Al-Ma'mun

was the seventh Abbasid caliph who reigned from 813 until his death in 833.

He faced other uprisings and conflict with the Byzantine Empire but the caliphate also expanded during his reign. Subdueing Afghanistan and consolidating his authority elsewhere,
Al-Ma'mun's record as an administrator was marked by his efforts toward the centralization of power and the certainty of succession.

The ulema (religious scholars) emerged as a real force in Islamic politics during al-Ma'mun's reign.

It was during his caliphate that Sunni jurisprudence took shape.

His court was tolerant of the other monotheistic faiths, whose followers participated fully in the thriving and often innovative intellectual life over which he presided.
His rule, despite persecution of those who disagreed with his creed, is generally said to have been just and moderate.

Age of Culture ,civilization,Intellectual Learning:

The reign of Al Mamun has been designated as the age of culture , civilization and intellectual development of the Saracenic nation.

Patron of learning
Al-Ma'mun's patronage of intellectuals led to the emergence of significant dialogues on both secular and religious affairs,
Al-Mamun is renowned for his patronage of learning,

It is said that as soon as Al-Ma'mun arrived in Baghdad he asked for a list to be drawn up of those men of learning who merited attendance at his court.

Ma'mun himself presided over regular discussion.
Topics ranged from inter-religious dialogue to the meaning of love; no subject was off-limits.

He would intervene whenever "discussion threatened to give way to a brawl."
Al-Ma'mun was interested in every aspect of science, philosophy and especially in astronomy.

He himself conducted, on the plains of Mesopotamia, two astronomical operations intended to determine the value of a terrestrial degree.

The crater Almanon on the Moon is named in recognition of his contributions to astronomy
He was especially interested in Euclid.

Translation Works:

He employed a large number of translators and patronized many scholars.
such scholar is regarded as the father of algebra, Al-Khwārizmī Al Kindi, al Tabari.
Many had previously worked in isolation; now they were able to exchange ideas.
commissioning translations of classical Greek texts.


Foundation of Bayt al-Hikma(830)

A combination of Library,Academy and Translation Bureau.”
It became an important center of translation for Greek and other ancient texts into Arabic.
It survived until the Mongol conquest in 1258.
This Islamic renaissance spurred the rediscovery of Hellenism and ensured the survival of these texts into the European renaissance.


Philosophy:

He was himself much interested in philosophical discussions.
Tuesday was fixed for philosophical discussions.
It was called (Augustan age of Islam)
He encouraged free thinking
It was under his patronage that the works of Plato, Aristotle,Hippocrates, and others were first translated into Arabic.
Aristotle is said to have appeared to him in a dream.

Theological Development:
Traditionalists like Bukhari,Jurists like Al Shafi and Ibn Hanbal flourished during his reign.It was an age of collectors of traditions Hadits


Mu'tazili Theology
Al-Ma’mun adopted the radical Mu'tazili theology,
which was influenced by Greek philosophy and held that God could be understood through rational inquiry,
and that belief and practice should be subject to reason.
He established the mihna, an inquisition in which the adherence of scholars and officials to Mu'tazili theology was tested,
and they could be imprisoned or even killed if they did not follow the theology.
As a result, al-Ma’mun’s reign saw a growing division between the Isalmic sovereign and the Isalmic people.


Development Of Poetry:
Patronized poetry and poets .
Abbas (Father of modern Persian poetry)flourished at his court.

Al-Ma'mun was an ardent collector of books.

The Library associated with the House of Wuisodm was the world's largest since the destruction of Alexandria Library.

Shortly before his death, during a visit to Egypt in 832,

the caliph ordered the breaching of the Great Pyramid of Giza looking for knowledge and treasure.

He entered the pyramid by tunneling into the Great Pyramid near where tradition located the original entrance.
Discovering little about the "mystery" of the Pyramid, he ordered it re-sealed but praised the "skill and wisdom of the ancients.
He sent an emissary to the Byzantine Empire to collect the most famous manuscripts there, and had them translated into Arabic. It is said that, victorious over the Byzantine Emperor, Al-Ma'mun made a condition of peace be that the emperor hand over of a copy of the "Almagest,

" Ptolemy of Alexandria's famous mathematical treatise.

Inter-religious dialogue and harmony
The presence of non-Muslims at his court and their participation in scholarly and religious exchange is evidence that,
fruitful inter-religious and intellectual exchange.
His court was an hospitable place for Jews and Christians.
almost everyone whether Muslim, Christian, Jew and Zoroastrians were welcome at his court.


Caliph Al- Ma'moun Measuring the Circumference(Dimensions) of Earth

If Muslims had established the roundness of the Earth, the Abbasid Caliph, Al-Ma'moun was considered the first one to attempt to measure the dimensions of the Earth. He assigned two teams of astronomers and geographers, . He asked them to go to two different locations east and west and then to measure one degree of the longitude lines (360 in number).They collected approximately correct the dimensions of Earth

Al-Ma'mun's relations with the Byzantine Romans is marked by his efforts in the translation of Greek philosophy and science. Al-Ma'mun gathered scholars of many religions at Baghdad, whom he treated magnificently and with tolerance.

A paper mill. Along with astronomical observatories the Abassid Empire built in Samarkand, in Central Asia,

Much technology was created in this period for the production of books including dyes, inks, glues, and book binding techniques, but not the printing press.

MAJOR WORKS BY MUSLIMS IN THAT ERA

The observatory of shammasiya

In this observatory Ibrahim al Fazari constructed an astrolabe.

Mamun astronomer abul Hassan invented a telescope from a tube.

Works on popular science of astrology and chemistry were written

He himself conducted, on the plains of Mesopotamia,
two astronomical operations intended to determine the value of a terrestrial degree.


Under his patronage Al Kindi even cultivated military science and
wrote an essay on swords of about 25 varieties.

Al khwarizm wrote resume on Sindh Hind for mamun
Mamun paid his chief translator Hunayn the weight of books he translated

Death

Al-Ma'mun died near Tarsus and the city's major mosque contains a tomb reported to be his.
He was succeeded by his nominated heir, his half-brother, al-Mu'tasim.
Legacy
The Abbasid empire grew somewhat during the reign of al-Ma'mun.
most of Afghanistan was absorbed with the surrender of the leader of Kabul.
Mountainous regions of Iran were brought under a tighter grip of the central Abbasid government, as were areas of Turkestan. El-Hibri points out that while his father's reign is associated with "romance and mystery" and "placed in a mythical milieu" Al-Ma'mun's is "associated with learning and rational pursuits" and that
"descriptions … have generally echoed with a far more realistic ring."[9]

He may qualify as the greatest patron of philosophy and science in the history of Islam.