[IO Islamic 3255] Makhzan-i-Nikât

• Makhzan-i-Nikât.
• This manuscript is now IO Islamic 701 in the India Office collections.
• [metadata: Hermann Ethé, Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, 2 vols. (Oxford: India Office, 1903): volume 1, number 3255 here with notations and hyperlinks].

701

Makhzan-i-Nikât ( مخزن نكات ) .

The most valuable biography and anthology of the earlier Rekhta poets, written in Persian by Muḥammad Ḳiyâm-aldîn bin ‘Alî, with the takhalluṣ Ḳâ’im of Ćandpûr (see title and author’s name here on fol. 2^a, ll. 6 and 8), comp. A. Sprenger, Catal., p. 179 (it is one of the authorities used by Sprenger, in his most valuable alphabetical list of Rekhta poets). The title is a chronogram, giving as date of composition A.H. 1168 (A.D. 1754, 1755), comp. also fol. 75^a, ll. 3 and 4. The author died A.H. 1210 or 1207 (A.D. 1795, 1796, or 1792, 1793), comp. A. Sprenger, loc. cit.

Beginning: رنگينئ كلمات و دلنشين فقرات بحمد سخن پناهى است كه بناى الخ .

It is divided into three ṭabaḳas (see fol. 2^b, ll. 2 and 3), viz. :

First ṭabaḳah (the older poets, در بيان اشعار شعراى متقدّمين ), on fol. 2^b, beginning with Sa’dî, on fol. 3^a, and ending with Mîr Ja’far, with the takhalluṣ Ja’far, the contemporary of Bidil (see A. Sprenger, Catal., p. 242, l. 21 sq.), on fol.13^b.

Second ṭabaḳah (the poets of the middle period, در ذكر كلام سخنوران متوسّطين ), on fol. 14^a, beginning with Shâh Mubârak, with the takhalluṣ Âbrû (A. Sprenger, Catal., p. 196, l. 5 sq.), on fol. 14^b , and ending with the Afghân Kamtarîn (A. Sprenger, Catal.,p. 247, l. 18 sq.), on fol. 35^a.

Third ṭabaḳah (the modern poets, در بيان اشعار و احوال شعراى متأخّرين ), on fol. 35^a, beginning with Mîr Shams-aldîn Faḳîr (A. Sprenger, Catal., p. 223, l. 21 sq.), on fol. 36^a, and ending with Ḳiyâm-aldîn ‘Alî (bin ‘Alî ?) Ḳâ’im, the author of this work.

No date.

No. 3522, ff. 86, ll. 11; clear and distinct Nasta’lîḳ; size, 8^1/4 – 8^3/4 in. by 6^1/8-6^3/8 in.