Focusing on MEDICINE IN ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL

Farid Alakbarli AZERBAIJAN Doctor of History

Before describing the in Azerbaijan, it might be worth defining the historical and geographical boundaries of the being described.

here is the Republic of Azer­ Azerbaijan is the city of in baijan, which occupies the Dagestan, in the south it is the town Tnorthern part of the historical of Hamadan in , in the east it is region of Azerbaijan, as well as the the , while the western Iranian and Southern Azerbaijan, boundary is formed by the cities of which includes Iranian ostans (prov- Igdir and Kars in Turkey. inces) of Eastern Azer­baijan, Western LEGACY. Medicine in Azer- Azerbaijan, Ardebil and Zanjan, and baijan has an ancient history dating the ostans of Gilan, Qazvin, Hamedan back millennia [1, 2]. This is evidenced Violet from 17th century manuscript and Merkezi. Several districts of the by numerous historical and archaeo- of “Iktiyarati-Bad’i” by Ali Ibn modern Republic of were logical data. Among the findings dis- Huseyn Ansari (Zeynalabdin Attar). also part of historical Azerbaijan in the covered on the territory of Azerbaijan Collection of the Institute of past. The northern boundary of the is a human skull with traces of trepa- th Manuscripts of ANAS. historical and geographical region of nation dating back to the 6-5 millen-

52 www.irs-az.com A page from the “Canon of Medicine” manuscript by Ibn Sina (). Copied in 1143 AD. Collection of the Institute of Manuscripts of ANAS.

leek) were used in making ointments and compresses against infectious Medieval European manuscript with the image of an early diseases of skin and soft tissue [16]. European apothecary where the medicines from Avicenna’s ZOROASTRIAN MEDICINE. Infor- “Canon” were made and sold. mation about medicines and medi- cal science in primordial Azerbaijan is nia BC [3]. cine were the tree-like aloe, pome- contained in an ancient monument Back in the 4th-3rd millennia BC, the granate fruits and black henbane. A of literature of the peoples of Azer- inhabitants of ancient Azerbaijan es- liquor of the skin, flowers and root baijan and Iran, the holy book of Zo- tablished close contacts with ancient bark of the pomegranate was known roastrians (1st millennium BC). Sumer and Akkad. A powerful Gutian as a good remedy for diarrhea. In fact, While assessing the role of Avesta in tribal alliance emerged during that pomegranate skin is still used in Azer- our culture, it must be remembered period and established its dominion baijan with the same purpose. Exten- that Azerbaijan was one of the cen- over all of for a hundred sive use of saffron in Azerbaijan’s folk ters of Zoroastrian religion. In fact, the years [21]. There was active cultural ex- medicine also dates back to the medi- main fire worshipping temple, Azer- change between the tribes of ancient cine of ancient Sumer and Babylon. In gushnasp, a “Vatican” for the followers Azerbaijan and Mesopotamians over the , saffron was used as a of Zoroaster around the world, was the hundred years. During this period, tonic improving the appetite [15]. located in the town of Gazaka (Shiz) the Gutian aristocracy was introduced The inhabitants of ancient Azer- in Southern Azerbaijan. Almost all an- to Sumerian and Akkadian medical baijan also imported sesame oil from cient and medieval sources describe texts, while residents of Mesopotamia Sumer. In fact, the modern scientific Azerbaijan as the birthplace of Proph- imported medicinal plants from alpine name of this plant, Sesamum, is de- et Zarathustra [24]. meadows of Azerbaijan. rived from Sumerian shem-shem or The Avesta suggests that back in of those days widely sem-sem. Sesame was used as a laxa- the 1st millennium BC ancient Azer- used pine and fir needles for poultices tive and styptic. Also imported were baijanis already had some knowledge and compresses. It was believed that the fruits of date palms – their stones of anatomy. The spine was considered the compresses absorb the pus and were used against worms. Vegetables the “pillar and source of life” where heal the wounds. Also used in medi- of the onions family (garlic, onion and sperm was produced. Paramount www.irs-az.com 53 Focusing on Azerbaijan i­mportance was attached to the bone a source of life and health, its first vo- air”, incenses such as myrrh and frank- marrow, which was considered the tary was considered the first . incense were burned and aromatic seat of life. Medicine in Avesta is de- It was believed that the divine compounds of roses, violets and other fined as the art of keeping the body plant of Haoma (it is still not known plants sprinkled in rooms [3]. in good health. The main methods of for sure what particular herb was Any corpse was considered un- treatment were psychotherapy, herb- in question) grows only in Azer- clean and it was forbidden to touch al medicines and . The Avesta baijan. Ninth century Central Asian it. Dead bodies were isolated in spe- says, “Doctors have three weapons: scholar Abu Rayhan al-Biruni wrote, cial burial structures called Towers of the word, herbs and a knife.” The doc- “Mags believe that this plant does Silence, where only priests wearing tor treating people with the word was not have a stalk. It grows in Azerbai- special gloves and masks could enter. considered the best [5]. jan in places no-one can access” [4]. This limited the spread of pathogens According to the Avesta, the first “Mags” were a hereditary caste of and substantially reduced the scale of physician on Earth was Trita who in- Zoroastrian priests from the Me- epidemic [6]. vented first antidotes and drugs and dian tribe of Mag who were also SYNTHESIS OF EASTERN AND engaged in treatment. The word GREEK MEDICINE. Medicine of ancient “magician” entered European lan- Azerbaijan affected the development guages from the Median language. of science in ancient Greece. The PREVENTION OF DISEASE. At a time teaching of (4th century

when mankind knew nothing about BC) that the world consists of four el- germs, the ancestors of ements (fire, air, land and water) was had a very basic idea of the invisible borrowed from ancient Azerbaijanis Human skeleton in the manuscript of causal agents. It was believed that the and Iranians [7, 8, 9, 13, 22]. Similarly, “Risaleyi-Tashrih” By Mansur ibn small disease-causing particles are cre- the Greeks borrowed from the peo- Muhammad. Copied on 17th AD and ated and distributed by the god of evil ples of the East the idea that the hu- in 1143 AD. Collection of the Institute Angra Mainyu (Ahriman) who created man body consists of four elements: of Manuscripts of ANAS. 99,999 illnesses. Therefore, everyone mucus, bile, black bile and blood. was obliged to fight disease, insanita- Later, this doctrine became known tion and other evils. Zoroastrians at- as ’s theory of humorism. Well- developed basic methods of treat- tached great importance to personal known German Orientalist Gustave E. ment, including surgery. According . In the 4th century BC, pollu- von Grunebaum pointed to the role to a legend, omniscient God Ahura tion of water sources, wells, rivers and of in the development Mazda (Ohrmuzd) sent him from soil was considered a felony punish- of ancient Greek civilization, saying heaven 10,000 medicinal plants that able by death in Atropathena (South- that Eastern wisdom perceived by the used to grow around the tree of eter- ern Azerbaijan). Government officials Greeks and Byzantines “was based on nal life. Trita was also considered one closely monitored the state of the universal human accord and was first of the first votaries of Haoma (ritual environment. To improve the micro- proclaimed by Zoroaster to the Me- drink). Since Haoma was perceived as climate and fight against “unhealthy dians, Persians and other peoples of

54 www.irs-az.com . It affirms the supremacy of the intellect and the development of sci- ences” [22]. Ancient Greeks also borrowed many medicines from the ancestors of Azerbaijanis. In the Hellenistic pe- riod, many Greek doctors worked on the territory of the Media (ancient Azerbaijan). These included Erazistrat (4th century. BC), a Greek physician from the Egyptian city of Alexandria who frequently visited Ecbatana, the capital of Great Media, to study East- ern medicine. It was at Alexandria Academy that ancient Greek medi- cine was enriched with elements bor- rowed from the medical practices of the East [3]. ANCIENT TURKIC MEDICINE. The ancestors of Azerbaijanis, the Oguz Turks, used many wild plants for me- dicinal purposes. In Turkic drugs were called “ota” (from the word “ot”, i.e. herb). Traditional healers, who were Picture of a pharmacist collecting fruit from the Balm Tree. Miniature from the considered custodians of medical manuscript of “Iktiyarati-Bad’i” by Ali Ibn Huseyn Ansari (Zeynalabdin Attar). knowledge and tradition, were called Collection of the Institute of Manuscripts of ANAS. “Otachi”, i.e. herbalists. Turkic epic “The Book of Dada Gorgud” describes a then it entered the mother’s womb. hand by medieval calligraphers be- scene when a wounded soldier was This is how the main character of tween the 9th and 13th centuries [3]. treated with herbs. “A mountain flow- epic legends, shaman and healer Gor- IBN SINA AND AZERBAIJAN. Some er and mother’s milk will heal your gud, describes his birth in one of the of the most valuable medical manu- wound,” Gorgud said. “As soon as he myths: “I came out of the flower, got scripts of our institute include the said these words, 40 slender maid- into my mother’s womb and was born “Canon of Medicine” by Ibn Sina. Writ- ens ran towards the mountain and from a gray-eyed div (a supernatural ten in 1030, it is rightfully considered plucked flowers... The flowers were being from fairytales)” [18]. to be the encyclopedia of medical mixed with milk and applied to the MIDDLE AGES – GOLDEN AGE OF knowledge and the most famous book young man’s wound ...” [12]. AZERBAIJANI MEDICINE. Medical sci- in the history of medicine. Ibn Sina has Although the epic was first record- ence in Azerbaijan experienced its visited Azerbaijan several times and ed in the Middle Ages, it dwells upon heyday in the Islamic period, i.e. after written most of this fundamental re- pre-Islamic times and the pagan past the 8th century. Numerous medical search in the city of Hamadan located of the Azerbaijani people. Azerbaijani manuscripts created in Azerbaijan in near the borders of Southern (Iranian) Turks revered and deified plants and this period have survived to the pres- Azerbaijan and populated mostly by commonly worshiped the goddess of ent day. The Institute of Manuscripts Azerbaijani Turks. Long before our water, grass and trees Oleng, who was of the Azerbaijan National Academy era Hamadan (Hagmatana in Median considered the wife of sky god Tengri of Sciences (ANAS) is a true treasury and Ecbatana in ancient Greek) was or a goddess equal to him. Oleng was where centuries-old cultural heritage the capital of Great Media, a state believed to be the patroness of doc- of our people has been carefully pre- that played a huge role in the history tors, mothers and young children. In served. The Institute has one of the of Iran and Azerbaijan. Ibn Sina con- early spring, Turks staged lavish cel- world’s richest collections of medieval ducted his research in different parts ebrations to honor the goddess, dur- manuscripts. About 400 ancient trac- of Azerbaijan. In “Canon”, he notes that ing which they burnt wormwood and tates pertaining to the medical field he was sent by the ruler of Hamadan other herbs. Ever since ancient times are stored there in Azeri, , Farsi to the town of Saburhast in Southern Turks believed that the soul of a child and other languages. All these invalu- Azerbaijan to check the quality of wa- was born in a plant or flower, and only able manuscripts were re-written in ter there [11]. www.irs-az.com 55 Focusing on Azerbaijan

The manuscript of “Canon” stored called “Jam al-Baghdadi” (The Maraga in Southern Azerbaijan, was a in was re-written in 1143, slight- Collection). The book was considered talented physician of the late 18th cen- ly over 100 years after the book was to be the best source of knowledge tury. This extant fundamental research written. It is one of the oldest extant on and was known “Muаlijаti-munfarid” dwells upon manuscript of Avicenna, therefore it throughout the from the treatment of almost all diseases is considered the most accurate and Morocco to . Other renowned known at the time and describes hun- reliable [3]. physicians of Southern Azerbaijan dreds of medicinal plants [14]. MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF were Muhammad ibn Namvar Tabrizi DOCTOR FROM ERIVAN. Another . Shirvan was one of Azer- (12th century), Mahmud ibn Ilyas (14th), famous 18th century Azerbaijani physi- baijan’s northern provinces the ma- Murtuza Gulu Shamlu (17th), Abul- cian was Hаjı Suleymаn Qаjаr Iravаni, jor cities which were , Baku a native of Erivan (Yerevan at present). and Derbent. In the 18th century, At the time, Erivan (Revan accord- Hasan ibn Riza Shirvani released an ing to some sources) was part of the encyclopedia on pharmacology Safavid state and an administrative called Siraj at-Tibb (Light of Medi- center of the Chukhur-Saad governor- cine). The book contains recipes of ship. Subsequently, Erivan became hundreds of potions, powders and the capital of the Erivan Khanate. The pills used for various diseases [19]. city, populated mostly by Azerbaijani The medieval manuscript called Turks at the time, produced a number Tibbname (Medical Book), also writ- of scientists and artists, among them ten in Shirvan, is a truly priceless res- Hаjı Suleymаn Qаjаr Iravаni, author ervoir of knowledge on Azerbaijani of a medical research called “Favaid . In 1711 or 1712, al-Hikmat” (Benefits of Wisdom). Hаjı the book was re-written in hand by Suleymаn belonged to an ancient Tur- Muhammad Yusif Shirvani, who was kic family of Qajar, whose representa- a physician for well-known Shirvan tives occupied the Iranian throne and magnate Lutfali bey. The concise ruled many Azerbaijani khanates be- medical encyclopedia provides infor- tween the late 18th and early 20th cen- mation on the treatment of virtually all turies. His numerous manuscripts are diseases known at the time. The book stored not only in Baku but also in Iran is written in a simple and understand- and Egypt [10]. able Turkic (Azerbaijani) language. HEALERS. Azerbaijan’s Here are several recipes from this in- most prominent 16th century doctor teresting manuscript: “To eat fresh was Yousif Karabagi, who was referred leaves of balm, inhale their fragrance to by his contemporaries as the “Great or drink a decoction is very good Teacher”. Yousif Karabagi was born for tachycardia ... If you regularly eat in Karabakh, but conducted most of leaves of jasmine shredded with sugar, his scientific research in this will invigorate your ... Adding A page from the 18th century Ottoman where he was a teacher at a Samar- saffron to your food strengthens the collection of medical treatises with the kand medrese. Yousif Karabagi has heart, aids digestion, removes the veil common name “Rasaile-Mushfiyya li written many medical tractates, as well from the eyes and improves vision. But amraz al-Mushkulat”. Collection of as the “Explanation and interpretation don’t abuse it either... If your joints are the Institute of Manuscripts of ANAS. of Ibn Sina’s Canon of Medicine”[3]. sore, you should boil some turnip and By the early 19th century, the capi- rub it into the sore spot. If you chew tal of the , the city several leaves of blackberry, it will re- hasan Maragayi (18th), etc. Murtuza of , became one of Azerbaijan’s move all sores in the mouth...” [20]. Gulu Shamlu wrote a book called “Hir- major cultural centers. A well-known MEDICINE IN SOUTHERN AZERBAIJAN. ga” (Sufi rags), which describes ways of doctor from Shusha, Akhund Other famous medieval doctors in- treating sexual diseases. Murtuza Gulu Sadig Latif oglu Latifov (died 1901), clude the outstanding scholar, a native himself came from a noble Turkic fam- studied medicine from renowned of the town of Hoi in Southern (Ira- ily and was not only a scientist but also healer Abulhasan Hekimbashi in nian) Azerbaijan, Yusif ibn Ismail Hoyi, a statesman. In 1678, he was the ruler (Southern Azerbaijan). After also known under the pseudonym of of in Southern Azerbaijan [3]. returning to Shusha, Mirza Sadig be- Ibn Kabir. In 1311, he wrote a book Abulhasan Maragayi, born in came one of the best-known doc-

56 www.irs-az.com tors in the whole of Azerbaijan [17]. contacts greco-iraniens. La Persia Arabic). Well-known Azerbaijani doctor and e il mondo greco-romano. Roma, 12. Kitabi-Dada Gorgud (The Book scientist Mammadgulu Karabagi Gai- 1966 of My Grandfather Gorgud). Ed. bov (1818-1879) also came from Shu- 8. Duchesne-Guillemin J. Heraclitus Hamid Arasli. Baku, Ganjlik, 1977, sha, the capital of the Karabakh khan- and Iran. History of religions, No 3 p.27 (in Azeri). ate. Mirza Mammadgulu Karabagi was (1), 1963 13. Koster W. Le mythe de Platon, the personal physician of the Kara- 9. Duchesne-Guillemin J. The West- de Zarathustra et des chaldeens. bakh ruler, poetess Khurshud Banu ern Response to Zoroaster. Ox- Leiden, 1971 Natavan. He had a collection of over ford, 1958 14. Marаgаyi, Abulhasan. Muаlijаti- 150 books of medieval manuscripts 10. Hаjı Suleymаn Qаjаr Iravаni. Favаid munfarida (Selected Treatments). on medicine [17]. The manuscript from the collec- Ancient Eastern medicine was tion of Baku’s Institute of Manu- widely practiced in Azerbaijan up until scripts. No B 2490/4115 (in Per- the establishment of Soviet rule. De- sian) spite the fact that elements of western 15. Muhammad Mumin. Tuhfat al- (European) medicine began to enter Muminin (Gift of True Believers). Azerbaijan in the early 19th century, The manuscript from the collec- the vast majority of people continued tion of Baku’s Institute of Manu- to use the services of local doctors. scripts. No. M 243/3747, p.3 (in Persian). REFERENCES 16. Oppenheim, Leo. Ancient Meso- 1. Alakbarov F.U. (Alakbarli Farid). potamia. Chicago: The University Aromatic Baths of Ancients. Herb- of Chicago Press, 1968 alGram. The Journal of the Ameri- 17. Shahla Mikailova. Pharmacy in can Botanical Council and the Ancient and Medieval Azerbaijan. Herb Research Foundation. #57, Baku, 2000, s.29 (in Azeri) 2003, pp.23-32 18. Seyidov, Mirali. Origins of the Azer- 2. Alakbarli Farid. Systematic Analy- baijani Mythological Thought. sis of Animals used in Medieval Baku, Azerneshr, 1988, pp.14-46 Azerbaijan Medicine. Vesalius. Of- (in Azeri). ficial journal of the International 19. Shirvani, Hasan ibn Riza. Siraj Society for the History of Medi- at-Tibb (Light of Religion). The cine (-London), 2006, XII, I, 3, manuscript from the collection of pp.18-22 Baku’s Institute of Manuscripts. (in 3. Alakbarli Farid. Medical Manu- Persian) scripts of Azerbaijan. Baku, Heydar 20. Shirvani, Muhammad Yusif. Aliyev Foundation, 2006 Tibbname (The Book of Medi- 4. al-Biruni’s Book on Pharmacy and cine). The manuscript from the Materia Medica. Edited with Eng- collection of Baku’s Institute of lish translation by Hakim Moham- Another page from the 18th century Manuscripts. No. C 541, p. 43 (in- med Said, Printed under the aus- Ottoman collection of medical treatises Azeri Turkish) pices of Hamdard National Foun- with the common name “Rasaile- 21. Thureau-Dangin. La fin de la dom- dation, Pakistan, Karachi, 1973 Mushfiyya li amraz al-Mushkulat”. ination Gutienne. RA, IX, 1912. 5. Avesta. Translated by James Collection of the Institute of 22. von Grunebaum, G.E. Classical Is- Darmesteter. From Sacred Books Manuscripts of ANAS. lam: A History 600-1258, George of the East, American Edition, Allen & Unwin Limited, 1970. New York, the Christian Literature al-Hikmat (Cream of Wisdom). The 23. West M.L. Early Greek Philosophy Company, 1898. manuscript from the collection of and the . Oxford, 1971 6. Boyce, Mary, Zoroastrians: Their Baku’s Institute of Manuscripts. No 24. Yakut al-Hamawi. Mujam al-Bul- Religious Beliefs and Practices. B 559/2394 (in Persian). dan (Alphabetical List of Coun- London: Routledge and Kegan 11. Ibn Sina, Abu Ali. Al-Qanun fi-t- tries). Cairo, 1906 (in Arabic) Paul, 1979 Tibb (Canon of Medicine). The 7. Duchesne-Guillemin J. manuscript from the collection of D’Anaximandre a Empedocle: Baku’s Institute of Manuscripts (in www.irs-az.com 57