Persian MS 639 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
شیخ هدایت الله
Despite several sources recording various calligraphers named Hidāyat Allāh, whether they could be associated with the scribe of this manuscript awaits further investigation.
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 to 3 columns with variant numbers of lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in dense, fluid black shikastah, by Shaykh Hidāyat Allāh.
Folios 62a–67b in black nasta’līq, possibly by the same scribe.
Inscriptions: Several dated notations, including many in the scribe's hand:
- Folio 35b: 27 Muḥarram 1190 AH (18 March 1776 CE) in the scribe's hand.
- Folio 61b: 14 Rabī‘ I 1190 AH (3 May 1776 CE) in the scribe's hand.
- Folio 65b: 3 Ẕī-al-Ḥijjah 1186 AH (25 Feb. 1773 CE) in the scribe's hand, where he signs his name as ‘Shaykh Hidayāt Allāh’.
- Folio 66a: 5 Sha‘bān 1193 AH (18 Aug. 1779 CE) and 3 Shavvāl 1257 AH (18 Nov. 1841 CE) in other hands.
- Folio 67b: 27 Shavvāl 1184 AH (3 Feb. 1771 CE) in the scribe's hand.
Bookplates: The left Pastedown: ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with shelfmark ‘1/F’, and ‘Hamilton MSS 556’.
Binding
Probably rebound in Delhi for former owner Colonel George William Hamilton.
Sewn on a single flat tape support in the centre, put down on the pasteboards, with twined Islamic-style chevron endbands in white and black threads. Rebound in a hybrid British-Indian style binding in full, tight backed, red goatskin leather, without a flap (type III binding per Déroche) with squares at the edges and a defined back joint.
Spine board margins dyed black about 15mm in from the edges. Boards decorated with blind scalloped mandorlas, detached finials, and cornerpieces blocked in gold featuring floral scrollwork designs, and an outer border of insular dots. Yellow ruled lines criss-cross the central decoration, connects the corners, and outlines the borders. Pastedowns of British-made Spanish wave-patterned marbled paper. 248 × 147 × 15 mm.
Binding in fair but sound condition, with some spine damage.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Subsequently acquired by Colonel George William Hamilton (1807-1868) who served in India from 1823 to 1867, latterly as Commissioner in Delhi. He acquired over a thousand Indian and Persian manuscripts, from which the British Museum selected 352, now held in the British Library.
Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) purchased the remainder of Hamilton's collection in 1868.
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.
Record Sources
Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993, derived from a manuscript catalogue by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s, concisely published as Bibliotheca Lindesiana, Hand-list of Oriental Manuscripts: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, 1898.
Manuscript description by James White in 2017 with reference to the volume in hand.
Amended by Jake Benson in 2022 with reference to the manuscript.
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 Soudavar Memorial Foundation
John Rylands Research Institute
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