The Banu Musa Brothers and The Book of Tricks
How Three Persian Brothers in 9th Century Baghdad Advanced The Field of Automation and Robotics
Throughout the 9th Century, Baghdad was a prosperous city booming in culture and science. As the region continued to expand, the Abbasid Caliph, Al Ma’mun aimed to attract as much talent as he could to the city.
He hired scientists, mathematicians and intellectuals to ensure that Baghdad would continue to be the centre of prosperity.
One man he hired was an established, Persian astronomer called Musa ibn Shakir.
Al Ma’mun emphasised intellectual and scientific advancement, so he saw the work of ibn Shakir as an extremely valuable asset.
However, ibn Shakir would soon pass away.
He left behind three sons; Muhammad, Ahmed, and Al Hassan. The brothers displayed high levels of talent in maths, engineering and astronomy; they were prodigies that Al Ma’mun couldn’t overlook.
They were taken in by the Caliph who encouraged them to settle in Baghdad to focus on scholarship .
Al Ma’mun hired them to carry out various studies in geography (measuring longitude and latitude) as well as astronomy.
But it was their work in machinery and design where they would make a name for themselves.
They had different specialities but all contributed to the advancement of inventions and mechanisms.
The brothers worked together on multiple projects, and would become dubbed ‘Banu Musa’ (The Sons of Musa).
The Book of Ingenious Devices
It is said that they produced over 20 books, with most of them having been lost. One that has been preserved, however, is Kitab al-Hiyal. In English, it is commonly known as The Book of Tricks or The Book of Ingenious Devices (c.858CE).
This iconic book was created as a way of preserving the work of Greek, Roman, Chinese and Indian masters of mechanical devices. Banu Musa were inspired by the likes of Hero of Alexandria and Philo of Byzantium who were exceptional Greek engineers.
In the book, the brothers also showcased their own significant additions to the field. For example, they used numbers when dealing with areas and volumes, instead of only thinking in terms of comparing ratios.
So, what were some of the interesting designs that they introduced?
The brothers invented some very practical devices for cleaning.
One of these was the clamshell grabber. This was a tool used to remove deposits from the bottoms of rivers and bays which needed to be clear for people to navigate when travelling.
On top of this, they also created gas masks for people who needed to clean out polluted wells.
Although the book contained many practical innovations, it also had some contraptions that were simply designed for their own amusement.
Automatic Water Fountains
The brothers were fascinated with using water as a way of automatically operating different contraptions. Their knowledge of pressure allowed them to make devices appear to move by themselves.
Perhaps their most illustrious designs were the automatic fountains. The varying nozzles attached to the fountain allowed for differently shaped water jets to spray, leading to a beautiful form of artistry.
This has remained prominent to this day and inspired other Muslim engineers, including Al Jazari, to build on their work.
‘The Instrument which Plays by itself’
Banu Musa were the first to create automatic instruments.
In their book, they detailed a design of a hydraulic organ that would play itself continuously by manipulating water pressure.
On top of this, they also constructed a whole system for flutes to play automatically. These instruments played just as humans did. The only difference was that they were powered by steam.
For The Fun of It…
These particular inventions might not seem as renowned as the work of other academics during this period, but the brothers illustrated levels of curiosity and imagination that are the characteristics of so many great thinkers and inventors.
Often, mathematics and science are associated with solving major issues of the world. Banu Musa, on the other hand, carried out much of their experiments for their own amusement. They enjoyed creating, even if the gadgets may be regarded as ‘less useful’.
Regardless, these displayed fundamental elements of automation for other engineers to use later in time.
Family Ties
Banu Musa were fortunate to have talented scholars in such close proximity in the form of each other.
It’s difficult to determine which of the brothers is credited with individual designs, but that’s beside the point.
The sibling connection worked well enough for their talents to neatly combine rather than conflict. The supportive and competitive environment that they were in likely pushed them to deeply study mechanics and inspire creativity.
Their background in mechanics, combined with their curiosity, likely spurred them to create delay systems, self-operating valves and levers for the sake of their own enjoyment.
To them, and many other scholars, engineering could enhance art as well as provide practical solutions to everyday life.