IO Islamic 3540 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)
India Office Library
Warren Hastings Collection
Contents
Physical Description
European pencilled enumeration every 5th folio.
Layout
Poetry in 4 columns, 25 lines per page.
Hand(s)
Fine nastaʿlīq in black with headings in white.
Decoration
Polychrome text/column frames, with illuminated section headings and a double opening (ff. 2v-3r), an illuminated headpiece (f.15v), and 57 paintings including a double frontispiece (ff. 1v-2r), finispiece (ff. 568v-569r) and mid-text enthronement of Lohrasp (ff. 307v-308r). Single page illustrations are paired on facing pages with text arranged diagonally and/or on a gold ground with polychrome illumination.
ff. 1v-2r Double-page portraits within illuminated border of Salomon and Bilqis the Queen of Sheba. Each half 295 × 175 mm. .
f. 10r Bath scene, illustrating the story in the preface of how Firdawsi scornfully gave away to a bath house attendant half the paltry reward Sultan Mahmud gave him for writing the Shahnama. 325 × 215 mm. .
f. 17r Gayumars and his court. 270 × 215 mm. .
f. 25r Faridun strikes down Zahhak in the palace in the presence of Jamshid's sisters. 320 × 215 mm. .
f. 35r Tur defeated and killed by Minuchihr. 300 × 215 mm. .
f. 44r Zal embracing Rudaba. 295 × 230 mm. .
f. 54r The birth of Rustam. 295 × 215 mm. .
f. 71v Rustam and the White Demon. 305 × 215 mm. .
f. 91r The death of Suhrab. 305 × 215 mm. .
f. 98r The fire-ordeal of Siyavash. 295 × 205 mm. .
f. 106r Siyavash playing polo with Afrasiyab. 270 × 225 in. .
f. 116r The murder of Siyavash. 295 × 255 mm. .
f. 121v Rustam in battle against Afrasiyab. 335 × 270 mm. .
f. 130r The enthronement of Kay Khusraw. 280 × 205 mm. .
f. 138v Persian troops sacking Farud's castle. 350 × 255 mm. .
f. 144v The battle of Mount Hamavan between the armies of Gudarz and Piran. 360 × 270 mm. .
f. 153r Ruhham and the Sorcerer. 360 × 270 mm. .
f. 166r Combat of Rustam and Ashkabus. 345 × 280 mm. .
f. 176r Rustam in battle, after being visited by Piran. 335 × 255 mm. .
f. 183r Rustam attacking the fortress of Kafur the man-eater. 360 × 255 mm. .
f. 195v Piran saves Bizhan from the gallows. 300 × 205 mm. .
f. 206r Rustam's raid on Afrasiyab's palace after rescuing Bizhan. 295 × 210 mm. .
f. 219r Barzu lassoing Faramurz. 335 × 225 mm. .
f. 225r Combat of Rustam and Barzu. 335 × 280 mm. .
f. 238v Encounter of Afrasiyab and Pilsam. 335 × 255 mm. .
f. 242r Rustam falls in combat with Pilsam. The latter being kicked by Rakhsh. 360 × 295 mm. .
f. 254v Human slain by Bizhan. 360 × 255 mm. .
f. 262r Combat of Giv and Piran. 325 × 270 mm. .
f. 274r Rustam leading the Persian army to war with Afrasiyab. 345 × 255 mm. .
f. 281v Kay Khusraw slays Ustuqila the Kurd. 360 × 280 mm. .
f. 288v The women of Afrasiyab before Kay Khusraw. 305 × 230 mm. .
f. 299r Execution of Afrasiyab by Kay Khusraw. 305 × 225 mm. .
ff. 307v-308r Double-paged enthronement of Luhrasp. Each half 270 × 160 mm. .
f. 315r Gushtasp killing the dragon. 305 × 210 mm. .
f. 324v Death of Zarir in battle between Iran and Turan. 345 × 280 mm. .
f. 339v Isfandiyar's attack on Arjasp in the Brazen Fortress. 345 × 270 mm. .
f. 356r Rustam shoots Isfandiyar in the eyes. 345 × 245 mm. .
f. 361v The death of Rustam. 335 × 225 mm. .
f. 373r Iskandar comforting the dying Dara. 305 × 245 mm. .
f. 381r Iskandar visiting the Ka'ba. 350 × 215 mm. .
f. 390r Iskandar building the wall against Gog and Magog. 305 × 230 mm. .
f. 401v Bahram Gur winning the crown from between the lions. 315 × 215 mm. .
f. 411v Bahram Gur hunting. 305 × 230 mm. .
f. 416v Bahram leading the Khaqan captive. 365 × 270 mm. .
f. 429r Battle between Piruz and Khushnavaz. 325 × 270 mm. .
f. 441v Capture of the Roman fortress by Nushirvan. 345 × 225 mm. .
f. 454r Battle between the Khaqan and the Haytalians. 370 × 255 mm. .
f. 463v Introduction of chess at the court of Nushirvan. 345 × 225 mm. .
f. 477v Nushirvan attacking a moated Roman fortress. 380 × 215 mm. .
f. 490v Sava Shah slain by Bahram Chubina. 345 × 270 mm. .
f. 502r The blinding of King Hurmuz and burning of his palace. 345 × 230 mm. .
f. 519r Khusraw embracing Maryam. 345 × 205 mm. .
f. 528v Bahram Chubina kills the lion-ape. 350 × 225 mm. .
f. 536v Khusraw and Gurdiya, sister of Bahram Chubina. 345 × 205 mm. .
f. 547v Shirvi sends an envoy to Khusraw. 360 × 245 mm. .
f. 561r Rustam killed by Sa'ad at the battle of Qadisiya. 340 × 255 mm. .
ff. 568v-569r Double-paged hunting scene. Each half 280 × 175 mm. .
Inscriptions. Folio 1r includes the following inscriptions arranged as far as possible in chronological order:
- Kitāb Shāhnāmah āvurdah-i Khvājah Qanbar ʻAlī, underneath a scrubbed out seal of Muhammad Quṭb Shāh, Sultan of Golconda, (r.1612-26), possibly to be associated with it
- Duvvum 'Second Class'
- Inscription recording inspection on 23 Zuʼl-Hijjah 1169 (18 September 1756), associated with seal of former owner Muḥammad Yāqūt Khān dated 1163 (1749/50
- Inscription recording inspection on 8 Rab I 1192 (3 April 1778), most likely associated with seal of Muḥammad Ṣibghat Allāh Khān dated 1182 (1768/69)
- Inscription recording inspection on 29 Zu’l-H 1197 (25 November 1783), also probably associated with seal of Muḥammad Ṣibghat Allāh Khān.
Binding
Red mid-twentieth century leather India Office Library binding.
Naqsh-i nigīn dilast safdar Ḥaydar marā / Muhr-i Sulaymān zi Ḥaqq gashtah muyassir marā / al-‘Abd Sulṭan Muḥammad Quṭb Shāh, …. Abraded royal crested seal of Muḥammad Quṭb Shāh, ca. 1612
Muḥammad Yāqūt Khān 1163 (1749/50). Rectangular seal of former owner.
ʻAnbar ʻAlī Khān 1181 (1767/68). Rectangular seal of former owner.
Yūsuf ʻAlī Khān 1181 (1767/68). Oval seal of former owner.
Muḥammad Ṣibghat Allāh Khān 1182 (1768/69). Rectangular seal of former owner.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Brought from Iran possibly by Khvājah Qanbar ʻAli and entered the library of Muḥammad Quṭb Shāh (r.1612–1626), his seal dated ca. 1612.
Acquired by Muḥammad Yāqūt Khān, his seal dated 1749/50. A similar trajectory is found in other of Warren Hastings' manuscripts.
Belonged to ʻAnbar ʻAlī Khān and Yūsuf ʻAlī Khān, their seals both dated 1767/68.
Acquired by Muḥammad Ṣibghat Allāh Khān, his seal dated 1768/69 and inspections dated 1778 and 1783.
Acquired by Warren Hastings ca. 1784, before his departure from India in 1785.
Sold by Hastings to the East India Company Library for £759-7-6 as part of a collection of 190 Persian and Arabic books and 12121 Sanskrit and ‘Hindovi’ folios. Received 9 May 1809.
Record Sources
Manuscript description originally based on H. Ethé: Catalogue of Persian manuscripts in the Library of the India Office. Oxford, 1903-1937 and B.W. Robinson: Persian Paintings in the India Office Library. London, 1976
Provenance and seal information added by Ursula Sims-Williams
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.
Digital Images
BL Digitised Manuscripts (full digital facsimile)
Funding of Cataloguing
BL
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