This book provides theonly critical edition and English translation of Mahmud al-Jaghmini"s al-Mulakhkhas fi al-hay a al-basi a, the most widely circulated Arabictreatise on Ptolemaic astronomy ever written. Composed in the early 13 th century, this introductory textbook played a crucial role in theteaching, dissemination, and institutional instruction of Islamic astronomywell into the 19 th century (and beyond). Establishing the base textis a fundamental prerequisite for gaining insights into what was considered an elementaryastronomical textbook in Islam and also for understanding the extensivecommentary tradition that built upon it.Within this volume, the Mulakhkhas issituated within the broader context of the genre of literature termed ilmal-hay a, which has become the subject of intensive research over the past25 years. In so doing, it provides a survey of summary accounts oftheoretical astronomy of Jaghmini"s predecessors, both Ancient and Islamic,which could h
ave served as potential sources for the Mulakhkhas.Jaghmini"s dates (which until now remained unsettled) are established, and itis definitively shown that he composed not only the Mulakhkhas butalso other scientific treatises, including the popular medical treatise al-Qanunca, during a period that has been deemed one ofscientific decline and stagnation in Islamic lands. The book will be ofparticular interest to scholars engaged in the study of Islamic theoreticalastronomy, but is accessible to a general readership interested in learningwhat constituted an introduction to Ptolemaic astronomy in Islamic lands.
I. Introduction.- II. Arabic Edition & Editorial Procedures.- III. English Translation.- Appendices.- Bibliography.
