Historian and scholar in Córdoba, 11th century.
From Tabaqat al-Umam ("Categories of Nations"):
"Among the nations, during the course of centuries and throughout the passage of time, India was known as the mine of wisdom and the fountainhead of justice and good government and the Indians were credited with excellent intellects, exalted ideas, universal maxims, rare inventions and wonderful talents... They have studied arithmetic and geometry. They have also acquired copious and abundant knowledge of the movement of the stars, the secrets of the celestial sphere and all other kinds of mathematical sciences. Moreover, of all the peoples they are the most learned in the science of medicine and thoroughly informed about the properties of drugs, the nature of composite elements and peculiarities of the existing things."
South Asian History Project (2002c) Philosophical development from Upanishadic Metaphysics to Scientific Realism. http://india resource.tripod.com/upanishad.htm, last update 22 May 2002.