[IO Islamic 2557] خاورنامه

• Khâwarnâma.
• This manuscript is now IO Islamic 896 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 2557 here with notations and hyperlinks].

896

Khâwarnâma (خاورنامه).

The exploits of ‘Alî and his companions, a mathnawî composed in imitation of the Shâhnâma by Muḥammad bin Ḥusâm-aldin of Khûsaf in Ḳuhistân, usually called Ibn Ḥusâm, with the epithet of فردوسئ ثانى ‘the second Firdausî,’ A.H. 830 (A.D. 1427), see fol. 183^a, l. 8. It is generally styled خاورنامه, but the poet himself calls it here (fol. 183^a, l. 9) خاوراننامه. According to the colophon it is also sometimes designated by the simple title شاهنامه ; compare Bodleian Cat., No. 512; Rieu ii. p. 642; A. Sprenger, Catal., p. 432; G. Flϋgel ii. p. 450, and Haft Iḳlîm, No. 826 (col. 437 in this Cat.). The poet died A.H. 875 (A.D. 1470) according to Taḳî Kâshî (other, less correct, dates are A.H. 892, see Ḥ. Khalfa iii. p. 129, and 893, see Ḥabib-alsiyar, vol. iii. Juz 3, p. 336). The introduction, found in the Bodleian copy, is missing in all the copies of this collection.

Beginning of the poem:

نخستين برين نامۀ دلگشاى

سخن نقش بستم بنام خداى

Dated A.H. 965, month of Jumâdâ-alawwal (A.D. 1558, February-March), by Maḥmûd bin ‘Abd-alraḥmân.

Worm-eaten in many places. Bibliotheca Leydeniana.

A translation of this epopee in Dakhnî verses was made by a poet with the takhalluṣ Rustamî, who excelled both in Persian and Dakhnî poetry, for Khadîjah Sulṭân Shahrbânû, the sister of Sulṭân ‘Abdallâh Ḳuṭbshâh (who ascended the throne of Gulkundah A.H. 1035=A.D. 1626, see No. 464 in this Cat.), the wife of Abû Manṣûr Sulṭân Muḥammad ‘Âdilshâh bin Ibrâhîmshâh (who reigned A.H. 1037-1067, A.D. 1627-1656, see Nos. 454 and 455 in this Cat.), and the mother of Manṣûr Bakhtiyâr (a copy of this translation with gorgeous illustrations is preserved in No. 834 of the India Office Collection).

No. 2557, ff. 184, 4 centre-coll., each ll. 20 (except ff. 1 and 2, with ll. 25 in a page), and from fol. 3^a on a fifth column on the margin, ll. 44; Nasta’lîḳ, by three different hands; size, 10^3/4 in. by 6^7/8 in.