Sunday, January 29, 2017

The Rise and Fall of the Bayt-al-Hikmah

http://www.thehindu.com/books/The-rise-and-fall-of-the-Bayt-al-Hikmah/article17103267.eceA

The Rise and Fall of the Bayt-al-Hikmah
Mini Krishnan 
Within 25 years of the death of their Prophet, the Arabs conquered the whole of Persia, Syria, Armenia, and a bit of Central Asia. In the east, they reached the Indus river and Sindh. In the west, they swept across Egypt and northern Africa, crossed the seas and landed at Gibraltar. In time, Spain too fell.
They were soon in possession of a different kind of power. In 751 AD, they captured Chinese paper-makers. This knowledge changed the nature of how writing was shared and stored. When the strongest people in the world saw the importance of establishing libraries, learning sprang up everywhere in their footsteps. Muslims were the first people to show an interest in translating manuscripts and scrolls from cultures other than theirs. Popularly known as the knowledge empire of the caliphs, there followed a history of 500 years of Islamic library building. By the ninth century, scholars in Cordoba and Spain were corresponding with their counterparts in Cairo, Bokhara, Samarkand and Baghdad. Baghdad! Persian for “gift from God”!
Baghdad was born in 762 AD. Caliph Mansur, whose empire stretched from India to the Atlantic, sailed up and down the Tigris looking for a place to call home. He finally settled on a spot and shifted his capital from Damascus to Baghdad. He united many intellectual centres and employed scholars to carry out research and translate the world into Arabic. Interestingly, most of the translations into Arabic were done by writers whose first language was not Arabic.
The Abbasid Caliphs supported schools of Syrian, Greek, Persian, Jewish, Hindu and Armenian translators. In their time, it was easy for intellectuals and scholars to make a living. An academic life was a sign of status, and legendary translators were paid the weight of their work in gold. Rare scrolls and ancient texts were preferred war booty. For instance, Ptolemy’s Almaget was claimed as a condition for peace after a war between the Abbasids and the Byzantine Empire. Baghdad gained reputation as one of the world’s most cultured places and its storytellers, scientists, artists and scholars translated most of what was known to the ancient world.
The buying of manuscripts began when a mathematical work from Sanskrit (Bramhasphuta Siddhanta) was translated into Arabic in the 8th century. Scholars were told to go anywhere in the world and name any price to collect manuscripts on astronomy, medicine, philosophy and the natural sciences. Arab intelligence spread across the world even more swiftly and dramatically than Greek had a thousand years before, and had a great effect upon the human mind and upon the destiny of the world. And nearly all of this energy came from one city.
In 830 AD, Al-Mamun, son of Harun-al-Rashid, established Bayt al-Hikmah, the House of Wisdom, to preserve manuscripts. Anyone could enter the House so long as they were genuine users of the library. Translators, scientists, scribes, authors, men of letters, writers, copyists and others met here every day for co-translation, dialogue and discussion. Manuscripts on various scientific subjects were prepared in collaboration, and translated into and from different languages.
The walls rang with Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Greek and Latin and occasionally Sanskrit. Aristotelian logic, cosmology, the nature of the universe, medicine and mathematics were all created out of an alloy of Arabic-Greek-Persian-Indian minds. Without the archiving and research that was conducted in the House of Wisdom and later translated into Latin in Cordoba and Toledo, much ancient knowledge would have been lost to the world.
We are two weeks away from a tragic anniversary.
On February 10, 1258, the Mongol, Hulagu Khan, fulfilled his grandfather Genghis Khan’s ambition and sacked the city of Baghdad, ignoring the Caliph’s message that any aggression against Baghdad would move the entire Muslim world against them. This gift from God, this centre of translation, this city filled with treasures of the mind was plundered and set ablaze. Thousands of students, physicians and scholars lost their lives. Since the Caliph was considered royalty, the Mongols killed him without spilling blood. He was bundled up in a carpet and trampled to death by horses.
The Mongols ransacked palaces, homes and 36 libraries. Bayt-al-Hikmah was destroyed in a matter of days. It is reported that the River Tigris ran red with the blood of the dead and then black from the ink of manuscripts. Along with the library went all astronomical observatories and other experimental endeavours not to mention the largest translation department ever known to man.
Ironically, the descendants of Hulagu Khan later turned to Islam and learnt to value art and learning.
minioup@gmail.com
(Courtesy: The Hindu dated 29th January 2017)

Thursday, January 19, 2017

JALLIKATTU - an age old tradition and culture.

The unprecedented revolutionary protests of students and youngsters going on since three days in different parts of Tamil Nadu demanding the removal of ban on Jallikattu have given pleasant surprise to the people everywhere in India and abroad particularly in Tamil Nadu. Protests are being held even abroad to extend support to Jallikattu. There is a strong feeling among the people that their sentiments are not respected in the matter of Jallikattu. They also demand a ban on the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) which was instrumental in bringing the ban on Jallikattu. It is a controversial American animal rights organisation founded in 1980.

Many of the protesters have blamed both the Tamil Nadu and Central governments for the present tension. The meeting of the honourable Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr. O. Panneerselvam with the honourable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has not been successful in this regard. The Prime Minister has said he appreciated the cultural significance of Jallikattu for the people of Tamil Nadu, but indicated that the Centre was unable to promulgate an ordinance. 

The protesters say that they will continue their protests till their demand is met and Jallikattu is allowed by removing the ban by an ordinance. They hold the governments at the Centre and in the Tamil Nadu state responsible for the present state of affairs in Tamil Nadu. 

The present revolution has created an awakening among the youngsters. They have proved that they are not just fun loving people but also matured ones capable of going to the rescue of the people and safeguarding their tradition and culture.  Though lakhs of people are protesting  in Tamil Nadu no untoward incident has taken place. Undoubtedly it shows their discipline and maturity which is appreciated by all.

There is an urgent need for a permanent solution. All including legal luminaries feel that the honourable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi can solve the problem. It is also necessary that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr. Panneerselvam should talk to him again and make a strong representation in favour of Jallikattu explaining  what is going on in Tamil Nadu and see to it that the ban on Jallikattu is removed.

One feels that the present awakening among the youngsters is a historic one, never witnessed before. It is the strength of our democracy.

                                                                                          V. M. Khaleelur Rahman

Monday, January 2, 2017

CHENNAI LEATHER MARKET - JANUARY 2017



CHANNAI LEATHER MARKET

V.M. Khaleelur Rahman

 Chennai leather market is yet to recover from the unfavourable impact of demonetisation of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 currency notes. Local activities are very slow in all items of leather. Tanners and exporters find it difficult to carry on their business. Tannery and factory workers are running to ATMs after working hours to withdraw cash. In some shoe factories like Farida Shoes tokens of provision stores worth Rs.1000 and Rs.500 are given to employees to enable them to get the necessary provisions like rice, wheat flour etc. Production has been reduced in many tanneries. Even shoe shops in the popular Periamet area are not getting enough business. It is the case elsewhere also. Cash crunch is felt everywhere. Suppliers of raw hides and skins, chemicals, shoe materials etc. are not able to get their payments on time.

E.I. Tanned Goat Skins are sold at around the following prices:

Grain selection 4/6 sq. ft. Run and Fifth combined Rs.58
5/8 sq. ft. Run Rs.72, 5/8 sq. ft. Suede Rs.50, 4/6 sq. ft. Suede Rs.46, 3/4 sq. ft. Suede Rs.35
3/4 sq. ft. Heel Grip Rs.30, 5/8 sq. ft. Lining Rs.47, 4/7 sq. ft. Lining Rs.41, Flesh Mesh RS.33
Grain Mesh Rs.25, Rejection Rs.17, Langda Rs.125 per kg., K/Langda Rs.90 per kg.
Kids –Lot Rs.325, Kids – Lower Rs.225,

As far as overseas business is concerned, due to Christmas and New Year holidays, market is very slow. Quotations of exporters are as follows:

                                      S/C OR F/C GOAT LEATHERS

Material
Size/sq. ft.
Substance
Selection
Price US$ per sq. ft. C&F
Goat upper leather
 4/7
0.6/0.8 mm
ABC/DE
2.10/1.60
Goat milled leather
4/7
0.6/0.8 mm
TR-1
1.70
Goat suede leather
4/7
5/8
0.6/0.8 mm
0.6/0.8 mm
All Suede
2.00
2.10
Goat lining leather

4/7
0.5/0.7 mm
TR-1/TR-2/TR-3
1.50/1.40/1.30
6/9
0.6/0.8 mm
TR-1/2/3
Combined
1.60
                                                       
                                   F/C SHEEP LEATHERS

Material
Size/sq.ft.
Substance
Selection
Price US$ per sq. ft. C&F
Sheep Cabretta leather
4/7
0.6/0.8 mm
ABC
2.00
Sheep Cabretta leather
6/9
0.8/1.00 mm
ABC
2.10
Sheep lining leather
4/7
5/9
0.5/0.7 mm
0.6/0.8 mm
TR-1
TR-1
1.50
1.60

SHOE INDUSTRY

Shoe factories in places like Chennai and Ambur are working with reduced productions. It is expected in the trade circle that things will change for the better during this New Year 2017. Shoe manufacturers feel that the Council for Leather Exports should find new marketing strategies and help Indian leather and leather products industry grow well in production and export. They also say there is an urgent need for them to concentrate more and more in domestic markets.

It is noteworthy that a country like Portugal has achieved about 40% growth in its footwear exports during the past five years. Although it keeps its exports going to its main 20 big European markets, its bigger growth rates have been from non-traditional markets in which it worked vigorously.