Eton Pote 308 (Eton College Library, Eton College)

Pote Collection

Summary of Contents: 1 copy of Falak Āshūb.

Author and Scribe: Muḥammad Bakhsh, poetically named Āshūb (d.1784-5) محمد بخش، آشوب

Language(s): Persian

Colophon details: Place: Lucknow Date: Thursday 15 Rajab 1194 - Monday 27 Rajab 1194 / 17 - 29 Jul 1780 Scribe: Muḥammad Bakhsh, poetically named Āshūb (d.1784-5) محمد بخش، آشوب .

Colophon further notes: F.23r: internal colophon stating copied for Major Polier"; f.74r: final colophon.

Note concerning manuscript: The bismillah is characteristic of manuscripts in the hand f Ashub.

References

Margoliouth no. 142 (shelf/item: 4/13)

Catalogue of the Persian manuscripts in the British Museum (3 vols.) C. Rieu 1879-1883 p.944 [BL Or. 1832 (a ms. of Āshūb's history of Muḥammad Shāh)]

Persian Literature: a bio-bibliographical survey C. A. Storey 1927–39 I.1 p.617 (only copy? Notice King's Pote has copy of his Diwan and his history - he visited Polier's house and it is very likely these mss came directly from the poet-historian in the years just prior to the sale to Pote.)

Mughals in India: a bibliographical survey. Vol. 1. Manuscripts D.N. Marshall 1962 p.313

Physical Description

Form: codex

Extent: 74 folios.

Dimensions (leaf): 20.7 × 11 cm.

Dimensions (written): 16.5 × 7 cm.

Foliation: Foliated.

Layout

15 lines per page.

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

Hand(s)

Scribe: Muḥammad Bakhsh, poetically named Āshūb (d.1784-5) محمد بخش، آشوب.

Additions:

F.1r: seal of Polier (1181).

Notes concerning codex: This is a holograph ms written by the poet Muhammad Bakhsh known as Ashub. Note on f.1r: this is a qasida with 3 names: Falak Ashub; Mir'at Jahan-namA; Lubb al-tawarikh. The total number of verses: 569. The work was composed in 1188 (f.1v; f.22v).

Binding

(Modern) brown leather binding, European style. Plain paper doublures. Dimensions: 21 × 11.5 × 1.5 cm. Unboxed. Polier's number: 845.

History

Origin: Lucknow; Thursday 15 Rajab 1194 - Monday 27 Rajab 1194 AH; 17 - 29 Jul 1780 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 second half alphabetically going to Eton. 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 D.S. Margoliouth, Catalogue of the Oriental Manuscripts in the Library of Eton College, Oxford, 1904 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