Ismail al-Jazari was a multi-talented Muslim. He was an engineer, a mathematician, an inventor, a scholar, a craftsman, and an artist. He described a number of mechanical gadgets and included building instructions in his book “The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices.” He had a reputation for being a visionary. He had an understanding of modern science mechanisms even about 800 years ago, which astounded historians and experts. He was nurtured in Cizre, in the Artuqid State, and was born there. He frequently traveled to slake his hunger for knowledge. To learn science, he traveled through Alexandria, Medina, and Mecca. He returned and spent many years working as a mechanical engineer for the rulers of Diyarbakir. Suction pumps, the water supply system, musical robot bands, and automated clocks are some of the most important inventions attributed to him. He was a skilled painter as well. Many details of his private life are not included in history books, and most people only know of him because of his book.
Early Childhood & Life
Ismail al-Jazari was born in Cizre, modern-day Turkey, in 1136 CE, at the height of the Islamic “golden age,” as Bad az-Zaman Ab l-Izz ibn Isml ibn ar-Razz al-Jazar. The Islamic empire was then expanding throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Western Asia.
There was also a scientific revolution taking place. Ismail’s father just so happened to be a brilliant mechanical engineer who worked in Diyarbakir, present-day Turkey, and Iraq, under the Artuqid monarchs of the Turkmen dynasty.
At the age of 40, his merchant father was childless. It was reported that his father traveled to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for the Hajj pilgrimage in order to pray for a child. Ismail was born a short while later. His father worked as a merchant and served the Diyarbakir kings. By the time he was 13 years old, Ismail had memorized every verse of the “Qur’an.” He traveled to Mecca, Medina, Cairo, and Alexandria. When he returned, he was an expert in the “Quranic” sciences.
According to historical records, Ismail served three kings throughout his lifetime: Nasir al-Din Mahmud ibn-Muhammad, Qutb al-Din Sukman ibn-Muhammad, and Nur al-Din Muhammad ibn Arslan. Ismail chose to write his outstanding book at Nasir al-suggestion. Din’s Ismail reportedly started working at the royal court sometime around 1174, according to historical documents. Before he began writing his book, he served for 25 years.
Ismail Jazari’s Achievements
Ismail documented the mechanisms he created over the course of his entire life, including their design and construction, in the book “The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices.” The book contains around a hundred devices with varied functions.
The amount of talent and the number of trials and errors that went into their creation were recurrent themes. Ismail utilized a number of concepts that were later applied by contemporary inventors to create their mechanical innovations.
Ismail was influenced by the creations of earlier innovators, particularly Archimedes, and made minor modifications to their plans to create fully functional devices. In his book, he offered thorough explanations via text, measurements, and diagrams that would allow any competent mechanic to construct machines from scratch.
A camshaft, or a shaft to which cams are attached, was one of his most significant creations. In the fourteenth century, the invention reached the European empire. Additionally, he displayed many clocks, water-raising devices, and hand-washing gadgets. A segmental gear, a crank-slider mechanism, and an escapement mechanism in rotating wheels were a few more important inventions that made it much easier to control the speed of the wheel’s revolution.
Ismail made significant contributions to the automata field as well, creating the first humanoid robots, automatic clocks, and mechanized peacocks. Ismail created a robot that could prepare tea, serve drinks, and purify water. The liquids were kept in a tank that was connected to a reservoir, and they then leaked into a cup via a vessel. The drinks were then delivered by the humanoid waitress.
The hand-washing machines that Ismail invented shared striking parallels with contemporary flush toilets. In his book, a humanoid robot is seen standing next to a water-filled basin. The water is emptied and the basin is immediately filled with new water when the user pulls a lever.
His creation of an automated music band was among his greatest accomplishments. In the book, four robots are pictured relaxing on a boat while playing various musical instruments in time with one another. It is assumed that they were created to amuse visitors.
One of his most well-known creations is the automatic clock which is featured in his book. The clock he referenced was the very first in history to signify a certain moment in time. Today, the mechanism serves as an alarm clock. A robotic bird with mechanical chirps was also referenced in the book. The majority of the automated clocks’ other distinguishing characteristic was that they were designed to resemble Indian elephants. An excellent illustration of technology multiculturalism was this.
For the sultan, a robot butler was created. The robot handled routine tasks like serving towels, combs, and water. Ismail built a huge “castle clock” to further demonstrate his mastery of astronomy. It was a clock that stood 3.4 meters tall and showed the locations of the solar and lunar orbits.
The device also contained a system to open automated doors once each hour, among other cutting-edge capabilities. A secret camshaft-linked water wheel and five automated robot musicians were also connected to the clock and played in response to the lever.
Ismail Jazari’s Legacy
Ismail al-Jazari has earned a significant position in history as a result of such ground-breaking discoveries. Donald R. Hill, a British engineer, and historian who has done substantial research on Islamic history and technology translated his book into English in 1974. Ismail’s robot-making technology, according to Hill, was the primary source of inspiration for contemporary robotics.
The Muslim crusades brought the majority of Ismail’s inventions to medieval Europe via Byzantium, Sicily, Italy, and France. Some of Ismail’s systems may have served as inspiration for Leonardo da Vinci’s own creations.
In 1206, which is also thought to be the year of Ismail’s passing, the book “The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices” was released to a larger readership.
Ismail came from a long line of artisans. His lack of care for the technological components of his designs resulted from this. He was more interested in the quality of such inventions’ construction. The writing style of the book is similar to that of contemporary “do-it-yourself” publications.
Estimated Net Worth
Unknown.