Skip to main content

Secondary sourceBook31 May 1888

Review of Al-Bīrūnī's India (Nature, 1888)

31 May 1888

A short 1888 review of Eduard Sachau's 1887 edition of Al-Biruni's account of India. It is a later assessment of the figure's work.

A later review of Al-Biruni's India, showing how his account was received by European readers.

Ask Al-Biruni about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Review of Al-Bīrūnī's India (Nature, 1888)
Review of Al-Bîrûnî's India, edited by Eduard Sachau, Thursday 31 May 1888. Scanned PDF, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This is a short journal review dated Thursday, 31 May 1888. It discusses Al-Biruni's India, an account of religion, philosophy, literature, chronology, astronomy, customs, law and astrology of India about A.D. 1030. The work was edited in the Arabic original by Eduard Sachau and published in London in 1887. The opening text is taken from a scanned PDF on the Internet Archive, and the catalogue record gives no further description of its content.

Why it matters

The review begins by noting a common view that India had no history and no historians. It says that outside accounts from Greeks, Chinese and Arabs give the only glimpses of Indian history. Al-Biruni's book is presented as one of those rare Arabic accounts, so the review shows how European readers in 1888 valued it as a source.

Look closer

  • Why does the reviewer say India had no history, and whom does this claim come from?
  • Which outside peoples does the review name as sources on India?
  • What might a reviewer in 1888 have missed about India's own traditions?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Al-Biruni on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Al-Biruni sources

Meet the AI Al-Biruni →
Title page of 'Alberuni's India', an English edition by Dr. Edward C. Sachau, Vol. I, London, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1910. Includes a line drawing of a seated multi-armed Hindu deity holding objects, with a subtitle about religion, philosophy, astrology and customs of India about A.D. 1030.Book

Primary source

Al-Biruni's India

Al-Biruni · c. 1030

Manuscript miniature painting of a scene with a central figure in white robes and a black cloak, a bearded man in a blue robe and white turban placing his hand on the central figure's arm, and other turbaned figures standing around in a landscape with stylized clouds and trees, with an Arabic inscription band below.Book

Primary source

The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries

Al-Biruni · c. 1000, illustrated copy 1307-1308

Hand-drawn diagram from a manuscript showing the Sun at right and the Moon at left orbiting Earth at center. Red lines show sunlight; eight small moon discs show phases, lit in red and dark in black. Arabic-script labels and text appear below and beside.Artifact

Primary source

Diagram of the Phases of the Moon

Al-Biruni

Circular hand-drawn map in Arabic script showing a ring-shaped ocean enclosing land masses, with the words Al-Muhit al-Shamali at the bottom and Janub at the top. Below the map is a block of Arabic handwritten text in several lines.Artifact

Primary source

Al-Biruni's World Map of the Distribution of Land and Sea

Al-Biruni · 1029

Two facing pages of an old Arabic manuscript in brown ink with red headings. The left page has a red and black diagram of concentric circles with labels. The right page is dense handwritten text in columns.Book

Primary source

Page from the Oldest Manuscript of the Tafhim

Al-Biruni

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Al-Biruni now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions