Câhız ve Antikite: Yunan Zoolojisinin Alımlanışı
Al-Jāhiz and Antiquity: The Reception of Greek Zoology

Summary/Abstract: It is believed that the origin of translation activities in Islamic thought dates back to the Umayyad period. These activities were first carried out during the reign of Khalid b. Yazīd (d. 85/704 [?]). In particular, the Greek texts of antiquity (antiquity) began to be translated. Initially, translations were made in the fields of medicine and chemistry. Later on, during the Abbasid period, the translation process, which was continued by the Caliph Abū Ja'far al-Mansūr (d. 158/775), eventually expanded the field of research with the establishment of the Bayt al-Hikma. Thus, translation activities continued systematically in the fields of philosophy, ethics, politics, physics, metaphysics, botany and zoology. As a result, the Greek heritage of antiquity was inherited by Islamic civilisation, and many translated texts were received by Islamic thinkers, which paved the way for discussions on them. This situation facilitated a better analysis and understanding of Greek texts and provided an opportunity to compare them with the views of Islamic thought. One of the areas translated was zoology. In this context, one of the thinkers who was influenced by zoological texts and included Greek zoology in his works was Amr b. Bahr al-Jāhiz (d. 255/869), a Muʿtazilite scholar and naturalist from Basra. In fact, al-Jāhiz included many animals and their characteristics in his seven-volume Kitāb al-Hayawān, which can be regarded as the zoologicalzoographic literature. He also mentioned animals from time to time in his other works. All his knowledge about living creatures is based on the Qur'an, hadiths, idioms, proverbs, poems of the Jahiliyya period, and experiences of Bedouins, animal trainers, dogs, pigeon and rooster owners, sailors and hunters. On the other hand, he makes many references to Greek zoology, especially to Aristotle (384-322 BC), whom he calls “Ṣāḥib al-Mantiq”. In Aristotle's Kitāb al-Hayawān, he mentions Aristotle's views on the vital processes of many species, such as pigs, birds, fish, elephants, snakes, insects, their status in their habitats, feeding methods and reproduction. Although al-Jāhiz accepted Aristotle as an authority in the field of zoology, he investigated the information he received from him. He consulted Bedouins, sailors and hunters who had experience with animals and tried to confirm the accuracy of Aristotle's ideas. He even tested Aristotle's ideas by conducting experiments and observations himself. This situation shows that sometimes al-Jāhiz did not take the information he received directly, but researched its accuracy and included it in his own work. In addition, al-Jāhiz also included the ideas of Greek thinkers such as Galen (d. 200 [?]) and Polemon (Aflimun) (d. 314 BC) about animals in his work. From this point of view, he was influenced by Galen's experiments on the digestive system of animals; he provided information on the digestive system of animals and how they digest food. In this regard, he mentioned the experiments of his teacher, Abū Ishāq Ibrāhīm al-Nazzām (d. 231/845) on animals. Examples include observations such as feeding stones to ostriches, the resistance of animals such as dogs, wolves, lions and horses to digesting food and bones or measuring the endurance of some animals by giving them a drink. He also mentioned Polemon's views on pigeons and how their living conditions should be. He emphasised what a good and beautiful pigeon should look like and where it can best live out its life, such as in the field. It can be concluded from this that al-Jāhiz consulted Polemon’s ideas because of his interest in pigeons and their ubiquitous use in his time. The knowledge he acquired from his own culture, from many different sources, and the information he received from Greek thinkers enabled him to accumulate a deep and wide zoological knowledge. Thus, his accumulation of knowledge influenced many people after him. In fact, the knowledge he transmitted, especially from Greek zoology, was included in the works of Kamāluddin al-Damīrī (d. 808/1405) Hayāt al-hayawān and Zakariyyyā al-Qazwīnī (d. 682/1283) ʿAjāʾib al-makhlūqāt wa gharāʾib al-mawjūdāt. Like al-Jāhiz, they called Aristotle “Ṣāḥib al-Mantiq” and referred to his views. This situation shows that al-Jāhiz served as a bridge to transfer Greek zoology to later periods. This study attempts to determine how al-Jāhiz received the Greek zoological heritage and how he incorporated it into his own work. It will also discuss the extent to which he was influenced by Aristotle and whether or not he accepted his views as they were. As a result of the study, it will be understood that al-Jāhiz transmitted the information he received, sometimes directly, sometimes by testing its accuracy, and even by resorting to experimentation and observation.

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