The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-06-09
A REPOSITORY OF LEARNING.

The comprehensive idea with
the Saracens was that of APP
preparation. They are to be
considered as the great recep-
tacle and preservers in the
History of education.
To know the influence of
this people we must know their
resources, and facts connected
with their development from
bigoted fanatical Arabs of the
desert to a people among the
most refined and intellectual
of any during the Middle Ages.
This development was the
more remarkable by reason Of
it's speedy contamination.
At time when the Eastern
or Byzantine Empire, after a
series of national disasters, was
undergoing a decline of intel
lectual activity, great rev.
olution was taking place among
the Arabians. The prophet
Mohammed, by his char
acteristic life and teachings was
forming a new and a peculiar
people destined to accomplish,
within two short centuries,
great things for the future intel
lectua1 development of Europe.
In the accomplishment of
this, they were aided by three
important influences, the re-
suits of former world conquests,
the natural curious nature of
the Arab, and the teachings by
which they were Influenced.
Under the first of these, one
must consider that after
Alexander's great conquest
Greek learning, and the Greek
language was spread through
out all the countries of southern
Europe and parts of Asia and
northern Africa.
There was a wealth of learning
stored in Alexandria, Constan-
tinople and other cities.
This coming into contact
with the most civilized portions
of mankind, with the learning
of past ages awaiting them, a
people by nature inquisitive
and eager to appropriate every
thing to themselves, they be-
gan to make great progress. In
the comparative quiet and
reflective period following one
of tumultous warfare, and
great emigratory movements,
an intellectual advance gen
orally follows. So with the Sar-
acens. They were restrained
and changed by the refined life
of great cities with which they
came in contact. With the same
impetuous zeal which they had
shown in religious and warlike
affairs, they now gave them
selves over to searching and
acquiring along every line OF
knowledge, especially on the
material side, not on the ethical
side.
The teachers" with whom
they first came in contact were
the HISTORIANS in Asia and the
Alexandrian ews in Africa
The fundamental doctrine OF
the Saracens was the oneness
of God, and they assumed the
same attitude toward Greek
mythology, Greek art, and all
pertaining to idolatry, and as
other people did, and as the
Christians did. This is shown
afterwards, too, in what they
preserved. They cultivated fine
architecture, but not sculpture
physical and medical services
but not classical and mythO
logical lore.
There was also another com
mon ground between the two
or rather three peoples. The
| HISTORIANS had devoted them
selves to the study of medicine
and the Jews had among them
distinguished physicians.
The theology of the times for
babe such sciences as pertainec
to the healing of diseases Of
the body, but the Saracens were
untrammeled, and made mos
advance along these lines.
Another factor in their intel
lectual progress was, perhaps
the rivalry between the two
great caliphates resulting from
civil strife. This great division
among themselves led to the
establishment of the two grea'
centers, Bagdad, under Abbas
and Cordova, under Omega
This was a turning point fol
the people, a cessation of wal
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