PHILOSOPHER

Al-Jahiz

775 - 868

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Abu Uthman Amr ibn Bahr al-Kinani al-Basri (Arabic: أبو عثمان عمرو بن بحر الكناني البصري, romanized: Abū ʿUthman ʿAmr ibn Baḥr al-Kinānī al-Baṣrī; c. 776–868/869), commonly known as al-Jahiz (Arabic: الجاحظ, romanized: al-Jāḥiẓ, lit. 'the bug eyed'), was an Arabic polymath and author of works of literature (including theory and criticism), theology, zoology, philosophy, grammar, dialectics, rhetoric, philology, linguistics, and politico-religious polemics. His extensive zoological work has been credited with describing principles related to natural selection, ethology, and the functions of an ecosystem. Ibn al-Nadim lists nearly 140 titles attributed to al-Jahiz, of which 75 are extant. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Al-Jahiz has received more than 585,049 page views. His biography is available in 44 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 42 in 2019). Al-Jahiz is the 228th most popular philosopher (up from 232nd in 2019), the 45th most popular biography from Iraq (up from 46th in 2019) and the 3rd most popular Iraqi Philosopher.

Al-Jahiz is most famous for his book, "The Book of Animals" which is a work of natural history and zoology.

Memorability Metrics

  • 590k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 66.90

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 44

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 4.77

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.95

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among PHILOSOPHERS

Among philosophers, Al-Jahiz ranks 228 out of 1,267Before him are Bayazid Bastami, Nikolai Berdyaev, Marsilius of Padua, Paul Feyerabend, Vyasa, and Benjamin Constant. After him are Arcesilaus, Carneades, Roger Garaudy, Prodicus, Xenocrates, and Judah Loew ben Bezalel.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 775, Al-Jahiz ranks 3Before him are Pope Paschal I, and Leo V the Armenian. After him are Staurakios, Rotrude, and Yahya ibn Ma'in. Among people deceased in 868, Al-Jahiz ranks 1After him are Ali al-Hadi, and Ratramnus.

Others Born in 775

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Others Deceased in 868

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In Iraq

Among people born in Iraq, Al-Jahiz ranks 45 out of 384Before him are Ur-Nammu (-2200), Al-Musta'sim (1213), Suleyman Shah (1178), Faisal II of Iraq (1935), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (1971), and Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr (1914). After him are Tiglath-Pileser I (-1200), Shalmaneser III (-900), Ziryab (789), Nahum (-600), Mustafa Barzani (1903), and Ashurnasirpal II (-1000).

Others born in Iraq

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Among PHILOSOPHERS In Iraq

Among philosophers born in Iraq, Al-Jahiz ranks 3Before him are Al-Kindi (801), and Al-Ash'ari (873). After him are Abu Yusuf (731), Hunayn ibn Ishaq (809), Diogenes of Babylon (-240), Abu'l-Barakāt al-Baghdādī (1080), Abu Sulayman Sijistani (932), Ibn Abi'l-Hadid (1190), and Jamil Sidqi al-Zahawi (1863).