Born in Khwarazm
Born in the oasis land of Khwarazm, south of the Aral Sea.
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Al-Biruni was perhaps the most exact mind of the medieval world. He calculated the earth's circumference with remarkable accuracy, debated Ibn Sina about the nature of the heavens, and wrote on mathematics, astronomy, mineralogy, and the calendars of every people he could find. Carried to India in the wake of conquest, he learned Sanskrit and wrote a study of Hindu thought so patient and fair that it remains a model of how to describe a culture one does not belong to. Compare honestly, he insisted, and report what is, not what you wish were true.
