Wadh.Minasian 91 (The Ferdowsi Library, Wadham College, University of Oxford)

Oriental Manuscripts Minasian Collection

Summary of Contents: The work is a different version of the translation of Kalīlah va Dimnah by Abū al-Maʿalī Naṣr Allāh Munshī. In this edition, Vāʿiẓ Kāshifī has tried to replace the complex prose of Naṣr Allāh Munshī's translation and the Arabic proverbs and poetry with a simpler prose and Persian proverbs and poetry, in order to make it easier for some more classes of the society to understand the content of Kalīlah va Dimnah. In this way, he managed to create the book of Anvār-i Suhaylī, one of the most important literary and moral works. Vāʿiẓ Kāshifī prepared the book in 14 chapters and bequeathed it to Amīr Shaykh Aḥmad Suhaylī, one of the rulers in the Sulṭān Ḥusayn Bayqurā's court.

Language(s): Persian

Fiction

Title: Anvār-i Suhaylī

Title: انوار سهیلی

Title:

Author: Kāshifī, Ḥusayn Vāʻiẓ, -1504 or 1505 کاشفی، حسین واعظ، -۱۵۰۴ یا ۱۵۰۵ Vāʻiẓ Kāshifī, Kamāl al-Dīn Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī Bayhaqī, - 910 AH/1504 واعظ کاشفی، کمال‌الدین حسین بن علی بیهقی، -۹۱۰ق/۱۵۰۴

Incipit: بسمله، حضرت حکیم علی الاطلاق جلت حکمته که وظایف لطایف حمد و ثنایش بحکم و ان من شیء… رموزآموز عقل نکته پیوند/شناسایی‌ده جان خردمند/جواهربخش حکمتهای باریک/بروزآرندهٔ شبهای تاریک

Explicit: در که درین سینه نهان داشتم/یک بیک از دل بزبان داشتم/گر بد و گر نیک فکندم بپیش/پوش بد من به نکویی خویش/چونکه بدین پایه رساندم کلام/به که کنم ختم سخن والسلام

Colophon: تمت الکتاب… فی یوم سه‌شنبه ۱۷ شهر جمادی‌الاخر سنه ۱۲۴۷ علی اقل الخلقه… علیقلی ابن مرحوم میرزا مرتضی قلی افشار

References

Sequence Number in the Persian Catalogue:

FAW 98

Similar copies in other libraries:

NLI, 3/141
MAJ, 6/171

Similar manuscripts listed in other catalogues:

FAM, 5/3523
COM, 6/970-971
ALZ, 2/430
FAP, 1/581
DEN, 2/249

Printed editions:

Calcuta, 1916
Mombai, 1270 AH
Berlin, 1301 Shamsī
Tehran, 1341 Shamsī

On the Web:

Digitized version of another copy of this work.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Western paper (watermark), natural buff, varying thickness (thick, regular, thin), one size, glossy.

Extent: 186 ff.

Dimensions (leaf): 21 × 15 cm.

Dimensions (written): 17 × 9.5 cm.

Layout

15 lines per page.

Hand(s)

Shikastah-looking Nastiʿalīq (Arabic phrases in Naskh), several hands, regular. Marginalia in Shikastah-looking Nastiʿalīq. ʿAlīqulī ibn Murtiz̤á Qulī Afshār علیقلی ابن مرتضی قلی افشار

Decoration

Some words rubricated.

Additions: Oval stamp on f. 186b: پروین… محمدرضا . Rectangular stamp on f. 186b: سید حسین موسوی .

Binding

Black leather, 16×22 cm, front + back cover, leather + pasteboard.

Simple tooling (medallion + two half-medallions; ruled, tooled edges.

Condition

Decorations, head band and stitching destroyed.

History

Origin: Unknown place of origin; 17 Jumada al-Thani 1247 AH; 1831-11-22 CE

Provenance and Acquisition

Donated to The Ferdowsi Library by Dr Caro Minasian in 1972.

Record Sources

This record was created by Dr Mohammad Emami based on the information published in the Persian catalogue by Dr Ali Mir-Ansari (Catalogue of the Persian and Arabic Manuscripts in the Ferdowsi Library, Wadham College, University of Oxford (Minasian Collection), Tehran: Miras-e Maktoob, 2016).

Availability

Entry to the Library is permitted upon presentation of a valid university ID card (for admissions procedures, please visit Wadham College Library, Persian Studies Section). Please Contact persian.library@wadham.ox.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript.

Key to bibliographical abbreviations of alternative versions:

Libraries:

AQR: Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi; FAW: Ferdowsi Library, Wadham College, University of Oxford (Minasian Collection); GIE: Great Islamic Encyclopedia Library, Manuscripts; GIP: Great Islamic Encyclopedia Library, Photographed and Microfilmed Manuscripts; GUL: Library of Ayatollah Gulpayigani; LAH: Library of Ayatollah Ha'iri (Library of Faydiyya Seminary); MAJ: Library, Museum and Documentation Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; MAL: Malek National Museum and Library; MNL: Mar'ashi Najafi Library; NLI: National Library of Iran; SEP: Sepahsalar (Shahid Motahari) Mosque and School of Tehran; TCL: Tabriz Central Public Library; UTL: Central Library of University of Tehran.

Catalogues:

ALZ: الذریعه; ARP: فهرست کتاب‌های چاپی عربی; COM: فهرست مشترک نسخه‌های خطی فارسی; DEN: فهرستواره دست‌نوشته‌های ایران (دنا); FAM: فهرست نسخه‌های خطی فارسی; FAP: فهرست کتاب‌های چاپی فارسی; FIH: فهرستواره کتاب‌های فارسی; KAS: کشف الظنون عن اسامی الکتب و الفنون; RAY: ریحانة الادب فی تراجمِ المعروفین بالکنیة او اللّقب; TAB: طبقات اعلام الشیعه.

Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World