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Persian MS 101 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)

Persian Manuscripts

This composite manuscript contains two different works of Persian poetry.

Summary of Contents: The Dīvān of Aṣafī Haravī (d. 1517), and the Makhzan al-Asrār (Treasury of Secrets) by Niẓāmī.

Language(s): Persian

Physical Description

Form: codex

Extent: 125 folios, 2 flyleaves (ff. i + 125 + i).

Additions:
Marginalia: Marginal notes throughout, primarily in a faint nasta‘līq hand with shikastah ligatures.
Inscriptions: The right flyleaf b side (f. ib)‘’
. Bookplates and Pasted entry:

The Right pastedown bears a pasted entry from an unidentified sale catalogue that bears the titles written in Persian with their description: ‘192. Divani Asafi. The Poems of Asafi. Mekhzen Asrar. The Treasury of Secrets, by Nizami.Written in good and neat Taalik, but somewhat disfigured by a want of neatness in the numerous notes which are written in the margins and between the lines; written in double columns, A.H. 1104. 250 pp. 1l. 4s.’
The left paste-down bears the ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ bookplate with shelfmark ‘1/H’, and ‘Bland MSS No. 540’.

Binding

Unsupported sewing at two stations, with evidence of prior oversewing in the gutters. Twined chevron endbands at head and tail worked in red and white silkthreads. Rebound in a tight-backed, in full maroon goatskin leather over pasteboards using two-pieces of leather that overlap on the spine, which bears five false bands.

Boards decorated with thin leather onlays of scalloped central mandorlas, detached finials, and corners with floral scrollwork designs blocked in silver, now tarnished. Onlays outlined with a single line, embellished with radiating lines and decorative flourishes in white. Board perimeters ruled with both a wide line and with double lines on either side, with perpendicular radiating lines, also in white.

238 × 134 × 50 mm.

Handle with care. In poor condition. Boards cupped and yawning. Exterior onlays abraded, with several missing on the left board. Textblock split between folios 8b to 9a and 124b to 125a.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Formerly part of the collection of scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803–1865), after whose death London bookseller Bernard Quaritch (1819–1899) sold his oriental manuscripts to Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) in 1866.

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.

Persian MS 101A

Summary of Contents: The Dīvān of Aṣafī Haravī (d. 1517), a late Timurid-era intellectual and preeminent poet of Herat, he served as a vizier to the ruler Abū Sa‘īd Mīrzā (b. 1424, r. 1451–1469), and subsequently became a close confidant of Mīr ‘Alī Shīr Navā'ī, and the last ruler Badī‘ al-Zamān Mīrzā (r. 1506–1507)

folios 1b-59a

Author: Āṣafī, -1517 Harawī, Āṣafī Āṣafī Harawī, Āṣaf Ibn Naʿīm a‌l-Dīn Niʿmat Allāh ʿAlī Āṣifī Harawī ‎ آصفى هروی

Title: Dīvān

Title: دیوان

Incipit: (basmalla) برگ ۱پ (folio 1b): ساز آباد خدایا دل ویرانی را * یا مده مهرتان هیچ مسلمانی را

Explicit: برگ ۵۹ر (folio 59a): ر تربت من بجاي آب ای ساقي * می‌ریز سیوهی شراب اي ساقي⟨?⟩

Colophon: برگ ۵۹ر (folio 59a): تمتمام شد نسخهٔ دیوان اصفی بروز جمعه بوقت شام تحریر فی التاریخ دویم ماه ذی الحجه مطافب سنه ۱۹ جلوس وارد همایون من مقام قصبه رنیرپور(؟).

Colophon: This colophon appears on a restored folio, hence likely copied from the original. The unidentified scribe enigmatically records the date of completion as ‘2 Ẕī-al-Ḥijjah, 19th regnal year’ in the 'imperial reign' but does not indicate which ruler..

In his manuscript catalogue, Michael Kerney misinterprets the word humāyūn (auspicious, august) colophon as literally indicating the scribe completed it in the reign of the Mughal ruler Humāyūn (b. 1508 r. 1530–1540; 1555–1556), then adds that ‘...but it does not appear to be so old’. It more likely pertains to a later Mughal ruler, possibly ‘Ālamgīr I (b. 1618, r. 1618–1707), Muḥammad Shāh (b. 1702, r. 1719–1748), or Shāh ‘Ālam II (b. 1708, r. 1759–1806)

Language(s): Persian

References

G. M. Meredith-Owens, Handlist of Persian Manuscripts, 1895–1966. (London: British Library, 1968), p. 50 [BL Or. 5966].

A. ‘A. Rajā’ī, 'Āṣafī Heravī', Encyclopædia Iranica Vol. 2, Fasc. 7 (1987): pp. 700–701.

C. Rieu, Catalogue of the Persian manuscripts in the British Museum, Vol. II (London: British Museum, 1881), p. 651–652 [BL Add. 25821].

E. Sachau and H. Ethé, Catalogue of the Persian, Turkish, Hindûstani, and Pushtû manuscripts in the Bodleian Library Vol I. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1889), col. 642, no. 990 [Bodl. Walker 88].

Aloys Sprenger, A Catalogue of Arabic, Persian and Hindustany Manuscripts in the Libraries of the King of Oudh. (Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press, 1854), pp. 310–311, no. 68.

Physical Description

Support: Textblock comprised of a range of different ivory-coloured paper likely hand manufactured in India, with folios 1 to 8, 39, 57, and 59 replaced, probably when restored and the two works bound together.

Extent: 59 folios (ff. 59)

Dimensions (leaf): 238 × 135 mm.

Dimensions (written): 185 × 100 mm.

Foliation: Foliation pencilled in Arabic numerals by the cataloguer on the upper-left corners of the a sides.

Collation

Undetermined, but primarily quaternions throughout, albeit altered when restored. Catchwords on the lower left corners of b sides throughout, with many repaired over top or trimmed off.

Condition

Handle with caution. In poor condition. Extensive water damage and staining, with historical repairs throughout. Many folios remargined.

Layout

Written in single and double column format, with 17 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.

Hand(s)

Written in nasta‘līq script in black with subheaders in red.

Replacement folios written in a comparatively hasty nasta‘līq with shikastah ligatures in black ink.

History

Origin: Possibly India; ‘2 Zī'l-Ḥijjah in the 19th year of the reign of an an august emperor’ albeit unnamed, but likely completed in the 17th or 18th century.

Persian MS 101B

Summary of Contents: This copy of the Makhzan al-Asrār (Treasury of Secrets) one of the earliest works by Niẓāmī Ganjavī (ca. 1141–1203), usually included as the first work in his Khamsah (Quintet). An unidentified scribe completed this manuscript on 21 Rajab 1104 AH (28 Mar. 1693 CE), with many variant lines and alternate ending. One of two copies formerly owned by scholar Nathaniel Bland, upon which basis he published a critical edition in 1844.

folios 60a-125b

Author: Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 or 1141-1202 or 1203 نظامی گنجوی Jamāl al-Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn Yūsuf ibn Muʼayyad Niẓām al-Dīn Ganjavī جمال الدين ابو محمد الياس بن يوسف بن مؤيد نظام الدين گنجوی

Title: Makhzan al-asrār

Title: مخزن الأسرار

Incipit: (basmalla) برگ ۶۰پ (folio 60b): ساز آباد خدایا دل ویرانی را * یا مده مهرتان هیچ مسلمانی را

Explicit: برگ ۱۲۵پ (folio 125b): ساز آباد خدایا دل ویرانی را * یا مده مهرتان هیچ مسلمانی را

Colophon: برگ ۱۲۵پ (folio 125b): تمت تمام شد بتاریخ بیست یکم شهر رجب المرجب یوم شنبه توشت خداداد نیازی قصه فتح خان بواسطه خواندن شاه عین الله نوشتم خط بماند. تا که خواند ‌* که من بیشک نمیبرم خط بماند(؟).

Colophon: Completed by an unidentified scribe on 21 Rajab 1104 AH (28 Mar. 1693 CE)at the request of one Qiṣṣah Fatḥ Khān, for reading to one Shāh ‘Ayn Allāh.

For other copies of this same work, see Rylands Persian MS 9, 35, and 61.

Language(s): Persian

References

Nathaniel Bland, Niẓāmī Ganjavī, and Nathaniel Bland. Makhzan ul asrár, the treasury of secrets: being the first of the five poems, or khamsah, of Shaikh Nizámi, of Ganjah. London: Society for the Publication of Oriental Texts, 1844.

François de Blois, Persian Literature: A Bio-bibliographical Survey, Vol. V, Pt. 2 (London, Luzac, 1994), pp. 364, 374.

H. Ethé, Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, Vol. I (Oxford: Printed for the India Office by H. Hart, 1903) cols. 602–603, no. 989 [BL IO Islamic 1444].

D. Parrello, 'Ḵamsa of Neẓāmī', Encyclopædia Iranica Vol. 15, Fasc. 5 (2011): pp. 451–453.

C. Rieu, Catalogue of the Persian manuscripts in the British Museum, Vol. II (London: British Museum, 1881), pp. 565–566 [BL Add. 7729/1].

E. Sachau and H. Ethé, Catalogue of the Persian, Turkish, Hindûstani, and Pushtû manuscripts in the Bodleian Library Vol I. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1889), col. 494, nos. 600–603 [Bodl. Ouseley 302, Ouseley Add. 107, Marsh 369, sale 29].

Physical Description

Support: Textblock comprised of a range of different ivory-coloured paper likely hand manufactured in India, with folios 60 to 61 replaced, probably when restored and the two works bound together.

Extent: 65 folios (ff. 65)

Dimensions (leaf): 238 × 135 mm.

Dimensions (written): 185 × 100 mm.

Foliation: Foliation pencilled in Arabic numerals by the cataloguer on the upper-left corners of the a sides.

Collation

Undetermined, but primarily quaternions throughout, albeit altered when restored. Catchwords on the lower left corners of b sides throughout, with many repaired over top or trimmed off.

Condition

Handle with caution. In poor condition. Extensive water damage and staining, with historical repairs throughout. Many folios remargined.

Layout

Written in single and double column format, with 17 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.

Hand(s)

Written in nasta‘līq script in black with subheaders in red.

Replacement folios written in a comparatively hasty nasta‘līq with shikastah ligatures in black ink.

History

Origin: Probably India; 21 Rajab 1104 AH (28 Mar. 1693 CE)

Additional Information

Record Sources

Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993, derived from a manuscript handlist by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s, concisely published as Bibliotheca Lindesiana, Hand-list of Oriental Manuscripts: Arabic, Persian, Turkish in 1898.

Manuscript description by Jake Benson in 2022 with reference to the volume in hand.

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.

Digital Images

Manchester Digital Collections (full digital facsimile).

Funding of Cataloguing

Iran Heritage Foundation

The John Rylands Research Institute

Subjects

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