HISTORY OF UNANI MEDICINE

                    The Unani  System of medicine is a form of traditional medicine popular in south Asia. It is also known as Unani Tib or Unani Medicine. As the name suggests it originated in Greece.

This system of medicine had its root in Egypt. They gave importance to using herbs for the treatment of diseases and also used surgery as the mode of treatment.

            The Mesopotamians occupied an important place in history. They were the first to use urine samples as a diagnostic tool. 

The Greek period of Unani medicine began with Asclepius (1200 BC), a  great scholar of medicine. During this period, the Greeks developed the 'Art of Medicine' in light of medical knowledge acquired by Egyptians and Babylonians. The system was later adopted by Arabs which led to immense development in the growth of medicine. The medicine was based on the research of the Greek physician Hippocrates, Father of Modern Medicine, the Roman physician Galen, and other physicians namely the arab and Persian, such as Al Razi, Avicenna, and Al Zahravi. This led to the development of  Unani Medicine into a Holistic treatment system. 

                   The Arabs introduced the Unani System of Medicine in India by the 12th to 13th century AD. Later it flourished during the Mughal reign. The scholars were provided with state patronage and some of them were even enrolled by Delhi sultans, Tughlaqs, and the Mugal as state employees and court physicians by the Delhi sultans,tughlaqs, and Mughal emperors. They were referred to as 'Hakims'. During the period of Alauddin kilij (1296-1316), he appointed many famous unani physicians in his court. This benefitted the people and soon this practice spread throughout the country. Unani medicine flourished in India during the 13-17th centuries. 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 famous scholars who made immense contributions to this system.

                   Unani System of Medicine has been practiced, taught and scientifically documented in different parts of the country and established as a scientific medical system. The Government of India supported the growth and development of Unani Medicine and integrated it into the healthcare delivery system.

                   The Unani system had a struggling period during British rule. Due to the efforts of the Sharifi Family in Delhi, the Azizi Family in Lucknow, and the Nizami family of Hyderabad, Unani Medicine strived during this period. An excellent physician and scholar of the Unani system of Medicine, Hakim Ajmal Khan (1868 -1927) was the pioneer of this system. Hindusthani Dawa khana and ayurveda unani tibbia college are two major contributions of Ajmal khan to the ayurveda and unani system of medicine.

                      Hakim Abdul Hameed (1908–1999), belonging to the majidi family in Delhi, made great contributions to the modernization of Unani medicine. He established an Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research (IHMMR) in New Delhi, which then developed into a deemed university 'Jamia Hamdard', in 1989. other families such as the Usmani family of Allahabad (UP) and nizamuddhin  Family of Madras (Chennai) also played important roles in the development of Unani Medicine in the 20th century.

                    After independence, the Unani system of Medicine gained more popularity. The Indian Systems of Medicine including the Unani System and Homoeopathy of Medicine uplifted 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 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It was later renamed as the Department of AYUSH in November 2003 for the overall development of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy. At present, the 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.

Dr. Nazaha