Persian MS 953 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
While several works under this same title, or variations thereof, survive, none comport with this work. The author may possibly be Muḥammad Ḥasan Qatīl (ca. 1755–1818); however, this attribution awaits confirmation. For another collection of poetry ascribed to ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib held in the Rylands, see Arabic MS 7 and 8.
Physical Description
Layout
Written in 1 to 2 columns with 16 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in hasty, dense black nasta‘līq with shikastah ligatures, with Arabic passages in a hasty naskh, and red markings.
Bookplates and Pasted items:
Right board exterior, top bears a paper label inscribed Right pastedown:
- Inverted ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with pencilled shelfmark ‘4/K’, with ‘Bland MSS No. 519’, with the name and number crossed out and and class mark ‘Arabic’ and ‘89’ written aside.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
While the circumstances under which this volume arrived in Britain remain unclear, London booksellers Howell and Stewart evidently aquired then sold it to scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803–1865) for the latter's library at Randalls Park, Leatherhead.
After Bland's death, London bookseller Bernard Quaritch (1819–1899) sold his oriental manuscripts to Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) in 1866, and moved to Bibliotheca Lindesiana at Haigh Hall, Wigan.
Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913).
Bequeathed by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1908 to the John Rylands Library, Manchester.
Record Sources
Manuscript description by Jake Benson in 2023, with reference to the volume, an unpublished handlist, accession registers, and a Persian description of the volume published by Tawfiq Subhani in 1993.
Availability
To book an in-person or online appointment to consult the manuscript, visit Using the Special Collections Reading Rooms. For any other enquiries please email uml.special-collections@manchester.ac.uk.
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
The John Rylands Research Institute and Library
The Soudavar Memorial Foundation
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