1394-1449

Tartar Astronomer and Mathematician

Ulugh Beg made Samarkand one of the leading cultural and intellectual centers of the world. In that city he established a madrasa (Islamic institution of higher learning) that emphasized astronomical studies. He also constructed an observatory that became the leading center for astronomical research in the fifteenth century. Working with his assistants, he produced the important Zij-i Djadid Sultani astronomical tables and star catalog.

The grandson of the Tartar conqueror Tamerlane, Ulugh Beg was born in Sultaniyya (in modern Iran), on March 22, 1394. His birth name, Muhammad Taragay, was immediately superseded by the cognomen Ulugh Beg, meaning "Great Prince." In 1409 Ulugh Beg's father, Shah Rukh, appointed him governor of Maverannakr (present-day southeastern Uzbekistan), the chief city of which was Samarkand. Though actively engaged in the economic, political, and military affairs of his territory, Ulugh Beg was more interested in scientific pursuits.

Among...