Persian MS 649 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
A prior record misattributed authorship of this work to the scribe. Eldest son of British agent and informant Munshī Jiwān Lāl (1806–1884), who served as secretary to the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II (1775–1862, r. 1837–1857), Rājā Lāl worked as Head Treasurer of Delhi in the early British Raj administration. In addition to this manuscript, he also probably completed another copy of this same work, Persian MS 650, as well as calligraphy specimens, likely intended as gifts presented to Hamilton, including Persian MS 998J. For other copies of this work held in the Rylands, see Persian MS 651 and 786/5.
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 column with 7 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in bold, clear black nasta‘līq with red subheaders and markings by Rā'i Rājā Lāl Jī, 1838–1885.
Decoration
Probably decorated by the same Delhi workshop as Persian MS 650.
Half Title: Folio 1a bears a lavishly illuminated half title page bearig floral scrollwork in gold ink outlined in thin black. The central panel bears an English description probably in the hand of : ‘Written by Rájá Lál
’
Headpiece: Folio 1b bears a scalloped domed headpiece with gilt floral scrollwork above another domed headpiece with an ultramarine ground, surmounted by vertical flowers, above a rectangluar cartouche containing the basmala, with vertical rectangles containing floral scrollwork on either side.
Line Fill:All lines infilled with painted gold ink and outlined with cloud bands in thin black.
Ruling: Text margins ruled in single lines of copper verdigris surrounded by single gold internal and external lines, the latter outlined withe thin single interior and double exterior black lines, surrounded by thin single red and blue lines.
Inscriptions: The right flyleaf a side (f. ia) bears the name of former owner Colonel George William Hamilton underneath, likely in the hand of his assistant Muhīn Dās.
Folio 1a bears a translation of the work's title and notes the scribe and date of completion, probably in the hand of Colonel George William Hamilton.
The final left flyleaf b side (f. vib) bears inscribed ‘Delhi’.
Bookplates: The left pastedown: ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with pencilled shelfmark ‘F/4’, and ‘Hamilton MSS No. 566’, with the name and number crossed out and ‘Persian’ and ‘649’ written aside.
Binding
Probably bound in a hybrid British-Indian style for Delhi for Colonel George William Hamilton.
A binion added to the front and binion to the back of comparatively heavy-weight, highly flocked paper likely handmade in the Indian subcontinent added to the manuscript as endpapers. Sewn all along at three stations through a paper spine lining. Edges roughly trimmed, endbands omitted. Case-bound in a full red-brown goatskin leather, half binding with red goatskin leather. Interior pastedowns faced with predominantly dark brown 'Spanish' diagonal waved patterened marbled papapers, with hinges of 'shell' patterned marbled paper featuring predominantly red with green veins, applied to a yellow sheet substrate (tha same also faces Persian MS 650)
Boards decorated with stamped central scalloped mandorlas infilled with painted relief gold palmette scrollwork, with attached pendants bearing sextfoils in relief above and below. Decoration connected by single ruled vertical lines in gold, with perpendicular flourishes, which also surmount the pendants. Interior margins ruled with double lines in gold, and the exterior margins tinted bown, also outlined in double gold lines on both sides, and further embellished with a decorative roll featuring a floral scrollwork design executed in gold leaf, tooled in the European manner, which also appears on the spine.
298 × 196 × 9 mm.
Handle binding with caution. In fair but stable condition, with headcaps missing and joints cracked.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Hamilton ultimately acquired over a thousand Indian and Persian manuscripts, from which the British Museum purchased 352 from his widow, Charlotte Logie Hamilton (1817–1893), now held in the British Library.
Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) purchased the remainder of Hamilton's collection in 1868, then moved it to Bibliotheca Lindesiana at Haigh Hall, Wigan.
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, Manchester.
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 and corrections by Jake Benson in 2024 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.
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
The Soudavar Memorial Foundation
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