RSPA 28 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)
India Office Library
Jones Collection
Royal Society Arabic and Persian
Contents
1 copy of Yūsuf va Zulaykhā by Abū al-Qāsin Firdawsī
Language(s): Persian
The final folio (f209r) is damaged to such an extent (through lamination and ink staining) that the final 3 lines of poetry are almost totally illegible. The explicit given in this record is the final line on f208v.
This manuscript copy of the text varies considerably from all other extant copies. Of the first twenty-three lines, only two can be found in the modern edition of the text.
The text's authorship is a matter of considerable uncertainty. Firdawsī has traditionally been assumed as the author; however, according to the Encyclopaedia Iranica entry "Joseph i. in Persian Literature", modern scholarship has disproven this claim and suggested the author is a poet either named Shamsī or Amānī who composed the poem for his patron Shams al-Dīn Tughān shāh ibn Alp Arslan Saljuqī after having been freed by the prince from prison.
On f1v there is a gold and blue illuminated headpiece.
Four miniatures on f22v, f25r, f40v and f54r. Some spaces for miniatures which have not been drawn (e.g. f111r).
Physical Description
European numerals in blue crayon.
Condition
Generally fine. Extensive damage to start and end of textblock.
Layout
Hand(s)
Relatively neat nastaʿlīq
Decoration
On f0r and f1r there is annotation which has been heavily crossed out with a black ink pen. This bears the (just visible) name of John Shore and a title page note (f0r) which says "Yusuf u Zulaykha Auctor Firdusi Tusi". On f1r, Jones has written the title of the work underneath the Persian red-ink title page.
Binding
Standard India Office binding with wine-coloured marbled endpapers.
Accompanying Material
History
Provenance and Acquisition
RSPA 1-118 were presented to the Royal Society in January 1792 by Sir William and Lady Jones. This manuscript was presented by Lady Jones.
The Royal Society's collection of 280 Persian and Arabic, and 86 Sanskrit manuscripts were transferred to the India Office Library in 1876.
The dating of this manuscript is highly uncertain. Dennison Ross and Brown have said that it can probably be dated to before 1000AH (1591-2AD) but there is no clear codicological reason for this dating. According to them, this is possibly the oldest known copy of the work.
1876
India Office Library
Record Sources
Availability
Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card for admissions procedures contact British Library, Registering for a Reader Pass. Contact apac-enquiries@bl.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript. For information on catalogues and ordering manuscripts see Finding and ordering Persian manuscripts in the British Library.
Funding of Cataloguing
BL
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