Nahyan Fancy
University of Exeter, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Faculty Member
- DePauw University, History, Faculty MemberInstitute for Advanced Study, School of Historical Studies, Department Memberadd
- Islamic Studies, History of Medicine, History of Science, Islamic Philosophy, History, Science and Religion, and 26 moreMamluk Studies, Transnational and World History, Philosophy, Medieval History, Middle East Studies, Medieval Studies, Historiography, Islamic History, Sufism, Medieval Islam, Medieval Islamic History, Early Islam, History of the Islamic World, Islam, Mysticism, Intellectual History, Islamic Law, Mediterranean Studies, Kalam (Islamic Theology), Social History of Medicine, Philosophy of Science, History of Philosophy, Islamic Science, Medieval Medicine, Mamluk History, and Avicenna(Mamluk Studies, Transnational and World History, Philosophy, Medieval History, Middle East Studies, Medieval Studies, Historiography, Islamic History, Sufism, Medieval Islam, Medieval Islamic History, Early Islam, History of the Islamic World, Islam, Mysticism, Intellectual History, Islamic Law, Mediterranean Studies, Kalam (Islamic Theology), Social History of Medicine, Philosophy of Science, History of Philosophy, Islamic Science, Medieval Medicine, Mamluk History, and Avicenna)edit
- I am a Professor of Islamic Studies at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter. I began... moreI am a Professor of Islamic Studies at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter. I began my career in the History Department at DePauw University in Fall 2006. My research interests are in pre-1500 Islamicate science and medicine, and intellectual history. My earlier research has examined the intersections of philosophy, theology and medical physiology in the works of Ibn al-Nafis, a 13th century physician-jurist who first posited the pulmonary transit of blood. The significance of this result is that it forms the basis of William Harvey's (d. 1657) theory of blood circulation, three centuries later. More recently, I have been examining the evolution of medical commentaries in post-1200 Islamic societies, with an eye towards learning more about the specific trajectory of theoretical medicine in Islamicate societies, and its impact (if any) on medical practice. More recently I have worked on sleep, plague history and lovesickness. I also have a strong interest in gender and medicine. If you are interested in any of my published articles, please also visit my homepage provided in the links below.(I am a Professor of Islamic Studies at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter. I began my career in the History Department at DePauw University in Fall 2006. My research interests are in pre-1500 Islamicate science and medicine, and intellectual history. My earlier research has examined the intersections of philosophy, theology and medical physiology in the works of Ibn al-Nafis, a 13th century physician-jurist who first posited the pulmonary transit of blood. The significance of this result is that it forms the basis of William Harvey's (d. 1657) theory of blood circulation, three centuries later. More recently, I have been examining the evolution of medical commentaries in post-1200 Islamic societies, with an eye towards learning more about the specific trajectory of theoretical medicine in Islamicate societies, and its impact (if any) on medical practice. More recently I have worked on sleep, plague history and lovesickness. I also have a strong interest in gender and medicine. If you are interested in any of my published articles, please also visit my homepage provided in the links below.)edit
(To read the first chapter, click on the Routledge link and then click on "View Inside this book") "This book helps situate a ground-breaking discovery in the history of the life sciences: the discovery of the pulmonary transit of blood,... more
(To read the first chapter, click on the Routledge link and then click on "View Inside this book") "This book helps situate a ground-breaking discovery in the history of the life sciences: the discovery of the pulmonary transit of blood, a prerequisite for William Harvey’s fully developed theory of blood circulation three centuries later. By revealing the social, religious, philosophical and medical contexts of this discovery, the book illuminate the intricate ways in which science and religion interacted in the medieval Islamic world. As such, it provides a new framework with which to challenge the oft-repeated, but incorrect, assertion that science came to a standstill within the Islamic world due to religious antagonism."
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Modern sleep specialists are taught that, before the twentieth century, sleep was universally classified as a passive phenomenon with minimal to no brain activity. However, these assertions are made on the basis of particular readings and... more
Modern sleep specialists are taught that, before the twentieth century, sleep was universally classified as a passive phenomenon with minimal to no brain activity. However, these assertions are made on the basis of particular readings and reconstructions of the history of sleep, using Western European medical works and ignoring works composed in other parts of the world. In this first of two articles on Arabic medical discussions on sleep, I shall show that sleep was not understood to be a purely passive phenomenon, at least from the time of Ibn Sīnā (lat. Avicenna, d. 1037) onward. Building on the earlier Greek medical tradition, Ibn Sīnā provided a new pneumatic understanding of sleep that allowed him to explain previously recorded phenomena associated with sleep, while providing a way to capture how certain parts of the brain (and body) can even increase their activities during sleep.
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In this second article on medieval Arabic medical discussions on sleep, I show that Ibn Sīnā’s pneumatic paradigm of sleep opened up new research pathways for subsequent physicians in Islamic societies. Opposing those who posit a decline... more
In this second article on medieval Arabic medical discussions on sleep, I show that Ibn Sīnā’s pneumatic paradigm of sleep opened up new research pathways for subsequent physicians in Islamic societies. Opposing those who posit a decline in scientific activity post-1200 in these societies, I show that Ibn al-Nafīs (d. 1288), Ibn al-Quff (d. 1286), and Quṭb al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī (d. 1311), among others, raised and answered new questions to highlight the (possible) active role played by the brain in sleep onset and the strengthening of certain brain activities during sleep. They also continued to investigate the (three) stages of sleep and paid attention to different breathing patterns, in addition to pulse, during each stage. Finally, they also applied the pneumatic paradigm in new ways to understand the broader impact of certain medical conditions on sleep.
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This roundtable brings together contributions from nine senior, mid-career and junior scholars who work on the history of science in pre-1800 Islamicate societies.
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Recent work has shown that Islamicate philosophers engaged meaningfully with Ibn Sīnā's transformation of Aristotelian physics, particularly his new understanding of motion at an instant and his new category of positional motion. Although... more
Recent work has shown that Islamicate philosophers engaged meaningfully with Ibn Sīnā's transformation of Aristotelian physics, particularly his new understanding of motion at an instant and his new category of positional motion. Although Ibn Sīnā considered medicine a derivative science of physics, little work has been done to determine the impact of the new Avicennan physics on medicine. In this paper, I shall examine the discussions on motion contained in the sections on pulse within seven medical commentaries produced between 1200 and 1520 CE. The examination will reveal that Ibn al-Nafīs's novel, non-Galenic application of the Avicennan category of * I would like to thank Asad Ahmed, Sonja Brentjes and the editors for their helpful comments and suggestions.
Research Interests: History of Medicine, History of Science, Islamic Philosophy, Medieval Science, Mamluk Studies, and 12 moreIslamic Studies, History of Physics, Arabic Philosophy, Mamluk History, Philosophy and Thought in Islamic Science, Islamic Science, Medieval Arabic Philosophy, Medieval Medicine, Islamic philosophy and theology, History of Islamic science, Arabic Medicine, and History of Arabic Science
Ibn al-Nafīs composed lemmatic commentaries on Hippocrates’ Aphorisms and Ibn Sīnā’s entire Canon of Medicine. While he regularly challenges, critiques and refutes Ibn Sīnā’s positions in his Commentary on the Canon, Ibn al-Nafīs... more
Ibn al-Nafīs composed lemmatic commentaries on Hippocrates’ Aphorisms and Ibn Sīnā’s entire Canon of Medicine. While he regularly challenges, critiques and refutes Ibn Sīnā’s positions in his Commentary on the Canon, Ibn al-Nafīs generally upholds the validity of each Hippocratic aphorism. This already suggests that he considered Hippocrates the supreme authority in medicine over Ibn Sīnā (and even Galen). Through an analysis of his commentary on Aphorisms V.42 and V.48 (on the causes and consequences of bearing male children), and how he deploys them in his commentary on the analogous chapters from the Canon, we shall see how Ibn al-Nafīs establishes the validity of these aphorisms using his own understanding of generation. This tight interweaving of the Aphorisms and his physiology allows Ibn al-Nafīs to marshal the authority of Hippocrates to simultaneously undercut the positions of Ibn Sīnā, Galen and other adversaries, and to elevate the authority and validity of Ibn al-Nafīs’s own (novel) positions.
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In this paper, I shall compare the introductory and physiological sections of two of Ibn al-Nafīs’s medical commentaries (shurūḥ), to his Mūjaz, and two commentaries on the Mūjaz, in order to arrive at a better understanding of what were... more
In this paper, I shall compare the introductory and physiological sections of two of Ibn al-Nafīs’s medical commentaries (shurūḥ), to his Mūjaz, and two commentaries on the Mūjaz, in order to arrive at a better understanding of what were considered to be the salient aspects of each genre. The paper will particularly focus on how the commentators situate their own understanding of a specific physiological issue vis-à-vis the source text, its commentaries and/or the discussions found in the works of other medical authorities on these same issues. I shall also explore how the differences between the form and content of Ibn al-Nafīs’s shurūḥ and the Mūjaz were navigated by subsequent commentators of the Mūjaz.
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The title of Aileen Das’ first monograph, Galen and the Arabic Reception of Plato’s Timaeus, may mislead readers into thinking that she is solely interested in contributing to the growing literature on reception studies of this important... more
The title of Aileen Das’ first monograph, Galen and the Arabic Reception of Plato’s Timaeus, may mislead readers into thinking that she is solely interested in contributing to the growing literature on reception studies of this important Platonic dialogue. As valuable as Das’ contributions to that literature are, in actual fact Das weaves through Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew texts and manuscripts to investigate the relationship between medicine and philosophy in Late Antique Roman and Islamic societies before 1200. Reviewed by: Nahyan Fancy, Published Online (2022-07-31)Copyright © 2022 by Nahyan FancyArticle PDF Link: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/aestimatio/article/view/39102/29788 Corresponding Author: Nahyan Fancy,DePauw UniversityE-Mail: nahyanfancy@depauw.edu
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In Synchrony with the Heavens: Studies in Astronomical Timekeeping and Instrumentation in Medieval Islamic Civilization. Vol. 1: The Call of the Muezzin. Vol. 2: Instruments of Mass Calculation . By David A. King . Leiden: Brill, 2004–2005. Vol. 1: pp. lvii + 930; vol. 2: pp. lxxvi + 1020. $575 (...more
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Živa Vesel ; Sergeï Tourkin ; Yves Porter (Editors). A. Beschaouch (Coordinator). Images of Islamic Science . Volume 1: Illustrated Manuscripts from the Iranian World. (Bibliothèque Iranienne, 67.) 323 pp., illus., bibls., index. Tehran: Institut Français de Recherches en Iran/UNESCO/La Fondation...more
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The deadline for this year's conference submission is January 10, 2020. Please share widely and encourage your students to submit their abstracts. The keynote speaker for this year is Pablo Gomez (University of Wisconsin, Madison).
Research Interests: History of Science and Technology, Medical Anthropology, Philosophy of Science, History of Mathematics, History of Medicine, and 15 morePhilosophy Of Mathematics, Sociology of Knowledge, History of Technology, History of Science, History of Social Sciences, Medieval Science, Sociology Of Scientific Knowledge, Early Modern Science, History and Philosophy of the Human Sciences, Social History of Medicine, Islamic Science, Medieval Medicine, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Ancient Greek Science and Philosophy, and Science and Technology Studies(Philosophy Of Mathematics, Sociology of Knowledge, History of Technology, History of Science, History of Social Sciences, Medieval Science, Sociology Of Scientific Knowledge, Early Modern Science, History and Philosophy of the Human Sciences, Social History of Medicine, Islamic Science, Medieval Medicine, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Ancient Greek Science and Philosophy, and Science and Technology Studies)
(Philosophy Of Mathematics, Sociology of Knowledge, History of Technology, History of Science, History of Social Sciences, Medieval Science, Sociology Of Scientific Knowledge, Early Modern Science, History and Philosophy of the Human Sciences, Social History of Medicine, Islamic Science, Medieval Medicine, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Ancient Greek Science and Philosophy, and Science and Technology Studies)
The Deadline is January 5, 2019. This is the third iteration of the National Undergraduate Conference in Science, Technology, Medicine and Society at DePauw University. Check out our new Facebook page:... more
The Deadline is January 5, 2019. This is the third iteration of the National Undergraduate Conference in Science, Technology, Medicine and Society at DePauw University. Check out our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/STMSconference/
Research Interests: Medical Anthropology, Philosophy of Science, History of Mathematics, History of Medicine, Philosophy Of Mathematics, and 14 moreHistory of Science, Ancient Science, Medieval Science, Medical Humanities, History of Physics, History of Biology, Ancient Medicine, Early Modern Science, Scientific Revolution, Islamic Science, Scientific Writing, Medieval Medicine, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, and Science and Technology Studies(History of Science, Ancient Science, Medieval Science, Medical Humanities, History of Physics, History of Biology, Ancient Medicine, Early Modern Science, Scientific Revolution, Islamic Science, Scientific Writing, Medieval Medicine, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, and Science and Technology Studies)
(History of Science, Ancient Science, Medieval Science, Medical Humanities, History of Physics, History of Biology, Ancient Medicine, Early Modern Science, Scientific Revolution, Islamic Science, Scientific Writing, Medieval Medicine, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, and Science and Technology Studies)
This interdisciplinary conference aims to bring together undergraduate students from across North America who are investigating: 1) how science, technology and medicine (STM) affect societies; 2) how societal values and concerns inform... more
This interdisciplinary conference aims to bring together undergraduate students from across North America who are investigating: 1) how science, technology and medicine (STM) affect societies; 2) how societal values and concerns inform and constitute STM; and/or 3) the historical and/or conceptual foundations of STM. We invite submissions addressing the above topics from students across the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Registration, lodging, and meals will be provided for all student presenters. Once their papers have been accepted, students may also apply for a travel subsidy (up to $250). Interested students should submit their abstracts (250 words) and a brief bio by December 15, 2017 (Deadline Extended till December 31). Abstracts and bios should be sent as pdf files to: studentresearch@depauw.edu. All applicants will be notified by January 18, 2018.
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This interdisciplinary conference aims to bring together undergraduate students from across North America who are investigating: 1) how science, technology and medicine (STM) affect societies; 2) how societal values and concerns inform... more
This interdisciplinary conference aims to bring together undergraduate students from across North America who are investigating: 1) how science, technology and medicine (STM) affect societies; 2) how societal values and concerns inform and constitute STM; and/or 3) the historical and/or conceptual foundations of STM. Given the fast-paced nature of advances in STM and their deepening penetration into personal lives, critical thinking about STM is essential in our time. We invite submissions addressing the above topics from students across the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. We particularly encourage papers that transcend boundaries, whether disciplinary, spatial or temporal. Registration, lodging, and meals will be provided for all student presenters. Once their papers have been accepted, students may also apply for a travel subsidy (up to $250). Interested students should submit their abstracts (250 words) and a brief bio by December 15, 2016. Abstracts and bios should be sent as pdf files to: studentresearch@depauw.edu. All applicants will be notified by January 20, 2017.
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This is the abstract of a paper that has just been accepted for publication by *Medical History*, where our original essay, "Plague and the Fall of Baghdad (1258)," originally appeared in 2021. An embargoed copy of the original draft of... more
This is the abstract of a paper that has just been accepted for publication by *Medical History*, where our original essay, "Plague and the Fall of Baghdad (1258)," originally appeared in 2021. An embargoed copy of the original draft of the paper was uploaded in March 2024 to Knowledge Commons: https://doi.org/10.17613/xpwv-2r48. Questions? Write me at monica.h.green@gmail.com. The issue of the "pre-history" of the Black Death was the focus of a public webinar held on 22 May 2024; see this link for details: https://www.academia.edu/118283570. The slides and bibliography for that talk can be found under this Plague Studies tab here on Monica's Academia page.
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This is a study co-authored by Nahyan Fancy (1st and corresponding author, DePauw University) and myself. "Plague and the Fall of Baghdad (1258)" looks in closer detail at a phenomenon I first examined in "The Four Black Deaths" (American... more
This is a study co-authored by Nahyan Fancy (1st and corresponding author, DePauw University) and myself. "Plague and the Fall of Baghdad (1258)" looks in closer detail at a phenomenon I first examined in "The Four Black Deaths" (American Historical Review, 2020), that is, the indications in historical sources that some kind of highly lethal epidemic disease was involved in sieges conducted by the Mongols during their 13th-century campaigns. Fancy, a historian of Islamic medicine, draws on his extensive knowledge of 13th-century sources (including commentaries on Avicenna's Canon) to flesh out the indications in hadith commentators and historical chroniclers that not simply an epidemic, but bubonic plague specifically was involved in the devastation at Baghdad, followed by subsequent outbreaks in Syria and perhaps Egypt as well. The study is fully documented with reference to original sources.
The essay is available open-access at this link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/medical-history/article/plague-and-the-fall-of-baghdad-1258/C0E179EB4890C10BBFAE5C11DFC8DF36. A Corrigendum notice (correcting a claim in one of our footnotes) was posted in 2022: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/medical-history/article/plague-and-the-fall-of-baghdad-1258-corrigendum/5E111B81851AC6F03D97A00BC0C2476C.
Dr Fancy and I discussed our methods and findings in a presentation at the American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM) meeting on 13 May 2021.
The essay is available open-access at this link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/medical-history/article/plague-and-the-fall-of-baghdad-1258/C0E179EB4890C10BBFAE5C11DFC8DF36. A Corrigendum notice (correcting a claim in one of our footnotes) was posted in 2022: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/medical-history/article/plague-and-the-fall-of-baghdad-1258-corrigendum/5E111B81851AC6F03D97A00BC0C2476C.
Dr Fancy and I discussed our methods and findings in a presentation at the American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM) meeting on 13 May 2021.