G. 7 (University Library, Cambridge University)

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E. G. Browne Collection

Summary of Contents: G. 7 (10) and G. 8 (10). مجمل فصیحی خواف Two MSS. of that rare and valuable Persian chronicle entitled the Mujmal,
or "Compendium," concerning which see my Persian Literature under Tartar
Dominion, pp. 426-428, and my article in the number of the Muséon brought out by
the Belgian professors of Oriental Languages, temporarily resident in Cambridge in
1915, at the University Press. So far as I know, only three MSS. of this work
exist, viz. the two now in my library [The Raverty MS., bearing the class-mark G. 7 in this Catalogue, is now preserved, together with
the MSS. and photographic facsimiles belonging to the Trustees of the "E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Fund,"
in the Library of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London.], and a third in the Institute des Langues
Orientales du Ministère des Affaires Étrangères de St Petersbourg described by
Dorn and Baron Victor Rosen. The author, Fasihi of Khwáf, is said by Baron Rosen to have been born in 777/
1375-6, and spent most of his life in the service of Sháhrukh, for whose use he
compiled and to whom he presented this book in 845/1442. It consists of an
Introduction, containing a sketch of the history of the world from the Creation to
the birth of the Prophet Muhammad; two Discourses, of which the first continues
the history down to the Flight (Hijra) of the Prophet from Mecca to al-Madina, and
the second the history of the period after the Flight down to 845/1442; and a con-
clusion (missing in all three copies) containing a monograph on Herát, the author's
birthplace and home. The second Discourse constitutes by far the largest and
most important part of the book, which is chiefly remarkable for the large amount
of literary history which it contains. Both the MSS. in my possession are defective, the Raverty MS. (G. 7) lacking
the years A.H. 718-840 (A.D. 1318-1437), and the Schindler MS. (G. 8) the years
834-844 (A.D. 1430-1440). The Raverty MS. (G. 7) was bought in A.D. 1907 from the widow of Colonel
Raverty by the Trustees of the "E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Fund" (to whom it
really belongs) for 18, together with two other MSS., one of the Haft Iqlim [Numbered K. 4 in the present Catalogue. It was returned in June, 1927, to the India Office
Library, from which, either directly or indirectly, it must have come into the hands of Colonel Raverty
before its purchase by the Trustees of the "E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Fund."], and
one of part of the Jámi'i't-Tawarikh, each for £6. It comprises 506 ff. of 23.8 x
14'5 c. and 17 ll., and is written in a fine, bold naskh, apparently of the fifteenth
century, with rubrications and marginal captions, which greatly facilitate reference.
The Introduction (Muqaddama) occupies ff. 6-25"; the first Discourse (Magala)
ff. 25-40%, and the second Discourse the remainder of the volume (ff. 41-506b).
There is no colophon, and the book is a good deal wormed. The Schindler MS. (G. 8) was presented to me on July 7, 1913, by Mr G. le
Strange, who had bought it from Sir A. Houtum-Schindler a few days previously.
Though defective at the beginning, it is a much more complete, though more
modern, copy than G. 7. It comprises 511 written leaves of 21'8 x 14'8 c. and 20 ll.,
and is written in a good, clear modern naskh with rubrications and marginal captions. For description of the St Petersburg Codex see B. Dorn at the beginning of
the second volume of the Bulletin de la Classe historico-philologique de l'Académie
Impériale des Sciences de St Pétersbourg, and Baron Victor Rosen in the third volume
of his Collections Scientifiques (1866), No. 271, pp. 111-113. In this MS. the
Introduction (defective at the beginning) occupies ff. to-33" (the preceding leaves.
being blank); the first Discourse ff. 34"-35"; and the second Discourse the re-
mainder (ff. 36-507) of the volume. One of the last events recorded is the death
of "God's Physician" (Tabiballah) Sayyid Ni'matullah on Thursday, Rajab 22,
844 (December 17, 1440). This is followed by five blank pages, presumably
corresponding to a lacuna in the original, after which come four pages chiefly
containing the necrology of the year A.1. 845 (A.D. 1441-2).

The manuscript is defective, lackin the years A.H. 718-840 (A.D. 1318-1437).

Author: Faṣīḥ Khvāfī, Faṣīḥ al-Dīn Aḥmad, b. 1375 فصيح خوافى

Title: Mujmal-i Faṣīḥī-yi Khvāfī

Title: مجمل فصيحي خوافى

Language(s): Persian

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Paper

Extent: Ff. 511

Dimensions: 21.8 × 14.8 cm.

Layout

20 lines

Hand(s)

Written in a fine, bold naskh, apparently of the fifteenth century, with rubrications and marginal captions.

History

Origin: undated

Provenance and Acquisition

Belonged to Colonel Henry George Raverty, 1825-1906 .

Bought in A.D. 1907 from the widow of Colonel Henry George Raverty, 1825-1906 by the Trustees of the E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Fund for 18, together with two other MSS.

Bequest of E. G. Browne.

Record Sources

Summary, physical description and provenance copied from R. A. Nicholson: A descriptive catalogue of the Oriental MSS belonging to the late E.G. Browne. Cambridge, 1932.

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card for admissions procedures contact Cambridge University Library Admissions). Contact near_eastern@lib.cam.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript

Funding of Cataloguing

JISC

Subjects

Islamic Empire--History

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