THE RISE OF ARABIC TRANSLATION

          The Amayyed caliphs who reigned at Damascus from 661 to 750 did little to adva-
ce the process of culture but there is  some
evidence that the first medical astronomic-
al and alchemical translation  were  made
during their rule . Philosophical translation
must have started during this period also .

          With the succession of the Abbaside in
750 the capital of Muslims empires to Bagh-
dad and the first known translation of Indi-
an Greek works on medicine astronomy an-
d mathematics date from the reign of al-ma-
nsour (754-775) the second member of the
dynasty . But it was al-Mansor,s greet grand
son . al-Mamum (813-933) who made the m-
ost systematic attempt to aquire and transl-
te the chiefs works of Greek Philosophy and
science.He founded at Baghdad in 980 The -
House of Wisdom a centre of research and
translation. It first head was the court phys-
ician and scholar Yuhanaa bin massawayh-
teacher of hunian Bin Ishak who died in873
.
          Hunayn was the greatest scholar in th-
e entire history of the transaction moveme -
nt in Islam. He placed translation on a soun-
d scientific footing.

          The group of scholar who worked un-
der his supervision included his son Ishak,
his nephew Hubaysh and his disciple Isa Bi-
n Yahya . Hunayan's medical and philosoph-
ical translation were made in  accordance
With the highest standards of philosophical
criticism and analysis. Hunayn and his tea-
m were able to translate into Arabic the co-
plate medical works of Hippocrates and Ga-
Len (The Alexandria physicians and phylo- sophers ) and almost all of Aristotle and we-
re responsible well for most of the Arabic
translation of Plato's work..

         by Mr Mohammed Matbaq

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