" Unani medicine is a comprehensive medical system based on the Greco-Arabic medical tradition that entered the Indian subcontinent during the medieval period. The term “Unani” derives from the Arabic word for “Ionian” (Greek), reflecting the system’s origins in the medical theories of Hippocrates and Galen as transmitted and elaborated by Arab physicians. Unani medicine represents a significant component of India’s pluralistic medical landscape and remains widely practiced in South Asia.
Background
The Unani system’s intellectual roots lie in the humoral theory of Hippocrates (460–370 BCE) and its systematic elaboration by Galen (129–216 CE). Arab physicians, particularly Rhazes (865–925 CE), Avicenna (980–1037 CE), and Averroes (1126–1198 CE), developed and refined the Galenic system into a comprehensive medical science. Avicenna’s Canon of Medicine (Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb), completed around 1025 CE, became the foundational text of Unani medicine and remained the principal medical textbook in both the Islamic world and European universities until the seventeenth century.
Unani medicine was introduced to India during the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 CE) and flourished under the Mughal Empire. The Unani system became an integral part of Indian medical culture, particularly in North India, Hyderabad, and Bengal. Notable Indian Unani physicians include Hakim Ajmal Khan (1868–1927), who was instrumental in establishing modern Unani medical education and who pioneered the standardization of Unani formulations.
Key Concepts
Unani medicine is organized around four humors (Akhlat): blood (Dam), phlegm (Balgham), yellow bile (Safra), and black bile (Sauda). Health is defined as the proper balance of these humors in quantity, quality, and functional power. Disease results from humoral imbalance (Sue Mizaj), which can arise from external factors (climate, diet, lifestyle) or internal causes (emotional disturbance, aging).
The seven natural factors (Umoor-e-Tabiya) that govern health include the humors themselves, the organs (Aaza), the vital force (Quwa), the natural functions (Af’al), the psyche (Nafs), the temperature (Hararath), and the complexion (Lawn-e-Jism). These factors interact dynamically, and the physician’s task is to identify which factor has become dysfunctional and to restore its proper function through appropriate intervention.
Unani therapeutics is classified into five branches: regimenal therapy (Ilaj bil Tadbeer), pharmacotherapy (Ilaj bil Dawa), surgery (Ilaj bil Yad), diet therapy (Ilaj bil Ghiza), and psychotherapy (Ilaj bil Nafs). Regimenal therapy encompasses physical interventions including cupping (Hijama), leeching, massage, fomentation, and venesection. These therapies are considered distinct from both pharmacological and surgical approaches and represent a significant component of Unani clinical practice.
Unani pharmacology employs an extensive materia medica derived from plant, animal, and mineral sources. The system classifies drugs according to their temperament (Mizaj), which is determined by the dominance of hot/cold and dry/moist qualities. This four-fold classification provides a framework for drug selection and combination that parallels the pharmacological concept of therapeutic synergy.
Present Day
India maintains the largest institutional infrastructure for Unani medicine of any country in the world. The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, established in 1978, conducts clinical and pharmacological research. Over 40 Unani medical colleges in India offer the BUMS (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery) degree, and several offer postgraduate training. The National Unani and Yunani Day is observed annually on November 11, honoring Hakim Ajmal Khan’s birth anniversary.
In international contexts, Unani medicine is practiced in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and parts of the Middle East. The WHO has recognized Unani medicine within its traditional and complementary medicine framework, and several Unani formulations have undergone clinical evaluation for conditions including psoriasis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and digestive disorders.
The integration of Unani medicine with modern biomedical science poses specific challenges. The humoral theory does not map directly onto modern physiological concepts, and the diagnostic methods (particularly pulse diagnosis and urinalysis) require careful standardization for use in clinical research. Nevertheless, the system’s emphasis on individualized treatment, prevention, and the therapeutic use of diet and lifestyle continues to attract research interest.
References
- Shah, M.H. (1966). The General Principles of Unani Medicine. Lahore: Bakhshay Das & Sons.
- Mukherjee, P.K. (2002). Quality control and evaluation of herbal drugs. In New Age Herbalist, Springer.
- Padhi, M.M. & Sasadhar, M. (2007). Unani medicine. In Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Churchill Livingstone.
- Prasad, R. et al. (2015). Unani system of medicine: A review. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research, 31(2), 191–197.