History of Unani Medicine

History of Unani medicine is related to the history of medicine in Ancient Greece, Egypt, Babylon and Persia. Ancient Greece developed the Unani medicine after deriving the medical knowledge from Egyptians and Babylonians. The word “Unani” comes from the Arabic word “Unan” which means Greece.

The origins of Unani medicine can be traced back to the teachings of Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, who lived in Greece in the 4th century BCE. Hippocrates played important role in giving Unani the status of Science. He searched for natural causes of diseases and recorded the existing knowledge to develop Unani as a systematic Science. The Greek medical knowledge was further developed and refined by Galen, a physician in the Roman Empire in the 2nd century CE.

The Islamic Golden Age, which lasted from the 8th to the 14th century, was a period of great scientific and cultural achievement in the Islamic world. During this time, Muslim physicians made significant contributions to the field of medicine, including the development of Unani medicine. This medical knowledge was later translated into Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. One of the most important figures in the history of Unani medicine was Ibn Sina (also known in the Western countries as Avicenna), a Persian physician who lived in the 10th century. His work, ‘The Canon of Medicine‘, became a standard medical textbook in Unani for both the Islamic world and Europe for several centuries.

Unani medicine is based on the principles of the ancient Greek concept of the four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. According to this theory, the human body is composed of these four humors, and an imbalance of these humors leads to illness. Unani medicine also recognizes the importance of diet, exercise, and hygiene in maintaining good health.

Unani medicine was introduced to India during the Mughal period (12th to 19th century). Alauddin Khilji (1296-1316) had many Unani physicians at his royal court. Unani became popular among both the Muslim and Hindu populations. The Unani system of medicine was further developed in India by scholars such as Hakim Ajmal Khan, who founded the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi in 1920.

Today, Unani medicine is practiced in many parts of the world, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, and the Middle East. It is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the traditional systems of medicine. There is growing interest in Unani medicine as a complementary and alternative medicine in many western countries as well.