Who was AI-Biruni ? What did …

Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Abu Raihan Al-Biruni was bom on 4 sept 973 at Khwarizrn in Uzbekistan. He was well versed in many languages like Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Sanskrit and Syriac. During Mahmud Ghazni's invasian on Khwarizn in 1017 he was taken into his captive and brought to Ghazni as a hostage. Mahmud Ghazni was also impressed by his capability he did not only release him from his captive but also honoured him (Al-Biruni) was the title of Shah-e-Khwarizn.
Satying in Ghazni, he developed an interest to visit India. He got a choice to visit here during Mahmud's invasion on India in 1017-1018. In India he got a choice to stay with Indian scholars. He did not only learnt Sanskrit from them but also the Hindu religion and philosophy. This great scholar died at Ghazni in 1048.
In book of travel 'kitab-ul-hind', Biruni throws a light about Indian culture, cities, etc, Kitab-ul-Hind which was completed in 1031, was also known by the names of Tarikh- ul-Hind and Tahqiq-ma-lil-Hind. In his description he wrote.
i. Caste system was prevailing in Indian society. Society was divided into four castes namely Brahaman, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and and Shudras.
ii. Excect these four caste, one another caste was also prevalent in the society at that time. It was called Antyaja. The Antyaja were considered as the outside the caste system. It was expected from them to provide inexpensive labour to peasants as well as Zammidar.
iii.He also wrote that Hindus at that time also believed in the Varna system. Life was divided into four ashrams, each comprising of 25 years. These ashrams were the Brahmacharya Ashram, the Garhasthya Ashram, the Vanprastha Ashram and the Sanyasa Ashram.
iv. According to him the position of the women in the society was good.
v. He write that India is a vast country, but it was divided into many small states. These states were at continuously at war each other to gain supremacy. So there was lack of political unity in India.
vi.Indian rulers were lovers of justice. To provide justice they had set up courts at different levels of the state.
vii.About the economic condition of India he had written that though the foreign trade of India had declined, yet India was a economically a prosperous country.