The scholar Alberuni, who came to India during Mahmud Ghaznavi’s invasion of India, wrote which important text?
Alberuni, a brilliant Persian scholar who accompanied Mahmud, wrote Kitab ul-Hind, an extraordinary study of Indian culture, religion, science, and social systems. His work is one of the earliest scientific and objective accounts of India. Alberuni’s detailed observations make this text extremely valuable for understanding early medieval Indian society and knowledge systems.
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Alberuni came to India during Mahmud Ghaznavi’s time and spent years studying Indian society with curiosity and respect. Unlike other medieval writers, he learned Sanskrit to understand Indian scientific and religious texts directly. His book Kitab-ul-Hind describes India’s geography, mathematics, astronomy, social customs, caste system, and religious beliefs. Alberuni often compared Indian knowledge with Greek, Persian, and Islamic traditions, making his work highly analytical. He admired India’s intellectual achievements but also pointed out social issues like rigid caste divisions. His writing remains one of the most reliable historical sources for understanding early medieval India from an outsider’s perspective.