Persian MS 650 (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. He also copied calligraphy specimens for 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)
Probably written in clear black nasta‘līq with red subheaders and markings by by Rā'i Rājā Lāl Jī, 1838–1885
Decoration
Headpiece: Folio 1b bears a scalloped domed headpiece with gilt palmette foliate scrollwork on an ultramarine ground and an uninscribed central cartouche, and four vertical radiating lines.
Line Fill:All lines outlined with cloud bands of single painted gold ink outlined in thin black.
Ruling: Text margins ruled in single lines of red lead 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 title and name of former owner Colonel George William Hamilton underneath, likely in the hand of his assistant Muhīn Dās.
Bookplates: The left pastedown: ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with pencilled shelfmark ‘F/11’, and ‘Hamilton MSS No. 567’, with the name and number crossed out and ‘Persian’ and ‘650’ written aside.
Binding
Probably bound in Delhi for Colonel George William Hamilton.
Two bifolia of comparatively heavy-weight, highly flocked paper likely handmade in the Indian subcontinent added to the manuscript as endpapers. Sewn all along at two stations through a paper spine lining. Edges roughly trimmed, endbands omitted. Case-bound in a European-style half binding with red goatskin leather for the spine and corners, and boards faced with 'shell' patterned marbled paper featuring predominantly red with green veins, applied to a yellow sheet substrate.
271 × 168 × 7 mm.
Handle binding with caution. In fair but stable condition, with extensive abrasion of the marbled paper, especially along the edges.
1: Folios 1 and 6 bear an illegible rectangular relief-cut blind embossed stamp, surrounded by foliate scrollwork and surmounted by a crown:
13 × 12 mm.
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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