The first institution known to history for the care of sick and wounded was perhaps established by Hippocrates. Bimaristan is the Persian word for hospitals while its Arabic version is Maristan. In the Muslim era the Umayyad Caliph Walid bin Abdul Malik was the first ruler who set up a hospital in 706 and appointed physicians on fixed remuneration. Lepers were specially provided indoor treatment in this hospital. Caliph Walid also granted stipends to the blind. 1
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Hospitals and Dispensaries by Muslim Rulers of India
According to great Muslim historian Syed Abdul Hai, Firoz Tughluq was the first Indian monarch who is credited with the opening of several hospitals, the biggest of which was at Delhi. He appointed not only salaried physicians and made provision for free supply of medicines but also ordered that all patients admitted to these hospitals should be given nutritious diet, milk, etc. till their complete recovery from the illness. Complete destruction of the hospital buildings of Firoz Tughlaq renders it difficult to locate their sites.
Gulbarga Dispensary
It was a big dispensary established by Sultan Alauddn Hasan bin Ali Bahmani, whose physician in-charge was Hakim Alimuddin of Tabriz. All patients were provided free medicines along with nutritious food from the public exchequer.2
Bimaristan-i-Kashmir
Sultan Zainuddin, King of Kashmir, had opened this hospital at Srinagar. Both Hindu and Muslim physicians had been appointed by him in this hospital.
Maritsan Mandu
Mahmud Shah Khilji of Malwa founded this hospital at his capital Mandu in 1445. The hospital had separate wards and indoor hospitalization facilities for the insane besides those suffering from other diseases and had a number of physicians to look after the patients.
Anybody could get treatment at the hospital without paying anything for the treatment. Mahmud Shah Khilji had also created a trust for meeting the expenditure of the hospital and appointed Maulana Fazal Ullah with the title of Haklm-ul-Hukma as its chief physician.
Shafakhana Ahmadabad
This hospital was at Bidar with several Muslim and non-Muslim physicians who were on the regular payroll of the State. A trust consisting of a number of villages had been created for the hospital by its founder Sultan Alauddin bin Ahmad Shah Bahmani.3
Ilajkhana Hyderabad
Established in 1597 at Hyderabad the hospital had several well-paid physicians and was adequately provided with medicines, provisions for diet of patients and other necessities. Anyone whether poor or rich, was allowed to take advantage of the hospital.4
Dawakhana Akbarabad
This hospital was perhaps set up during the reign of Akbar and existed till the end of Moghul rule in India. 5
Another hospital at Agra was located near the Jami Mosque and the fort which was destroyed during 1857 rampage. The Railway Station of Agra was built on the site occupied by the hospital.
A hospital built of white marble and artistically designed with rooms for the lodging of patients existed at Fatehpur- Sikri. It was constructed by Akbar. Its wrecks are still traceable.
Fatehptir Slkri had one more hospital established by Sheikh Abul Faiz bin Mubarak of Nagore near his house. The hospital was sufficiently provided with medicines and nutriments for the patients
Darushshifa Ahmadabad
This hospital was built by Nawab Saif Khan at Ahmadabad in 1622 during the reign of Jahangir, when he was posted there as a Shiqdar in that province. The hospital was in existence during the closing years of the Moghul rule. Aurangzeb had appointed Hakim Raziuddin as the Chief Physician of this hospital in 1702 in place of Hakim Mohammad TaqI Shirazi.6
One more hospital was established by the Moghuls at Ahmadabad. This hospital also continued to function till the end of the Moghul rule. Shahjahan appointed Hakim Muhammad Hashim as the Chief Medical Officer of this hospital.
Maristan Surat
This hospital was opened during the Moghul rule. Hakim Muhammad Ashraf Tabib was the Medical Officer-in-charge of the hospital during the reign of Aurangzeb. The son of Hakim Muhammad Ashraf Tabib succeeded his father after the death of the latter.
Delhi Hospitals
A hospital known as Darushshifa was established by Shah Jahan in 1649-50 near the Jama Masjid at Delhi. He appointed several highly paid physicians in this hospital.7
Mahammad Khan, upon whom was conferred the title of Nawab Khair Andesh Khan, had set up a hospital at Delhi for which he secured the services of Hakim Abdur Razzaq of Nishapur, Hakim Abdul Majid of Isfahan, Mirza Muhammad Ali of Bukhara and Hakim Muhammad Adil for its Tibbiya wing and Kewal Nain, Sukhanand and Nain Sukh for the Ayurved section.
The Nawab also endowed landed property for running the hospital, supply of medicines and food etc. for the patients. The hospital served the rich and the poor alike.8
Darushshifa Lucknow
The hospital was established by Hakim Mahdi Ali Khan, a minister of King Nasiruddin Haider. The hospital had indoor facilities and an attached pharmacy for preparation and dispensing of drugs. The first head of the hospital was Mirza Ali Akbar bin-Al-Haj-Ghoghai. The hospital continued to function for a long time.9
Hospitals in Each Major City of India & Cash for Patients by Jahangir
The Moghul rulers had set up a number of hospitals which were then known as Darushshifa and they were mostly in big cities like Agra, Delhi, Lahore etc.
In 1708 Jahangir ordered that similar hospitals should be established in every major city with an attached pharmacy and free kitchen so that Hindu and Muslim patients could be given free food with medical treatment till their complete recovery. He also ordered that every patient discharged from a hospital should be given a lump sum amount.
- Ahmad b. Ali b. Abdui Qadir b. Muhammad-al-Miqrizi, Khutat Wal- Athar (Cairo, 1270 A.H.) Vol. II, p. 405.
- Mahbub-i-Watan, Vol. I, p. 214
- Firishta, Vol. I, p. 333.
- Hadiqat-ul-Alam, Vol. I, p. 217.
- Sil Chand: Tarikh Agra.
- Mirat-i-Ahmadi
- Athar-us-Sanadid, p. 283
- Khairul-Tajarib
- Kamaluddin Mashhadi, Qaisar-ut-Tawartkh