Merv,
the practice of determining the degrees of
purity of gold by melting and refining was
common and known, though the practice was not a
scientific one. In much later times, one such
practice known as banwari which had been
developed in India by the experts in the
imperial Mint of Emperor Akbar (1556-1605 A.H.)
has been explained in detail by Abu’l Fazl in
The A'in-i-Akbari (Engl. tr. by H. Blochmann, (“Ain
6: Banwari pp. 19-20”), the Asiatic Society of
Bengal, 2nd ed. Calcutta 1927)
In Chapter IV of
the third Part, Khazini has described one of
Beruni’s experiments in Ghaznah in which he used
a cubit cube as the standard unit of
volume/weight instead of 100 mithqals as before.
Abu Rayhan
ordered a cube of brass to be made, with as much
exactness as possible and that it should be
bored on its face at two opposite angles, with
two holes, one for pouring water into it and the
other for the escape of air from it and he
weighed it in the flying balance first empty and
hollow, then filled with fresh river-water of
the city of Ghaznah……etc. etc.
Khazini took
this from Beruni’s Maqalah but he had also used
Beruni’s Kitab al-Jamahir from which he only
summarized (under Part IV, Chapter 10) Beruni’s
observations on eight precious stones. It is
also clear from the present text of K. al-Jamahir
that Beruni has not described in it any of his
experiments based on cubit cube as a unit.
However he has cited the following one result
which is based on the value of a cubit cube.
Weight of a cubit
cube of water is one nineteenth part of a
similar cube of gold (p. 204).
This was most
probably determined by him in the experiments
which he conducted in Ghaznah.
It may therefore,
be concluded that though Beruni finished
composing K. al-Jamahir during the reign of the
Ghaznavid Sultan M’udud (432-440 A.H./1040-1048
A.D.) most of his observations in it about
relative weights/volumes of metals/gemstones are
based on his early experiments of Jurjaniyah,
conducted during the years 399-407 A.H. where he
used the water of the Oxus; while his
observation about the relative weights of a
cubit cube of water and of gold is based on the
experiments which he conducted at Ghaznah
between 408 A.H. and 427 A.H. in which he used
fresh water of the Ghaznah river.
With this much
said about Kitab al-Jamahir, it is a pleasant
duty to acknowledge that publication of this
volume became possible mainly through the
courtesies and co-operation of Hakim Mohammad
Sa'id. Philanthrophist and patron of learning,
who made available a complete typescript of this
edition so that it could be printed under the
Great Books Project with which he has been
closely associated.
Islamabad,
N.A. Baloch
17 Dhu’l Qa’dah 1409 A.H.,
Project Director
22 June 1989 A.d.
&
Advisor,
Pakistan Hijra Council
Taj Joyo
Books in
English authored/edited
By: Dr. N. A.
Baloch Replica Watches
(1) A
Programme of Teacher Education for the New state
of
Pakistan:
(Ph.D Thesis): 1949, Columbia University, New
York. (Published in parts, Sindh University Educational Journal)
(2) Arts and
Crafts of the lower
Indus
Valley:
1964, Mehran Arts Council, Hyderabad.
(3) The
Musical instruments of Sindh: 1967, Mehran
Arts Council, Hyderabad.
(4)
Spanish Cante
Jondo:
It's origin in Sindh Music (by: Aziz Baloch:
English Translation & one chapter addition by;
Dr. N.A. Baloch) 1968.
(5) Kitab
Hasil-al-Nahj: (The Earliest work on
Education in the Sub-continent in Persian,
authored by: Makhdom Jaffar-al Bubakai (Distt:
Dadu). Discovered and edited with a chapter wise
summary in English by: Dr. N.A. Baloch, 1969,
Institute of
Education, Sindh University.
(6) Education in Sindh: Before the
British conquest and the Educational policies of
the British Government, 1971,Audemars Piguet Replica
Sindh
University
Press.
(7) The
Education Policy 1972:( Implications and
implementations) Edited by: Dr. N.A. Baloch.
(8)
Development of Music in Sindh: 1973, Sindh University Press.
(9) The Historical Sindh Era(Monographs):
1975.
(10)Curriculum And Teacher Education: The
volume on Muslim Education, First World
Education Conference, Makka, 1977, Edited by N.A.
Baloch jointly with M.H. Al-Affendi, published
by: Hodder and Stoughton King Abdul-Aziz
University, Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, 1980.
(11)Seminar on
the Documentation of Current History of
Pakistan:
Proceedings and Recommendations 1947-80, NIHCR,
Islamabad, 1980
(12)Advent of
Islam in
Indonesia:
1980, NIHCR, Islamabad.
(13)World of
Islam Today: Proceedings, Recommendation and
papers of the National Hijra Council on History
and Culture, July 1980, NIHCR Islamabad, 1981.
(14)Pakistan:
A Comprehensive Bibliography of Books and
Government Publications with Annotations
1947-80: Institute of
History, Culture and Civilization, Islamic University
Islamabad, 1981,
(Edited).
(15) Knowledge
for What? Proceedings and Papers of the
Hijra Seminar on Islamization of knowledge held
on 7,8,9 Rabi'al Awal 1402 H/4-6 Jan: 1982,
Institute of Education, Islamic University,
Islamabad 1982. (Edited)
(16)
Fathnama-i-Sindh: (Persian Text with
Comprehensive introduction in English,
Islamabad, Institute of
Islamic History, Culture and
civilization 1982.
(17)Beruni's
Geodical Experiment on Nandana Fort: (Distt:
Jhelum) Monographs: 1983, Islamabad.
(18)Muslim
Luminaries: Leaders of Religious
intellectual and Political Revival in
South Asia (711-1206A.D.),
National Hijra Council, Islamabad, 1988.
(Edited)
(19)Great
Books of Islamic Civilization: National
Hijra Council,
Islamabad, 1989.
(20) The
Educator speaks: thoughts of Allama I.I.
Kazi, 1989, Sindh University Press Hyderabad,
Sindh.
(21) I.I. Kazi:
Reflections on Evolution: 1992, Allama I.I.
Kazi Memorial Society, Hyderabad, Sindh.
(22) Lands of
Pakistan:
(Perspectives, historical and cultural), El.
Mashriqi Foundation, Islamabad, 1995.
(23) Sindh:
Studies in History: (A Preliminary Version),
Kalhora Seminar Committee, Karachi, 1996.
(24) Islambad:
The Capital City of Pakistan etc.
(25)Allama
I.I.Kazi: Unpublished Speeches & Writings,
1999, Allama I.I.Kazi Chair Publication,
University of
Sindh.
(26)Education
Based on Islamic Values, imperatives and
Implications: 2000, Pakistan Study Centre,
University of
Sindh.
5
Articles, Papers & Monographs:
(1) Papers on "Bolochi Literature" included in the "Cultural Heritage of
Pakistan" a work first published by the
Department of
Advertisement and Publications Govt: of
Pakistan, Karachi, 1954.
(2) "A Survey of
Traditional Cultures of Pakistan and the Impact
of Modern Development on Cultural Tradition" (A
field study prepared for UNESCO), 1956
(3) A chapter on
"Teacher Education" For National Education
Commission of Pakistan, 1960.
(4) "Folk
Literature of Pakistan": A general Survey read
at the Pakistan Folklore Seminar, Dacca, 1968.
(5) "Education in
Pakistan-1947-1970": A research survey,
published in the book "Education in South East
Asia", Sydney, Australia.
(6) "Higher
Education in Pakistan" Paper Published in
Encyclopedia of Higher Education.USA.
(7) "A North
Western Dialect of Swat-Kohistan": A paper read
at the Pakistan Oriental Conference, Dacca.
(8) "Folk Dances
of West Pakistan": A paper published in the
UNESCO sponsored journal of Traditional
Cultures, Madras, India.
(9) "Balochi
Alphabet and Transliteration": Sindh University Research Journal,
1970.
(10) "Historical
Writings on Pakistan Tradition and Progress":
Paper presented at the Congress of Pakistan
History and Culture, University of
Islamabad, April 1973.
(11) "In Search
of the Early Indus Sites". Paper presented at
the International Seminar on Mohen-jo-Daro
(1973), Published in the proceedings of the
Seminar and in Bulletin Institute of Sindhology,
Jamshoro, July 1973.
(12) "Amir Khusru's Discoure on Differntiation
in the Fundamental and Subsidiary Principles of
Music: Research Paper presented at the 700th
Anniversary of Amir Khusrau, Islamabad, 1975.
(13)"Objectives
of Curriculum in the
Pakistan Society before Colonial Rule": A
research paper published in "Arabic and Islamic
Garland. Historical, Educational and Literary
Studies", the Islamic Cultural Centre,
London, 1977.
(14)"Teacher
Education in the Muslim Society:" A paper
contributed at the First World Conference on
Muslim Education, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. 1977.
(15)"Measurement
of Space and Time in the Lower Indus Valley of
Sindh": Research Paper, presented at the Science
Conference, Islamabad. 1979.
(16) Address at
the conference on "Evolution of political
thoughts in the Muslim World" Bahauddin Zakaria
University,
Multan, 1981.
(17)"Early
Irrigation System in the Indus Valley" Paper presented at the
Sukkur Barrage Conference, Department of
Irrigation, and Government of Sindh.
(18)"World Decade
for Cultural Development": An Article published
in 1998.
(19)"The Regions
of Sindh, Baluchistan and Multan: The historical,
social and economy setting." Article printed in
the book "History of the Civilization of Central
Asia", Volume IV, Multiple History series,
UNESCO, 1998.
(20) Article on "Baluchistan" and Article on "Sindh", in the latest edition of the Encyclopaedia
Brittanica.
(21) The
Following chapters contributed to the
comprehensive historical work published by the
Pakistan Historical Society, Karachi:
(i) Pre-Islamic
period of Indian History,
(ii) The Muslim
Conquest of Sindh.
(iii) The
Ghaznavid Rule in India.
(iv) The Ghurid
conquest in India.
(22) The Advent
of Sultan Jalal al-Din Khwarizm Shah in the
Trans-Indus Territories (Present Pakistan):
published in Quarterly Journal of the Pakistan
Historical Society, Oct-Dec: 2000 (Vol:
XIVIII-No:4)
(23) Foundations
of Talpur Power, in Sindh: Hakim Mohammad Said
Memorial lecture, delivered at the 19th
Pakistan History Conference, Golden Jublee
Session, Karachi, 20 October, 2001.
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