[IO Islamic 2643] حديقة الاقاليم

<strong>Bahjat-al’âlam.</strong> <strong>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 730 in the India Office collections.</strong> <strong>[metadata:</strong> <strong>Hermann Ethé</strong><strong><em>, </em></strong><strong><em>Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office,</em></strong> <strong>2 vols. (Oxford: India Office, 1903): volume 1,</strong> <strong>number 2643 here with notations and hyperlinks].</strong> 730 Ḥadîḳat-alaḳâlim (حديقة الاقاليم). A large modern geographical encyclopaedia, with many historical and literary records, following in the main the system of the Haft Iḳlîm, but considerably richer in detail with regard to India in general and to the more modern periods of Indian history in particular, compiled by Ḳâḍî Murtaḍâ Ḥusain, known as Allâhyâr ‘Uthmânî Balgrâmî, who was born A.H. 1132 (A.D. 1720), entered A.H. 1142 (A.D. 1729, 1730), in his tenth year, the service of Mubâriz-almulk, the Ṣûbadâr of Gujarât, and was till A.H. 1187 (A.D. 1773, 1774) in the train of many other distinguished Indian Amîrs, who are enumerated in detail in Rieu iii. pp. 992-994. In A.H. 1190 (A.D. 1776) he became munshî of Capt. Jonathan Scott, and at his request began to compile the present work, on the basis of the most renowned books, written on geography and history. The conclusion of the work was written by him A.H. 1202 (A.D. 1787, 1788). A detailed account of its contents is given in the Bodleian Cat., No. 422; comp. also W. Pertsch, Berlin Cat., pp. 414-417; Elliot, History of India, viii. pp. 180-183. Lithographed in Lucknow, 1879 and 1881. Beginning, on fol. 1^b: حمد بيحدّ مر خداى عزّوجلّ را كه لسان عالميان الخ. Iḳlim I, on fol. 4^a; II, on fol. 24^b; III, on fol. 133^b; IV, on fol. 428^b; V, on fol. 492^b; VI, on fol. 507^a; VII, on fol. 549^a. Khâtimah (احوال دنياء ذو), on fol. 558^a. No date. No. 2643, ff. 581, ll. 22; careless Nasta’lîḳ; size, 15^1/4 in. by 9^1/8 in.