Andalusī, Ṣāʻid ibn Aḥmad, Semaʻan I. Salem, and Alok Kumar. Science in the Medieval World: Book of the Categories of Nations. 1st ed. History of Science Series, no. 5. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1991.
Overview:
During the Middle Ages, a thriving center for learning and research was Muslim Spain, where students gathered to consult Arabic manuscripts of earlier scientific works and study with famous teachers. One of these teachers was Sa’id al-Andalusi, who in 1068 wrote Kitab Tabaqat al-‘Umam, or ‘Book of the Categories of Nations,’ which recorded the contributions to science of all known nations. Today, it is one of few surviving medieval Spanish Muslim texts, and this is its first English translation.
Guiding Questions:
- How does the book reflect the broader social and cultural dynamics of the medieval Islamic world, including the influence of Greek, Persian, and Indian medical traditions?
- What is the relationship between medical knowledge and other forms of knowledge, such as philosophy, theology, and natural science, in the book and in the broader intellectual traditions of the Islamic world?
- How does the book contribute to our understanding of the transmission and dissemination of medical knowledge across different regions and cultures during the medieval period?
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Andalusī, Ṣāʻid ibn Aḥmad, Semaʻan I. Salem, and Alok Kumar. Science in the Medieval World: Book of the Categories of Nations. 1st ed. History of Science Series, no. 5. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1991.
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Ibn Battuta: Travels in Asia and Africa 1325-1354. Translated and selected by H.A.R. Gibb. Edited by Sir E. Denison Ross and Eileen Power. (New York: Robert M. McBride & Company,)
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