Or 16451 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)

A detailed medical manual. By Sulṭān ‘Alī Khurāsānī Gunābādī, who began the work in 933/1526-7. The work was dedicated to the Uzbek ruler Abū l-Muẓaffar Maḥmūd Shāh. The present manuscript contains Maqālas 1 (25 bāb) and 2 (8 bāb), but not the muqaddima (16 bāb) which was appended to Maqāla 2 probably between 936/1530 and 939/1533. Maqāla 2 begins on f. 143v.

For information on this work, the author, manuscripts, and printed editions see Storey PL II/2 E pp. 233-4; also, more briefly, Munzavī, FNKhF I, pp. 535-6. Other BL copies: Add. 17947, Or. 12068, (Muqaddima only) Add. 17946; I.O. Islamic 1517 (both Maqālas and Muqaddima), I.O. Islamic 2358 (Maqāla 1 only, defective).

Begins: Basmala Sipās va sitāyash Ḥażrat-i Ḥakīmī-rā ki nuskha-’i bī-suqm-i Allazī anzal al-davā’ (sic, for al-dā’) az kulliyyāt-i ḥikmat-i bāligha ... Va ba‘d Sabab-i ta’līf-i īn kitāb ānast ki chūn iḥtiyāj-i tamām-i ādamiyān bi-aḥkām-i ṭabī‘a va qavā‘id-i ‘ilājiyya rawshan va ma‘lūm ast

Ends: Va davā’-i (namak??) fāyida dārad va (namak??) va har ki bar-guzīdagī-i ū ṭalā sāzand kifāyat buvad Va l-salām

Other contents: f. 1r, owner’s inscription on title page giving title, author, patron for whom the work was composed, and date of copying; also Persian verses, written diagonally in a different hand.

Dated ‘a Friday in the month of Jumādà l-sānī’ in 1153/August-September 1740. Probably copied in India.

Nasta‘līq. 23 lines. Many notes and additions in margins. Red headings and overlinings. Some folios are beige, others off-white, and f. 90-105 are light pink. Some are brittle. The first and last 30 folios are generally in poor condition, and some of these have been unskilfully laid onto newer ones; others have poor patch repairs. Slight damp staining in margins of some folios. 198 folios; the original foliation commences on f. 15. 275-280 x 160-170 (folios unevenly reduced in size); text lines 212 x 106 mm. Plain red morocco binding, with some minor repairs.

Purchased from Mr H. T. Mohamad, 5 December 2007.