The Unani System of Medicine is one of the oldest holistic healthcare practices still around today. It has roots in ancient Greek medicine but was later enhanced by Arab and Persian scholars who turned it into a more comprehensive medical science. The word “Unani” comes from “Iōnía,” which means Greece. This system focuses on natural healing, disease prevention, and balancing physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Asclepius (Greek: Asklepios, Latin: Aesculapius), known as Asqaliboos in Unani texts, was a legendary Greek physician who was later honored as a god of medicine and healing. He was highly revered in ancient times and symbolized medical wisdom, healing, and compassion. His famous rod, entwined with a serpent, remains a well-known symbol in medicine and healthcare today.
The Unani system also draws heavily from the philosophy of Hippocrates (Buqrat), who is often called the “Father of Medicine.” He focused on careful observation, rational diagnosis, and ethical practices in medicine. After him, Galen (Jalinoos) further organized medical theories regarding anatomy, physiology, treatment methods, and humoral pathology, which became the backbone of Unani medicine.
During the golden age of Islamic civilization, many notable Arab and Persian doctors built on this knowledge. Avicenna wrote the famous Al-Qanoon fit Tib (Canon of Medicine), which became a key medical text in Asia and Europe for centuries. Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas al-Zahrawi (936–1013 CE), known as Albucasis in Latin, was an Arab physician and surgeon from al-Andalus (now Spain). He’s often called the father of modern surgery for his innovative surgical instruments and techniques that influenced European medicine for years. Similarly, Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyāʾ al-Rāzī (c. 854–925 CE), known as Rhazes in the Latin West, was a Persian physician, philosopher, and alchemist from Rayy (now Tehran, Iran). He’s celebrated as one of the top clinicians of medieval Islamic medicine for advancing hospital medicine and empirical observation.
Unani medicine holds that the body is regulated by four humours—Dam (blood), Balgham (phlegm), Safra (yellow bile), and Sauda (black bile). Good health relies on the balance of these humours and the harmony of temperament (Mizaj). Illness can arise when this balance is thrown off due to bad diet, an unhealthy lifestyle, environmental influences, or emotional stress.
The main treatment principles in Unani medicine include:
- Ilaj-bit-Tadbeer (Regimenal Therapy)
- Ilaj-bit-Ghiza (Dietotherapy)
- Ilaj-bit-Dawa (Pharmacotherapy)
- Ilaj-bit-Yad (Surgery)
These approaches prioritize prevention, lifestyle changes, and enhancing the body's natural healing abilities through herbal remedies and non-invasive methods.
In India, Unani medicine thrived under influential scholars and traditional medical families. Hakim Ajmal Khan (1868–1927) was a famous Indian physician, educator, and freedom fighter who modernized Unani medicine and played a crucial role in India's independence. Coming from the esteemed Khandan-e-Sharifi family of Delhi, he blended traditional healing with a reformist outlook and a commitment to national service, founding institutions that bolstered education and research. Similarly, Hakim Abdul Aziz (1855–1911) was a pioneering Unani physician and scholar based in Lucknow who founded the renowned Khandan-e-Azizi medical family, which was key to revitalizing Unani practices in colonial India. His efforts connected traditional Greco-Arab medicine to modern medical education.
Today, the Directorate of Unani Services, Government of Uttar Pradesh is dedicated to preserving this rich medical legacy by promoting quality healthcare, education, research, and public awareness through hospitals, dispensaries, medical colleges, and community outreach programs, ensuring healthcare remains affordable and accessible for everyone.
