Where Unani medicine originated?
The Unani System is a traditional form of medicine popular in south Asia. It also known as Unani Tib or Unani Medicine. As its name suggests, it originated from Greece.
This practice had its root in Egypt. They gave priority to herbs in the treatment of diseases and also initiated the use of surgery as a method of treatment. The Mesopotamians also occupied an important place in history. They were the first to use a urine sample as a diagnostic tool. The Greek period of unani medicine began with Asclepius (1200 BC) who was great scholar of medicine. In this period, Greek developed Art of Medicine in the light of medical knowledge of Egyptians and Babylonians. This system was further adopted by the Arabs, who developed it tremendously. It was based on the research of the Greek physician Hippocrates, who is considered the Father of Modern Medicine, the Roman physician Galen, and the Arabs and Persian physicians such as Al Razi, Avicenna and Al Zahravi Unani Medicine was developed into a Holistic treatment system.
It is also believed that this practice originated from Avicenna. It developed from Avicenna’s Medical Encyclopedia, The Canon of Medicine (Al-Qanun fi Tib). He was influenced by Greek and Islamic medicine and the methods of Sushruta and Charaka.
How Unani medicine reached in India ?
Unani System of Medicine was introduced to India by the Arabs in 12th to 13th century AD. Later it grew during the Mughal period. The Delhi sultans, Tughlaqs and the Mural Emperors provided state patronage to the scholars and even enrolled some as state employees and court physicians.They were called as ‘Hakims’. During the period of Alauddin Kilji (1296-1316), his royal court included any famous unani physicians. This practice found immediate favor with the people and soon spread throughout the country. Unani medicine had its heyday in India during the 13th and 17th century. Abu Bakr bin Ali Usman Kashani, Sadruddin Dimashqui, Bahwa bin Khwas Khan, Ali Geelani, Akbar Arzani and Muhammed Hashim Alavi Khan are some of the scholars who have made valuable contributions to this system.
Unani System of Medicine has been practised, taught and scientifically documented in different parts of the country and flourished as a scientific medical system. The Government of India facilitated the growth and development of Unani Medicine and it integrated into healthcare delivery system.
The Unani system had the difficult time during the British rule. Due to the efforts of Sharifi Family in Delhi, the Azizi Family in Lucknow and the Nizami family of Hyderabad, the Unani Medicine survived in the this period. An outstanding physician and scholar of Unani Medicine, Hakim Ajmal Khan (1868 -1927) was the pioneer of this system. The Hindustani Dawakhana and the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College in Delhi are the two major examples of his immense contribution in two important Indian systems of medicine – Unani Medicine and Ayurveda.
The Majidi family of Delhi, especially Hakim Abdul Hameed (1908–1999), made valuable contributions to the modernization of the Unani medicine. Hakim Abdul Hameed established an Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research (IHMMR) in New Delhi, which developed into a deemed university ‘Jamia Hamdard’, in 1989. Also some other families such as Usmani family of Allahabad (UP) and Niamathullah Family of Madras (Chennai) played important role in the development of Unani Medicine in 20th century.
After independence, the Unani and other systems of Medicine gained more popularity. The Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy including Unani System of Medicine got a boost in 1969 with the Government of India establishing Central Council for Research in Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy (CCRIMH) to conduct research and scientific activities. Initially, the Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) were taken care of by a division within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It was renamed as Department of AYUSH in November, 2003 for overall development of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy. At present, Unani System of Medicine, with its own recognized practitioners, hospitals and educational and research institutions, forms an integral part of the national healthcare delivery system.
About the author
Dr Safana Karuvatt is a registered unani doctor based in kerala india. She completed her graduation from Markaz Unani Medical College Kozhikode. She is a passionate writer on health topics especially about unani system of medicine. She contributed many articles to Unanidoctor.com