[IO Islamic 2725] نجيب نامه

Najibnâma

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 1715 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 2725 here with notations and hyperlinks].

1715

Najibnâma (نجيب نامه).

A poetical history of the life and exploits of the famous Rohilla chief Najîb-aldaulah or Najîbkhân, who was nominated by Aḥmadshâh Durrânî A.H. 1170 (A.D. 1756, 1757) Amîr-alumarâ, retained the absolute mastership of Dihlî until his death in A.H. 1185 (A.D. 1771), comp. Rieu i. p. 306, where a special history of Najîbkhân is noticed, and Beale, Orient.

Biogr. Dict., p. 202 (in the latter his death is wrongly fixed in Rajab, A.H. 1184=October, 1770). This mathnawî was composed by Muḥyî-aldîn, son of Abû-alḥasan (see, for instance, fol. 138b), with the takhalluṣ Dhauḳî (see fol. 133a, l. 4, fol. 139b, l. 5, fol. 184b, l. 2, etc.), the same who wrote ḳaṣidas in praise of the principal Shaikhs of the Ḳâdiri order under the title of مدائح المشايخ (see A. Sprenger, Catal., p. 389), and was him self a zealous champion of the said order, as the last hemistich of this mathnawî proves:

كنم ختم اين نامه بر نام غوث ‘

The date of composition does not appear.

According to the last verses the poem contains 1,400 baits, and was written in seven days; the poet was at that time thirty-five years old.

Dated the 25th of Ṣafar, A.H. 1213 (A.D. 1798, Aug. 8). Bibliotheca Leydeniana.

No. 2725, ff. 131-199, 2 coll., each ll. 11; Nasta’lîḳ; size, 83/4 in. by 61/8 in.