Science·Abbasid
Death of al-Biruni in Ghazni
- Date
- December 1048 CE440 AH978 years ago
- Place
- Ghazni, Ghaznavid Empire
- People
- Al-Biruni, Mahmud of Ghazni
Abu Rayhan al-Biruni died in Ghazni, in present-day Afghanistan, in December 1048. He wrote on astronomy, geography, mathematics and medicine. His book on India, Tahqiq ma li-l-Hind, describes Indian religion, science and customs in detail. He also estimated the radius of the Earth from observations made on a hilltop.
Why it matters
His book on India is one of the earliest detailed accounts of Indian society written by a Muslim scholar.