Ahmad Birshak, a permanent figure, mathematician, calendarist, and researcher of the history of science, passed away on March 24, 2002. He was a powerful writer, translator, proofreader and researcher. According to world renowned calendarists, in introducing the Iranian calendar to the world and his accuracy were such that he is considered to be the most outstanding expert in this field.
A comparative calendar of 3000 years is one of his most last works. In a pamphlet from his social science teacher, he noticed the use of Gregorian, solar and lunar dates in one sentence. There, creating a table converting the three calendars came to his mind, in order to make the job easy for both teacher and student. And, he did it very well. Making corrections to the Iranian calendar is another of his works. Dr Birashk’s calendar, unlike the previous calendars, does not consist of 33-year periods divided into seven 4-year periods and one 5-year period, but consists of 2820-year periods. Each of this period is divided into sub-periods of 29, 33, or 37 years, in each of which the multiple years 4 are leap years. Each year has 12 months, with the first six 31 days, the next fifty 30, and the last month 29 or 30 days, depending on whether or not there is a leap.
One of his most valuable services to the culture of Iran was the establishment of Hadaf Schools. Birshak and a few of his companions “Ahmad Dayani, Ahmad Reza Gholizadeh, Mohammad Ghazi Nouri, Ali Madman, Taqi Horfar, and Ahmad Anvari” founded the first Hadaf School with the motto “Art, knowledge and culture”, and an initial capital of 35,000 tomans, on May 23, 1948. Hadaf Cultural Group, consisting of four each of girls and boys primary and high schools, gave out more than 16,000 graduates before it was dissolved in 1979.
Birshak was born on January 25, 1907, in Bajgiran. He received primary education as well as the French language from his father. He continued his education at the French medium Alliance School in Tehran. After graduating from high school, he entered the Higher Teachers’ College in mathematics and later served in the Ministry of Education and Endowments. After that, he taught mathematics, physics, natural sciences, and language from the first to the sixth grade in Sari for some time.
For some time he was head of the employment office for districts in the Human Resources Department of the Ministry of Culture and for some time Head of the Human Resources Department Tehran University. In 1949, when Tehran University separated from the Ministry of Education, he was appointed as Chancellor of Tehran University. In 1943 he wrote his famous article “Critique of the university laws”.
After Tehran University again went under Ministry of Education in 1945, Manuchehr Eqbal was appointed as Chancellor of the University and Birashk resigned from his administrative position in the University, and started teaching in the Polytechnique University and teachers college. At these two universities, he taught “Perspectives” for 18 years. In the university, he met and benefited from professors such as Gholam Hossein Rahnama, Badi-al-Zaman Forouzanfar, Shafaq, Dr. Louis Long, and Gabriel Yarier. He was sent several times to study the education system in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1961, during the tenure of Natel Khanlari as Minister, he became deputy Ministry for Cultural and collaborated with Sharif University of Technology “former Ariamehr” in editing mathematics and physics texts.
In 1920, he founded the Institute of the Great Persian Encyclopedia, and until 1999, he was its director. That same year, he was awarded the Presidential Certificate of Merit as a model professor and received an honorary doctorate in mathematics from Shahid Beheshti University. In addition to the Great Persian Encyclopedia, he has contributed to the compilation of the Iranica encyclopedia, the complete English-Persian dictionary by Abbas Arianpour and Manouchehr Arianpour, the encyclopedia of children and adolescents, and the encyclopedia of Iran and Islam. This outstanding professor translated his first scientific book from English to Persian, namely, “The history of science” by George Sarton, which won the award for the best translation of the year. “Scientific Biography of Scholars,” translated by Ahmad Birshak, was selected as the book of the year by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in the 15th volume of the Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Birshak has authored and translated more than 110 books, some of them in collaboration with others.
Receiving the first-degree state medal from the Office of the President, in 2002, and an honorary doctorate in mathematics from Shahid Beheshti University is among the honors of this Professor of Tehran University. Ahmad Birshak passed away in April 2002 at the age of 95, while in the early days of April of that year, he received the first-class state medal of knowledge from the Presidential Office.
The “Geush” Day: the name of this Izad in Avesta is “Gaush” which means the world. The fourteenth day of each month is associated with this Izad. Geush Izad is the guardian of the whole universe. This day is one of the four days of abstaining from eating meat. Zoroastrians call this day “Nabor” and avoid killing animals and eating meat. It is said that this day should be celebrated.
Today, the day Geush Izad is the fourteenth day of the Zoroastrian calendar. According to the Zoroastrian calendar, which dates back to pre-Islamic periods, each month has 30 days, and each of these 30 days have name, and today is the day called “Geush”. Geush is an Izad (divine). The name Izad is used for praiseworthy creations, that is, the good and divine creations that are worthy of praise.. Geush Izad is so praiseworthy that even one of the Avesta Yashts is dedicated to this Izad. “Geush Yasht” or “Drvaspa Yasht” is the Yasht in which “Geush Izad” is mentioned.”
The word “Geush” or “Gaush” is mentioned many times in “Gathas” (poems of Ashu Zartosht), in “Avesta,” and in Pahlavi scripts. The word gaush has several meanings that must be understood in the sentence, like many other words.
This word means “the universe” and “the whole of creation”, and it also means “cow”. Of course, this meaning, i.e., “cow” in Iranian mythology, is the same as “creation” or “the universe”. In Avesta, Geush or Gaush means both cow and universe (giti). “Urva,” which means spirit (rowan), along with the word geush, carries the meaning of the spirit of the world or the spirit of a cow. “Geushurvan” is a keeper of herds and livestock. The “cow” in Iranian mythology is a symbol of the universe and a symbol of earthly life from a philosophical point of view.
Iranians believed that Geush Izad is the guardian and defender of valuable animals, and this mission is in agreement with the meaning of the name of this Izad. Therefore, in other words, harming useful animals means harming the creation, and harming the universe.
Geush izad rushes to the aid of “Vahman Amshaspand” with the help of “Mah Izad” and “Ram Izad” to protect valuable animals. So, mah Izad, Ram Iyazd and Geush izad are the partners of “Vahman Amshaspand” in this mission.
Zoroastrians have long avoided killing animals and eating their meat during these four days, and this is done to protect the number of animals and human health. Avoiding killing animals and eating their meat, is like a general agreement among Zoroastrians, to keep the animals safe during these four days.
Let us imagine that this agreement goes beyond this small community (Zoroastrian community), then all the people of the world are supposed to avoid killing animals on these 4 days; Undoubtedly, the number of killing animals will be significantly reduced, and on the other hand, it will be an exercise for humans to eat vegetables.
Every month, the day “Geush” reminds us of the creation. Geush Izad, like Ram Izad and Mah Izad, and Vahuman Amshaspand, is a reminder that we do not forget that we are part of this collection, if we hurt a part of the universe, we will be offended. It is said that this day should be celebrated.
