Persian MS 730 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
A composite manuscript of texts pertaining to horsemanship and farriery.
Contents
Physical Description
Inscriptions: The right flyleaf a side (f. ia) bears the title of the work and the name of the author, possibly in the hand of Muhīn Dās, assistant to Colonel George William Hamilton.
Folio 1a bears several inspection notices from the royal library of Awadh.
- ‘۱۸ ربیع الاول سنه ۱۱۹۷ داخل شد’
‘18 Rabī al-Awwal sana 1198 dākhil shud ’ (‘Entered on 18 Rabī al-Awwal year 1198 AH [10 Feb. 1784 CE]’).
- ‘۲ ذی الفعده سنه ۱۲۰۳ داخل شد’
‘2 Ẕī-al-Qa‘dah sanah 1203 dākhil shud’ (‘Entered on 2 Ẕī-al-Qa‘dah year 1203 AH [25 July 1789 CE]’).
Binding
Probably bound in a hybrid British-Indian style in Multan for former owner Colonel George William Hamilton (1807-1868) between 1858 to 1862
Sewn on three stations, unsupported. Endpapers of comparatively rough cross-grained paper added to the beginning and end. Edges trimmed chevron endbands of red and green threads twined at head and tail. Covered in full reddish-brown goatskin leather, tight-backed, with defined joints and squares along the edges (Type III binding per Déroche). Internal doublures of the same leather, with their excess widths adhered to the first and last flyleaves as hinges to connect the cover to the textblock, covered by vertical strips of paper to disguise the joins.
Spine bears an octagonal paper label with the title in nasta‘līq script.
226 × 134 × 30 mm.
Handle binding with caution. In sound but fair condition, with extensive external abrasion and opening to the gutter margins restricted.
Two vermilion library seals of the kings of Awadh (Oude), intaglio-carved in nasta‘līq script in two stacked lines.
1: The second right folio a side (f. iia) (pasted upside down) and the first left endpaper b side (f. iiib) bear a rectangular library seal of Nāṣir al-Dīn Ḥaydar Shāh (b. 1803, r. 1827–1837) dated 1244 AH (1828–1829 CE), within two stacked cartouches, double-ruled, inscribed with his title Sulaymān Jāh:
‘ خوش است مهر کتبخانه سلیمان جاه * بهر کتاب مزین چو نقش بسم الله، ١٢۴۴’
‘Khvush ast muhur-i kitābkhānah-'i Sulaymān Jāh bahr-i kitāb; muzayyin chaw naqsh-i basmallah, 1244 ’ (The seal of the library of Sulaymān Jāh is good; it embellishes the book like the design of a basmallah, 1244).
17 × 37 mm.
2: Folios 1a and 133b bear a rectangular seal surmounted by the royal emblem of Awadh, of Amjad ‘Alī Shāh (b. 1801, r. 1842–1847), beaded-ruled and dated 1260 AH (1844–1845 CE):
‘ناسخ هر مهر شد چون شد مزین بر کتاب * خاتم امجد علی شاه زمان عالیجناب، ١٢٦٠’
‘Nāsukh har muhur shud chun shud muzayyin bar kitāb; khātim-i Amjad ‘Alī Shāh zamān-i ‘Ālījanāb, 1260’ (‘Every [prior] seal became cancelled since the book became embellished by the seal of Amjad ‘Alī Shāh in the era of his Sublime Majesty, 1260’).
53 × 45 mm.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Lucknow hence held in the Moti Mahal Palace, then likely later transferred to the Qaisarbagh Palace, given the seal impression the King of Awadh (Oude), Nāṣir al-Dīn Ḥaydar Shāh (b. 1803 r. 1827–1837) and Amjad ‘Alī Shāh (b. 1801, r. 1842–1847), and notations consistent with other volumes formerly held in the royal library. Presumably looted during India's First War of Independence, when British soldiers ransacked the Qaisarbagh palace and library on 15 March 1858 (see Wolseley's memoir).
Subsequently acquired by Colonel George William Hamilton (1807-1868) who served in India from 1823 to 1867, latterly as Commissioner in Delhi.
Hamilton acquired over a thousand Indian and Persian manuscripts which he brought to Britain after he retired. After his death, 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 in 1868 for 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.
Persian MS 720A
Contents
Persian MS 720B
Contents
میان قطب الدین
References
Persian MS 720C
Contents
For another copy of this work held in the Rylands, see Persian MS 733.
References
Persian MS 720D
Contents
Persian MS 720E
Contents
The table of contents 29 chapter apparently comports with Ivanow 1607 (3).
Persian MS 730F
Contents
Persian MS 730G
Contents
Persian MS 730H
Contents
Persian MS 730I
Contents
Disparate medicaments in various hands observed in the first, fifth, and sixth items.
Additional Information
Record Sources
Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993, derived from a manuscript catalogue by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s and his Bibliotheca Lindesiana, Hand-list of Oriental Manuscripts: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, 1898.
Manuscript description 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
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