Persian MS 316 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
The explicit contains a clever chronogram explained by scholar and former owner of this manuscript Nathaniel Bland (1803-1865) in his 1848 essay (see p. 142). Bland explains how by 'withdrawing the veil from the mirror of imagigation' the author instructs one to subtract the numerical euqivalent of the word pardah (veil), or 211, from the title of the work that totals 1313, it yields 1102 AH (1690–91 CE) as the as the date of completion. This manuscript appears complete, albeit with variations in comparison to the lithograph edition published by Muḥammad Malik al-Kuttāb Shīrāzī in Bombay (Mumbai) in 1324 AH (1906 CE). For full descriptions of the content, see Rieu and Sachau and Ethé's catalogues.
Physical Description
Paginated on the upper corners in Hindu-Arabic numerals in black ink. Note that the page numbers begin with the incipit on folio 1b, then stay in sequence until pages 360 to 469, when they revert backwards by four, hence appear marked as ‘356 to 465’.
Collation
Condition
Good condition.
Layout
1 column throughout. Number of lines varies. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Pages 1–263 copied in a clear and refined nasta'līq primarily in black with the names of poets, Arabic passages, and chapter headings in the margins written in red.
Pages 264–465 written in comparatively hurried nasta‘līq hand with shikastah ligatures in black with names of poets, Arabic passages, and chapter headings in the margins in red.
Table of Contents: written in Persian in a different hand on both sides of the right flyleaf.
Bookplates: left paste-down, ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with shelfmark ‘2/F’, and ‘Bland MSS No. 536’, with the name and number crossed out and ‘Persian’ and ‘316’ written aside.
Binding
Possibly bound in either India or Britain in a European manner. Sewn on three cords laced into the pasteboards, without a flap and with squares along the edges. European front bead endbands, possibly in white, red, and blue silk threads at head and tail. Half bound, tight-backed, in a European-style, red-brown goatskin leather over pasteboards with predominantly indigo blue Stormont marbled paper sides.
Blind tooled rope designs with a decorative wheel on the boards. Gilt panel bands with a double-line pallete and decorative palette at head and tail. Titled in handle letters ‘TUSKIRREH LODI’.
257 × 200 × 33 mm.
Binding in good condition, but with restricted opening to the gutters.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Formerly owned by orientalist William Cureton (1808–1864), then acquired by scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803-1865), London antiquarian bookseller Bernard Quaritch (1819–1899) his oriental manuscripts were sold through in 1866 to Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880).
Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913).
Bequeathed by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) to the John Rylands Library, in 1908.
Record Sources
Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993. Identification of provenance based on manuscript catalogue by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s.
Manuscript description completed by James White in 2017.
Record subsequently ammended and enhanced by Jake Benson in 2021 with reference to the volume.
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).
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
The Soudavar Memorial Foundation
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