How many of the following statements regarding medicine and related practices in medieval India is/are correct? 1. Indian medicine of the Graeco-Arabic tradition (Tibb-i-Yunani) was almost identical in its practice with contemporary Persian medicine. 2. Harvey's discovery of the circulation of blood was explained to a scholarly noble by European traveller Francois Bernier. 3. The practice of smallpox inoculation was described in contemporary Yunani and Ayurvedic texts. Select the correct answer.

Statement 1 is correct as Tibb-i-Yunani (Unani medicine) in medieval India was deeply rooted in the Graeco-Arabic tradition, sharing its theoretical framework and clinical practices with contemporary Persian medicine due to extensive cultural exchanges [2]. Statement 2 is also correct; François Bernier, a French physician associated with the Mughal court and the noble Danishmand Khan, is documented to have explained William Harvey's discovery of blood circulation to his patron [3]. Statement 3 is incorrect because, while smallpox inoculation (variolation) was practiced in India, it was a traditional folk practice often associated with the cult of Shitala and was generally ignored or viewed with skepticism by contemporary Yunani and Ayurvedic textual traditions until much later. Therefore, only two statements are correct.

Sources

1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers > 1.1 From Khwarizm to the Punjab > p. 116
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 10: Advent of Arabs and Turks > Sources for the Study of Delhi Sultanate > p. 136
3. [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers > 3. François Bernier A Doctor with a Difference > p. 122