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Shahabinejad A, Lookzadeh H. (2024). Reidentification of the Time Measuring Device of Roknieh Complex of Yazd Based on the Jame Al-Khairat Endowment Text. Athar. 45(105), 61-84. doi:10.22034/45.105.3
URL: http://athar.richt.ir/article-2-1734-en.html

Abstract
One of the prominent historical elements of the city of Yazd can be considered as the time measuring device of Rukniyeh school or “Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at”. Since the device had complicated, useful and amazing functions, it became an attractive subject in the historical studies of Yazd, especially in the field of history of science. This has caused a significant number of researchers to describe Roknieh complex and its time measuring apparatus and provide a description of it, based on the historical references of the 8th century AH including two books of the “history of Yazd” and “the new history of Yazd”. However, so far, no research has used the endowment text of Jame Al-Khairat to recognize this device. In this article, relying on the text of the book Jame-Al-Khairat and rereading the text of this book in accordance with other sources and data, new information about this device has been obtained. The study is based on content analysis and text interpretation. In the interpretation of the text of Jame al-Khairat book, in addition to referring to two important historical sources, namely the book of Yazd History and New Yazd History, Recent field evidence in the area of Rukniyeh complex has been used. The results of the article provide us important information about the apparatus, which includes the nature of the device's power source, which was dependent on the Zarch Qanat, so that this device can be considered a water structure related to the Zarch Qanat. On the other hand, the findings of this article show that the location of the old stream located at the end of the payab of the Zarch Qanat, which was recently revealed in the Rukniyeh complex, coincides with the location of this apparatus in the 8th century AH. Also, the article provides information related to the maintenance costs of this device in the 8th century AH, which leads to an increase in our understanding of the mechanism of setting up and maintaining this device.
Keyword: Time Measuring Device, Roknieh Complex, Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at, Yazd, Jame Al-Khairat Endowment Text.

Introduction
“Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at” was one of the important components of the Rukniyeh School complex in the 8th century AH. The Rukniyeh School complex was one of the prominent complexes that was built by Seyyed Ruk al-Din, one of the prominent people in the history of Yazd, in the early 8th century AH, adjacent to the old Jame Mosque of the city. According to local history, in addition to the Madrasa and the “Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at”, which were the most prominent components of the complex, there were other innovations related to the Madrasa, including a mosque, a medical clinic, a medicine store, a three-thousand-volume library, a khanqah, a high gate, and other public buildings (Jafari, 1338: 81-83) and (Kateb, 1386: 112-114). The construction date of this complex was 725 AH. In the book “History of Yazd”, Jafari considered this Madrasa as “the mother of the schools of Yazd, a similar example of which did not exist in any other country.” (Jafari, 1338: 81). Unfortunately, during the 10th and 11th centuries AH this huge complex began to decline, and according to Mostofi Bafqi’s explanations in the book of Mufidi, the only building left of this complex was the school, which was the burial place of Seyyed Rukn al-Din and is known today as the tomb of Seyyed Rukn al-Din, and there is no evidence of other components of the complex, especially the “Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at” (Mostofi Bafqi, 1385: 655). However, at the site of the Rukniyeh complex, a square was formed, the name of which is inspired by the “Rasad e Vaght o Saat”, and is mentioned in the book of Mufidi as the “Vaght o Saat” square (Shahabinejad, 1400 A: 60). This square is still known by this name today, four centuries later. The Yazd “Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at” was a timekeeping device that, in addition to displaying the hours of the day, also displayed the annual calendar, and its operation was based on the motive force of water. Unfortunately, because no physical evidence of this device has survived to the contemporary period, the identification and study of this device is accompanied by many limitations. In this study, an attempt has been made to identify some unknown dimensions of this structure using the text of the book Jame’ al-Khairat.

Discussion
The text of the “Jame’ al-Khairat” mentions the name of the “Rasad” twice next to a stream from the Qanat-e-Zarch. In one place, it mentions; “A water stream flowed under this ‘Rasad’ whose source was the water from the Qanat-e-Zarch” and in another place it says; “For the repair of a stream that was drawn under the Rasad site…”. It can be concluded that the observatory of time and clock had a close and meaningful relationship with the Qanat-e-Zarch below it, and that the placement of the “Rasad” on a stream or a branch of the Qanat-e-Zarch was not accidental but rather a functional necessity. On the other hand, the type of writing in the text may indicate that this branch of the Qanat-e-Zarch was purposefully designed to pass under the Rasad”. Because in the past, the Qanats in the inner limits of cities were routed in such a way that significant and important buildings could benefit from the water along the Qanat route. Accordingly, the reference in the book to “a stream that is drawn under the Rasad” indicates that this stream was routed so that it passed under the Rasad” in order to benefit from the “Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at”. Although the Jame’ al-Khairat document does not refer to the functional relationship between the “Rasad” and the Qanat-e-Zarch water stream, by referring to the text of the two books, the history of Yazd and the new history of Yazd, one can understand the nature and necessity of the connection between the “Rasad” and the Qanat-e-Zarch.
A review of the descriptions of the two books “History of Yazd” and “New History of Yazd” shows that the timekeeping automaton were mechanical structures whose motive force was provided by water, in such a way that water was initially collected in a water storage tank that was twice the height of a person. At the top of this tank was an anchor or float. At the bottom of the tank was a water outlet valve that gradually released water, and this outlet water entered a well. As the water came out of the oven, the water level in the oven dropped and the float (anchor) came down with it. This anchor was connected to the mechanical elements inside the device via a chain, and by moving this chain, through 150 other ropes, the other moving elements of the device were set in motion, and based on specific mechanical rules, it was possible to display the date of year and the hours of the day.

Conclusion
“Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at” was a water-based timekeeping device, the water needed for the device was supplied through the Qanat stream below it. This water filled a large tank inside the device every day, and then the used water was directed into the Qanat through a well, and this process was repeated every day. The establishment of this device on the Qanat stream and the allocation of an annual fee for the maintenance of the stream under the Qanat indicate the importance of this Qanat stream in the operation time of this device. According to the text of the book Jame' al-Khairat, the Qanat that was under the “Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at” was the Zarch Qanat.
By examining recent field findings in the area of the Rukniyeh complex in Yazd and its correspondence with the descriptive location of the observation in the text of the book Jame' al-Khairat and two books of local history of Yazd, it can be seen that the “Payab” of the Qanat-e-Zarch, which has recently been revealed in this area and access to it has been established, was related to the “Rasad-e Vaght o Sa'at”. Accordingly, the approximate area of the establishment of this structure in the 8th century can be determined, which is consistent with the location of a historical Qajar house (the House of the “Kheradmand”, or the “Fazeli Carpet Shop” in its current state) to the north of the Seyyed Ruk al-Din tomb and the “Vaght o Sa'at” Square.
The maintenance costs of this water structure included 380 dinars per year, of which 240 dinars were spent on the clock keeper who was responsible for maintaining and adjusting the clock, 120 dinars for the cost of repairing and restoring the parts of the device, and 20 dinars for keeping the Qanat under observation.