King's Pote 131 (King's College Library, King's College Cambridge)

Pote Collection

Summary of Contents: 1 copy of Chahār ʿUnṣūr (“Four Elements”).

Author: Bīdil, ʿAbd al-Qādir, 1644 or 5-1720 or 21 بيدل، عبد القادر

Language(s): Persian

Colophon details: Date: 1195 / 1781 Scribe: ʿAbd al-Razzāq Kātib عبد الرزاق .

Colophon further notes: The same scribe penned King's 130 and possibly is the scribe ʿAbd al-Razzāq Sihālawī who penned a number of mss in Lucknow in 1782-3 which are all now in the Bodleian: Ouseley 53, Ouseley 166, and possibly Ouseley 51-2, 170, 171, 73, 175, 184 and 185].

Note concerning manuscript: Divided into 4 parts with gaps after each. In the same hand as King's 130.

References

Browne no. 374

Palmer no. 131

Catalogue of Persian manuscripts in the library of the India Office (2 vols.) H. Ethé 1903-37 col.1159, no. 2115 [BL IO Islamic 1849]

Mughals in India: a bibliographical survey. Vol. 1. Manuscripts D.N. Marshall 1962 p.114

Physical Description

Form: codex

Extent: c. 300 folios.

Dimensions (leaf): 22.5 × 15.4 cm.

Dimensions (written): 16.6 × 10.3 cm.

Foliation: Neither foliated nor paginated.

Layout

15 lines per page.

Ruled in double red with a black outer. Rubrications in red.

Hand(s)

Script: Indian nastaʿlīq. Quality: Neat. Scribe: ʿAbd al-Razzāq Kātib عبد الرزاق.

Binding

Plain reddish brown leather, European style. Doublures: plain paper. Dimensions: 23.3 × 16 × 4 cm. Unboxed. Polier's number: 281.

History

Origin: 1195 AH; 1781 CE

Provenance and Acquisition

The "Pote Collection" arrived in England from India in 1790 and was divided between the Colleges of Eton and King's, Cambridge, with the first half alphabetically going to King's. Both halves of the collection are now housed in Cambridge University Library on permanent loan. Most if not all of the manuscripts had previously been owned by Colonel Antoine-Louis Henri Polier (1741–1795).

Gift of Edward Ephraim Pote (d.1832) in 1788.

Record Sources

Manuscript description based on E. G. Browne, "A supplementary hand-list of the Muhammadan manuscripts, including all those written in the Arabic character, preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge", Cambridge, 1922 and E. H. Palmer, "Catalogue of the oriental manuscripts in the library of King's College, Cambridge", J.R.A.S. v.3 (1867), pp.105-131 enhanced with additional descriptions and corrections by Shiva Mihan.

Availability

All manuscripts of the Pote Collection are on permanent loan at Cambridge University Library. Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card for admissions procedures consult Cambridge University Library. Contact near_eastern@lib.cam.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript

Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World