Details from paintings out of a different work of Albumaser; a Zodiac. The paintings were made by Naqqash al Shirazi in the XV century
Back to Table of
Contents
To next page
Abu Mashar al-Balkhi, Jafar Ibn Muhammad; Kitab al-milal wa-al-duwal
(The book of religions and dynasties) (d885)
from Balhi
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
He was an early Persian Muslim astrologer, thought to be the greatest astrologer of the Abbasid court in Baghdad. He had in the middle of the 9th century, a coherent image of the Indian Ocean. He already knows that Kalah (in Malaysia) is the passage to the Strait of Malacca. On the other hand, for him, the majority of the African Zang populations live on islands, which shows that his informants do not penetrate further inland. He reports direct navigation between East Africa and Kalah as possible.
Taken from: On Historical Astrology: The Arabic original - Kitab al-milal wa-al-duwal (The book of religions and dynasties)
P135
If [a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter] happens in Capricorn, it indicates wars occurring between Ethiopia, Zanj, India, the Berbers,
and the people of those regions. If the Sun and Mercury (17) aspect them, this indicates illnesses destructive to kings, and that tumors, cutting, and burning (of the skin) come to them because
of them together with frequent winds lightning mists fire the lack of planets, and plenty of thieves.
P165
If Venus conjoins with it, this indicates the corruption of the conditions of women, intense lewdness among men, plenty of children, false rumors among the people, and anxieties, and that the year is oppressive for the people of the coasts (Sawahil) and Egypt and that emigration increases among them, together with cheapness of jewellery made of water, like pearls and the like, poverty coming to the common people, and calamities.
(According to the translator of the book; this perhaps refers to the inhabitants of the coast of East Africa, who became known as the Swahili, from the Arabic term for coasts.)
P517
Libra (18): the countries belonging to it are the lands of Bukhara (19), Tuharistan (20), the Comoro Islands (21), the land of the Turks, Amsr, the part of the land of Ethiopia which is called Wasifin, the land of Sigistan (22), and the land of Kirman (23).
P543
When the two malefics (24)(=Mars and Saturn) conjoin in Aries (25), it indicates a riot between the Byzantines and the Arabs, in Gemini and Cancer (26) between the people of Armenia and its borders, in Leo between the Turks and the Arabs, in Virgo (27) among the Copts, Nubians, and the Arabs, in Libra among the Byzantines themselves, in Scorpio (28) among the Arabs themselves, in Sagittarius (29) among the Turks, in Capricorn (30) between Ethiopia, Zang, and India, in Aquarius (31) between as-Sawad (32), Kufa (33), and al-Gibal (34), and in Pisces (35) between the Egyptians the Khazars (36) ……………..
Abu Mashar al-Balkhi, Jafar Ibn Muhammad (d885) Kitab al-mudkhal al-kabir ila 'ilm ahkam an-nujjum
(The Greater Introduction to Astrology)
Taken from: The <i>Great Introduction to Astrology</i> by Abū Maʿšar (2 vols.) edited by Keiji Yamamoto †, Charles Burnett
P251
The two lakes which provide the water of the Nile are in this burned country, and in this burnt place that we mentioned is the Sea of Zang, which is a sea in which there are no animate beings, because of the severity of the heat and density of the water. This is because, when the sun ascends over this sea, the thinner water is attracted towards it by the heat, and the water of the sea densifies, becomes salty and warms up excessively …….
P253
As for (the people of) Sudan and Ethiopia, they live in the countries that the signs on the circle between Aries (25) and Cancer (26) face. So, because when the Sun, in its ascent and descent, is in these signs and is in the middle of the sky, it is in their zeniths, and their atmospheric conditions become hot and burn them, and heat and dryness increase among them, for this reason their colour will be black and their hair curly, their bodies dry and slender, and their natures hot, and likewise those of their riding animals and trees. Among the traits of character of the people of this region are agility and little intelligence.
P329
As for the Sea of India, (the beginning of) its border on the eastern side is the island of Tiz of Makran (1) and its end is the land of China. Its border on the western side starts from the lowland of Aden and ends at the land of Zang. The cities on the east of the Sea of India includes the land of India, Qamar (2), Zang and Zanag (3), and the many different peoples of India.
P331
As for the west of the Sea of India, when sailors cross the lowland of Aden, the first land they encounter is a peninsula called the land of the Barbars, which is inhabited and it is a race of Zang connected to the land of the Sudan, and in the western region the countries of Zanag and Zang are found. All those we mentioned and the others among those (men) who are in that western region are on islands and no one of those (people) reaches land and knows that it is joined to lands. These people have not defined the northern and southern borders of these two seas for us, nor (described) the peoples who live in these two regions.
Whoever wishes (to reach) China passes through the East of the Sea of India and wanders over it until he reaches China. Whoever wishes (to reach) Zang makes for the west of it (the Sea of India), until he reaches the place in Zang that he wants. Whoever wishes (to reach) Zanag (4) inclines to its east, until he reaches Kalah (5); then he crosses over to the land of Zanag. They start out on this route because, when they pass through the land of Zang, they wish (to reach) the land of Zanag, and the arrive at (a region of) darkness, where they experience only six hours of daylight every day. For this reason they make for the eastern region of the Sea of India until ……..
P561
In the second decan (6) of Gemini (7) there ascend a man ……. The Indians maintained that in this decan there ascends a man in the form of a Zang, and the color of a griffin (8), whose head is tied with a band of lead. He clothes himself with weapons, and has an iron helmet on his head, a silk brocaded crown on that helmet and a bow and arrows in his hand. He likes amusement and fun. There ascends with him a garden with many sweet-smelling herbs, and a kinnar (9) to be played. He sings and takes the sweet-smelling herbs from the garden.
P571-573
In the third decan of Leo (10) there ascend…….. The Indians maintained that in this decan there ascends a man whose figure is like that of a Zang. He is ugly, disgusting, troublesome, and very anxious. He has fruit in his mouth, and a pitcher (11) in his hand.
P595
Aquarius (12): Aquarius is an airy and bloody sign.
In its first decan there ascend …….. The Indians maintained that in this decan there ascend a man whose figure is that of a Zang in the shape of an Egyptian vulture; with him velvet material and a carpet. He is concerned about repairing a brass and wooden vessel to pour oil, wine, and water into.
P595-597
In the second decan of Aquarius there ascend……. The Indians maintained that in this decan there ascends a man with a long beard. His head and figure is like a Zang, similar to the horseman. He has a bow and arrows in his hand, and a purse containing sapphires, pearls, gold, chrysolite (13), and other costly jewels.
Abu Mashar al-Balkhi, Jafar Ibn Muhammad (d885)
Muhtasar al Mudhal (Abbreviation of the Introduction)
Taken from: The Abbreviation of ‘The Introduction to Astrology’: together with the medieval Latin translation of Adlard of Bath, ed. and trns. Charles Burnett.
Capricorn (14) is the house of Saturn, and the exaltations of Mars is in its 28th degree….. To it are the following countries; Ethiopia and the Indus, Makran (15), Sind (16), Oman, and Bahrain as far as Sind and Hind.
(1) Tiz of Makran: Tiz: port on the shore besides Macran in Iran.
(2) Qamar: Khmer (Vietnam) or Qumr (Madagascar)
(3) Zanag: Zabaj (Sumatra)
(4) Whoever wishes (to reach) Zang…. This paragraph is repeated by several authors see among others: Ibn Rosteh (903)
(5) Kalah: very important harbor in Malaysia in those days.
(6) second decan: a decan is a subdivision of a Zodiac sign of ten days.
(7) Gemini: located in the northern hemisphere. Its name is Latin for twins; Castor and Pollux, two bright stars that appear relatively very closely together.
(8) Color of a griffin: is a medium dark shade of brown.
(9) Kinnar; The kinnor is generally agreed to be a stringed instrument, and thus the stringed instrument most commonly mentioned in the Old Testament.
(10) Leo: in the Northern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for lion. Among its many bright stars are Regulus and Denebola
(11) Pitcher: a pitcher is a container with a spout used for storing and pouring liquids.
(12) Aquarius: Its name is Latin for "water-carrier" or "cup-carrier".
(13) Chrysolite; chrysolithe stone is a variety of light green peridot, which can produce fine varieties.
(14) Capricorn: Its name is Latin for "horned goat".
(15) Makran: is the coastal region of Baluchistan (Pakistan).
(16) Sind: now in Pakistan.
(17) Mercury: is the smallest planet in the Solar System and the closest to the Sun.
(18) Libra: is located in the Southern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for weighing scales.
(19) Bukhara: is the fifth-largest city in Uzbekistan.
(20) Tuharistan; Tokharistan is an ancient Early Middle Ages name given to the area which was known as Bactria in Ancient Greek sources.
(21) Comoro Islands: or Comoros form an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the southeastern coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique.
(22) Sigistan: Sistan known in ancient times as Sakastan is a historical and geographical region in present-day Eastern Iran
(23) Kirman: Province in Iran.
(24) malefics : having malignant influence.
(25) Aries: is one of the constellations located in the Northern celestial hemisphere. The name Aries is Latin for ram.
(26) Cancer: in the Northern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for crab.Leo
(27) Virgo: Its name is Latin for maiden; it intersects the celestial equator; its brightest star is Spica.
(28) Scorpio: is located in the Southern celestial hemisphere, its bright stars include Antares and Acrab.
(29) Sagittarius: is located in the Southern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for "archer".
(30) Capricorn: Its name is Latin for "horned goat".
(31) Aquarius: Its name is Latin for "water-carrier" or "cup-carrier".
(32) as- Sawad: the name used in early Islamic times (7th–12th centuries) for southern Iraq.
(33) Kufa: Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about 170 kilometers south of Baghdad.
(34) al-Gibal: literally the front part.
(35) Pisces: in the Northern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for "fishes".
(36) Khazars: Semi nomadic people from south Russia, south Ukraine, Crimea, Kazakhstan.