Afghanistan might have been a very different place today if the astronomer-prince Ulughbek had not been assassinated by Muslim extremists on October 27, 1449.
Earlier in the 15th century, Ulughbek's parents, Shah-Rukh and Gawhar-Shad, had emerged victorious from the battle for Timur's empire. They established their capital city Herat (in present-day Afghanistan) as a center of culture and learning. They founded madrassahs -- colleges -- open to both men and women students.
Their son Ulughbek was based as Emir, or Prince, in Samarkand. He founded two madrassahs in Samarkand and Bukhara. Inscribed on the Ulughbek Madrassah built in Bukhara in 1417, can still be read the words: "It is the duty of every Muslim man and woman to acquire knowledge."
The Madrassah in the Registan in Samarkand is tiled in a sparkling pattern of stars -- for Ulughbek is most famous for his observatory built in 1428, and opened the following year by his proud mother Gawhar-Shad.
It was unsurpassed in the world. The great round building was bisected north to south by a gigantic marble quadrant which was cut down deep into the ground for stability. Its sights were moved into position on brass rails. This enabled the most accurate star tables ever to be complied.
The attention of their ruler to science aggravated the religious extremists. These were to unite under Hodja Ubaidulla Akrar, leader of the Sufi Nakshbendi order. When Ulughbek's father died, and Ulughbek was now the ruler of the empire, Akrar persuaded Ulughbek's son Abd-al-Latif to overthrow his father.
Ulughbek was beheaded, and his observatory razed to the ground by the religious extremists. One of the astronomers, Ali-Kushji, managed to escape with a copy of the star catalogue that had been compiled in Ulughbek's observatory and had it published. It was to be translated into many languages and in use for the next two hundred years. Ulughbek became recognized as one of the world's greatest astronomers.
The empire inherited by Ulughbek disintegrated as rival warlords fought over it. Herat, once a leading center of civilization and culture, now lies in one of the poorest regions in the world.
When the the observatory site in Samarkand was opened to the public in 1970, the sculptor of Ulugbek's memorial inscribed on it the words of Ulughbek which had particularly incensed the religious leaders:
"Religion disperses like a fog, kingdoms perish, but the works of scholars remain for an eternity."
Further information in Astronomy Now, August 1988, and Ulughbek and His Observatory in Samarkand, by Heather Hobden, published by The Cosmic Elk, ISBN 1 871443 18 0, price £3.50.
Email: cosmicelk@zoom.co.uk.
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