Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World

Delhi Persian 1080 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)

India Office Library

Shamʻ-i maḥfil by Khvājah Mīr Dard

Contents

Summary of Contents: A treatise in prose and verse affiliated to the Muḥammadīyah branch of Sufism, consisting of 341 short sections (nūr). completed in Ṣafar 1199 (December 1784/January 1785]).
Title: شمع محفل
Language(s): Persian
Incipit: حمد بی پایان سزاوار صانعی که نور وجود خود شمع محفل موجودات ساخت و ثنای بیکران درخور خالقی که به اظهار تجلی الله نور السماوات و الارض از زمین تا آسمان پرداخت.
Explicit: انجام این درد دل سرد مقدرست فلله الحمد اولاً و... آخراً [و] رجوعی الیه باطناً و ظاهراً و هو الحاضر الناظر و هو الرفیق الآ[...] و هو الناصر.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: ff. i+123
Dimensions (leaf): 227 × 140 mm.
Dimensions (written): 170 × 90 mm.
Foliation:

India Office stamped foliation.

Collation

Catchwords; each "nūr" is numbered in margin.

Condition

Slightly worm-eaten, loose leaves, detached binding, wrapped in a re-used India Office official document.

Layout

15 lines per page.

Hand(s)

f. 1r: cursive nastaʻlīq, copied in black ink, headed هو الناصر in red.

ff. 1v-122v: nastaʻlīq, copied in black ink, rubrications, Arabic text vocalised.

Additions:

Folio 1r, contains a note by an unidentified person beginning "هو الناصر" and referring to the author of the work by titles such as آیة الله, سیدنا and مرشدنا, suggesting an affiliation with the Muḥammadiyah sect. The note gives information about the different sections, the author's other works and praises him and his father Muḥammad Nāṣir ʻAndalīb.

Binding

Marbled boards, detached from the book, worm-eaten, paper paste-downs.

Seal(s):

Black oval Government of India Delhi MSS stamp (ff. 1r, 122v).

Accompanying Material

Wrapper: East India Company Acquittance Roll dated 1833. Watermarked J. Whatman 1828.

History

Origin: Late 18th century. India

Provenance and Acquisition

Purchased by the Government of India at a sale organised by Delhi Prize Agents, 1859. Administrative deposit India Office Library, 1876.

Acquired by the Government of India in 1876.

Record Sources

Based on A.J. Arberry's description in "Drafts for Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the India Office Library, vol. III" Mss Eur E207/4, f. 8r. and R.Levy's description, Mss Eur E207/12, f. 115r. Revised by Sheida Heydarishovir

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. For information on catalogues and ordering manuscripts see Finding and ordering Persian manuscripts in the British Library.

Bibliography

Funding of Cataloguing

BL


Comments

Comment on this record

Please fill out your details.

How are we using your feedback? See our privacy policy.

See the Availability section of this record for information on viewing the item in a reading room.

TO TOP