Haji Zayn Attar ( 1329–1403) was a 14th-century

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

physician. He is best known as the author of the Persian language

pharmacopoeia A pharmacopoeia, pharmacopeia, or pharmacopoea (from the obsolete typography ''pharmacopœia'', meaning "drug-making"), in its modern technical sense, is a book containing directions for the identification of compound medicines, and published by ...

''Ekhtiyarat i Badi i''.

Biography

Attar was born in 1329-1330 CE (730 AH) in

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...

, and lived during the rule of the

Injuids The House of Inju (Injuids, Injus, or Inju'ids) was an Iranian dynasty of Persian origin that came to rule over the cities of Shiraz and Isfahan during the 14th century. Its members became de facto independent rulers following the breakup of the I ...

and the Muzaffarids. He was a descendent of the

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

philosopher

Abdullah Ansari Abu Ismaïl Abdullah al-Harawi al-Ansari or Abdullah Ansari of Herat (1006–1088) ( fa, خواجه عبدالله انصاری) also known as ''Pir-i Herat'' () "Sage of Herat", was a Muslim Sufi saint who lived in the 11th century in Herat (m ...

. His father Kamal ol Din Hosein Ansari was a well-known physician, and had migrated from

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

to Shiraz. He served for sixteen years as the court physician to the Muzaffarid ruler Shah Shuja (r. 1358-1384). Attar died at Shiraz in 1403-1404 CE (806-807 AH). He had two sons: Hosein and Ahmad. The elder son Hosein Ansari wrote ''Sahah ol Adviah'' or ''Is-hah ol Adviah ("The Correction of Medicines"), considered a supplement to his father's book. The book provides correct pronunciation of the drugs listed in his father's book and the author's opinions on specific medical cases. The younger son Ahmad ibn Ali alias Ahmad Ansari wrote multiple books, including ''Miftah ol Kunuz'' (on medication); ''Dastur ol Muteakelin'' ("Protocol for Gourmets", on sweet food); ''Tohfat ol muluk'' ("The Presents of Kings", on intoxicating drinks); ''Dastur ol Zira-ah'' ("The Protocol for Agriculture"); and ''Dastur ol suada'' ("The Protocol of the Fortunate", on wisdom of sages). A collection of biographies - ''Fazilat e Elm u Hikmat va Tawarikh e Hukama'' ("The Virtue of Science and The Philosophy and Biography of Sages") - is also attributed to him; this book is also known as ''Kitab li-Valad Haji Zain ol Attar'' ("The Book of Haji Zain ol Attar's son").

Works

Attar wrote ''Miftah ol Khazain'' ("Key to the Treasures") in 1365-1366. The book contains three sections, on simple medications, improvements and substitutes, and compound medications. Attar's most famous work is ''Ekhtiyarat i Badi i'', which he completed in 1368–1369 CE, and dedicated to the Muzaffarid queen Badi ol Jamal. A comprehensive

of simple and compound remedies, it is probably the most popular Old Persian medical book. Besides the supplement ''Sahah ol Adviah'' authored by Attar's son, several other writers wrote derivative works or supplements to Attar's work. Attar's work was the basis of several later Persian pharmacopoeias including ''Qarabadin Jalali'', ''Tohfat ol Momenin'' and ''Makhzan ol Adviah''. Jalal ibn Amin al Morshed al Kazerooni expanded and redacted the second part of Attar's book. ''Hakim'' Mohammad Ali al Hoseini of

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

wrote a commentary titled ''Tatmim Ekhtiyarat i Qutb Shahi'' on Attar's work. Attar's other works include: * ''Tuhfat ol Salatin'' ("Present of the Sultans"), an anatomical pamphlet * ''Tuhfat ol Khavatin'' or ''Tohfat al Khavanin'' ("Present of the Queens") * ''Risalah dar Sifat i mardan va zanan'' ("A Treatise on the Qualities of Men and Women")

Biography

Works

Notes

References

See also