[IO Islamic 2507] Majâlis-alnafâ'is

Majâlis-alnafâ’is . This manuscript is now IO Islamic 664 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 2507 here with notations and hyperlinks]. 664 Majâlis-alnafâ’is (مجالس النفائس ) . The Ćaghatâi original of Mîr ‘Alî Shîr Nawâ’î’s biography of Persian poets, composed A.H. 896 (A.D. 1491), comp. Rieu, Turkish Cat., p. 273; W. Pertsch, Berlin Turkish Cat., p. 313; G. Flügel, ii. p. 373; Paris Cat, pp. 297, 331, and 333; J. Aumer, Türkische Handschriften, No. 148; Cat. des MSS. et Xyl., No. 553, etc.; Hammer, Handschriften, pp. 326-330; Wiener Jahrbücher, vol. 74, Anzeigeblatt, p.11 sq., etc.; Biography of Nawâ’î, and French translation of the seventh majlis by Belin, Journal Asiatique, 5e Série, tom.xvii. p. 175 sq.; extracts from the third majlis in Berezin’s Chrestomathie Turque, p. 146 sq. A Persian translation of this work by Fakhrî of Harât, the author of the جواهر العجائب (see Bodleian Cat., No. 362), entitled لطائف نامه and composed about A.H. 927 (A.D. 1521 ), is described in Rieu i. p. 366; a later Persian version by Shâh ‘Alî is mentioned in Rieu, Turkish Cat., p. 274a . Mîr ‘Alî Shîr died in Jumâdâ II, A.H. 906 (A.D. 1501, beginning of January). Beginning: يوز حمد آنكا كيم يساب جهان بستانى ايلاب الخ. The title appears on fol. 3b , last line. The work is divided into eight Majlis, viz.: 1.Poets who died in the author’s lifetime, but were never personally known to him, beginning with Ḳâsim-i-Anwâr, on fol. 5b. The heading is omitted. 2.Contemporary poets, who were personally known to him, but died before the composition of this work, i.e. A.H. 896, on fol. 18b, beginning with Sharaf-aldîn ‘Alî Yazdî. 3.Contemporary Shaikhs and poets, personally known to him, and still alive at the time of composition of this work, on fol. 46a, last line, beginning with Jâmî. 4.Fuḍalâ, or men of letters, who composed occasionally verses, on fol. 66b, first line, beginning with Pahlawân Muḥammad. 5.Nobelmen of Khurâsân, who excelled in poetical composition, on fol. 84b, beginning with Daulatshâh. 6.Poets and ingenious men of other countries, on fol.89b, beginning with Aḥmad Ḥâjîbeg. 7.Poetry and witticisms of Sulṭâns and princes, on fol. 97a, beginning with Amîr Tîmûr Gûrgân. 8.Sayings in prose and verse of Nawâ’î’s patron, Sulṭân Ḥusain (reigned A.H. 873-911=A.D. 1469-1506), on fol. 101b . No. 2507, ff. 1-110, ll. 13; Nasta’lîḳ; size, 81/2 in. by 51/4 in.