ASTROLOGY, ASTRONOMY, AND MEDICINE IN HAMDANIDS

Abstract

From the 10th century onwards, the impoverishment of the Abbasids' political authority over the decentralized cities resulted in cities with long-established cultural and scientific backgrounds, such as Mosul and Aleppo, falling into the hands of local chiefs. The Hamdanids, taking advantage of this impoverishment of the Abbasids, captured cities such as Mosul and Aleppo, and continued the cultural and scientific heritage in these cities, thus enabling further process. Together with the Hamdanids, positive and religious sciences gained new momentum in the cities of Mosul and Aleppo, and the Hamdanid chiefs provided gifts, salaries, and incentives for the advancement of these sciences. This study focuses on the importance that the Hamdanids gave to astrology, astronomy and medicine, and covers the incentives provided by them. The study also gives an overview of the major scholars of the period and their works.