[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. 2a, 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. 75a, 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. 2b, ll. 2 and 3), viz. :

First ṭabaḳah (the older poets, در بيان اشعار شعراى متقدّمين ), on fol. 2b, beginning with Sa’dî, on fol. 3a, 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.13b.

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

Third ṭabaḳah (the modern poets, در بيان اشعار و احوال شعراى متأخّرين ), on fol. 35a, beginning with Mîr Shams-aldîn Faḳîr (A. Sprenger, Catal., p. 223, l. 21 sq.), on fol. 36a, 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, 81/4 – 83/4 in. by 61/8-63/8 in.