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The Book of Animals by Al-Jahiz - 9th Century
by Meam Wye
The Book of Animals ('Kitab al-Hayawan'), written by Al-Jahiz in the 9th century, is one of his most famous works. It is a seven volume book, described by many as an encyclopedia, that mentions over 350 varieties of animals. This book is most famous for describing the theory of evolution about 1000 years before Charles Darwin.
The 'Book of Animals' is quite unique as it has both lierarary as well as scientific value. The book contains anthology of animal anecdotes, proverbs and poetry and is considered a fine example of arabic prose. At the same time, the 'Book of animals' is famous for the following scientific contributions:
- First known scientific attempt of classification of animals.
- First description of the concept of food chain giving detailed examples.
- Discussion of the social behavior, psychology and degree of intelligence in animals.
- First description of the theory of biological evolution that beame foundation for many later theories. He based his theory of evolution on three mechanisms: Struggle for Existence, Transformation of Species into each other and Environmental Factors.
"Animals engage in a struggle for existence [and] for resources, to avoid being eaten and to breed.... Environmental factors influence organisms to develop newcharacteristics to ensure survival, thus transforming into new species. Animals that survive to breed can pass on their successful characteristics to [their] offspring."
Consequently, this book had a great influence on later scientists including Darwin.According to Historian Dr.Mehmet Bayrakdar:
"Indeed, Darwan and his precursors took up the theory of al-Jahiz as the base for the essentiality of their evolutionary theories and they formulated it in a more scientific way in the context of eighteenth and nineteenth centuries development of science."
Image from The Book of Animals of al-Jahiz. Arabian Ostrich
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September 6, 2009 3:40 PM
Very interesting article, Meam. Wouldn't it be a joy to be able to wander through a library of this great man's books (in English translation for me) and dive into them to explore his thinking and how his mind worked? You do me and others a tremendous service bringing people like al-Jahiz to light. Thank you.
September 6, 2009 5:54 PM
Thank you very much for your wonderful comments that are a source of encouragement for me. English translations of some the medieval works are available but I couldn't find any complete English translation of, except the excerpts, of 'Book of Animals'. However, his book of humorous fiction 'The book of Misers' is available from Amazon (English translation by R. B. Serjeant.
September 9, 2009 6:46 PM
I share Mr. Polley's sentiments about bringing great authors to light. Thank you, Meam, for the introduction to this author's work.
On the subject of authors, I must compliment your gift for the written word. Your articles are well organized, beautifully crafted and obviously based on research rather than citations. In short, they are a joy to read.
Well done, Meam. Well done.
September 9, 2009 7:06 PM
Thank you so much for stopping by and for your appreciation :)
September 11, 2009 10:06 AM
Meam--this was such an interesting article--very well written and I learned so much. Thank you!
Melinda
September 11, 2009 10:20 AM
Glad to know that you found it interesting. Thanks a lot!
September 11, 2009 12:43 PM
Really an awsome post...
September 11, 2009 12:57 PM
Thanks :)
September 13, 2009 7:53 AM
It amazes me that Al-Jahiz wrote a book describing the theory of evolution about 1000 years before Charles Darwin and I have never heard his name before (you) here in the west. It seems really unfair of history and typical.
September 13, 2009 8:21 AM
True. Bitter, sad but true.
September 14, 2009 5:31 AM
Great post. Another great article. Keep posting for me friend :)
September 28, 2009 9:22 AM
Thanks :)
October 26, 2009 2:21 AM
it is an informative post...
October 17, 2011 2:42 AM
has anyone verified the story about the National Library and the Jahiz book that was checked out by Darwin? ... I ask because it would make one hell of a story ...
Daniel
October 25, 2011 3:30 AM
Not yet. Still waiting...
November 26, 2011 3:00 PM
Very informative sadly bit little to read :( however i enjoyed every single word you have written. All i wanted to know, how much can i trust on this info. Will be very glad to hear or read from you.
Keep the good work going.
November 27, 2011 8:23 PM
Welcome to the blog :) I try my best to put only authentic info. I intend to provide list of references when I write a book. If you are interested in scholarly-type articles on this topic, then you might find the following site interesting: http://www.muslimheritage.com
Thanks for your feedback.