Al-Kindi vs Zhang Juzheng

Al-Kindi was appointed by Caliph al-Ma'mun to work at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad. This institution was a major center for translation and research, where Al-Kindi supervised the translation of Greek philosophical and scientific texts into Arabic, preserving classical knowledge.

Al-Kindi wrote 'On First Philosophy', a foundational work of Arabic Neoplatonic philosophy. In it, he argued for the existence of God as the First Cause and the eternity of the world, introducing Aristotelian and Neoplatonic ideas to the Islamic world.

Al-Kindi developed a method for determining the dosage of drugs based on mathematical proportions, described in his work 'De Gradibus'. This approach applied quantitative analysis to pharmacology, influencing later medical practice in both the Islamic world and Europe.

Al-Kindi fell out of favor under Caliph al-Mutawakkil, who reversed the rationalist policies of his predecessors. Al-Kindi's library was confiscated, and he was reportedly beaten. This persecution reflected the shift toward orthodox Islamic theology and the decline of Mu'tazilite influence.

Zhang Juzheng was appointed Grand Secretary of the Ming court, effectively becoming the chief minister. He dominated the government during the early reign of the Wanli Emperor, wielding unprecedented power to implement his reform agenda.

Zhang Juzheng overhauled the civil service examination system to reduce cheating and favoritism. He limited the number of successful candidates, emphasized practical statecraft over literary style, and required examiners to be more rigorous, aiming to select more competent officials.

Zhang Juzheng introduced the Single Whip tax system, which consolidated various taxes and corv