[IO Islamic 402] خمسۀ نظامى

Khamsa-i-Niżâmî. This manuscript is now IO Islamic 972 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 402 here with notations and hyperlinks]. Niżâmî (Nos. 972-1027). 972 Khamsa-i-Niżâmî (خمسۀ نظامى). The Khamsah, or complete five epic poems, the so-called ‘five treasures’ (پنج گنج) of Jamâl-aldîn Abû Muḥammad Ilyâs bin Yûsuf bin Mu’ayyad Niżâm-aldîn, with the takhalluṣ Niżâmî, of Ganja, who was born A.H. 535 (A.D. 1140, 1141), and died probably A.H. 598 or 599 (A.D. 1202, 1203); later dates of his death are A.H. 602 (A.D. 1205, 1206), 606 (A.D. 1209, 1210), and after 607 (A.D. 1210, 1211); see Bodleian Cat., Nos. 585-619 and 1981; Rieu ii. p. 564 sq. and (as to A.H. 607) p.569a; W. Pertsch, p.67, and Berlin Cat., p. 751 sq.; Sir Gore Ouseley, Notices of Persian Poets, p. 43; A. Sprenger, Catal., p. 519 sq.; G. Flügel i. p. 503; Rosen, Persian MSS., pp. 171-173 and 203; A.F. Mehren, p. 34; Cat. Codd. Orient. Lugd. ii. p. 109; C. J. Tornberg, p. 94; J. Aumer, p. 10 etc. On Niżâmî’s life and works comp. W. Bacher, Niżâmî’s Leben und Werke, Leipzig, 1871; English translation, London, 1873 (reprinted in S. Robinson’s ‘Persian Poetry for English Readers,’ 1883, pp. 103-244), and Ethé, Die höfische und romantische Poesie der Perser, Hamburg, 1887, pp. 39-42. The Khamsah has been lithographed in Bombay, 1834 and 1838 Ṭahrân, A.H. 1261; edited at Tabrîz, 1845; comp. on these and other editions Zenker ii. 508-510; Trübner’s Record, Nos. 66, 67, p. 99; Zeitschrift der D.M.G. vi. p. 405, etc. Contents: 1.Makhzan-alasrâr (مخزن الاسرار), composed probably A.H. 572 or 573 (A.D. 1176-1178), see Rieu, loc. cit. Wrong dates, ascribed to this poem in various copies, are A.H. 552 (A.D. 1157), see No. 990 below in this Cat., and Bodleian Cat., No. 585; A.H. 559 (A.D. 1164), see below, Nos. 977, 983, and 994, and Rieu ii. p. 565b; and A.H. 582 (A.D. 1186), see Rieu ii. p. 573a. It was dedicated to Sulṭân Bahrâmshâh, contains 20 maḳâlas, and begins, on fol. 1b: بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم – هست كليد در گنج حكيم Edited by N. Bland, London, 1844 (with Daulatshâh’s and Luṭf ‘Alîbeg’s biographies of the poet prefixed); lithographed Lucknow, 1869, 1872, and with a commentary 1881; Cawnpore, 1869; a Turkish commentary on the same by Sham’î (who died about A.H. 1009 or 1010, A.D. 1600-1602). 2.Khusra u Shîrîn (خسرو شيرين), composed A.H. 576 (A.D. 1180, 1181), and containing eulogies on Sulṭân Sa’îd Ṭughrul bin Arslân (who ascended the throne A.H. 573 =A.D. 1177, 1178), the Atâbeg Abû Ja’far Muḥammad, and his brother and successor, Ḳizil Arslân (A.H. 582-587=A.D. 1186-1191). It begins, on fol. 36b: خداوندا در توفيق بگشاى نظامى را ره تحقيق بنماى Lithographed at Lahore, A.H. 1288 (A.D. 1871); see besides Hammer’s Schirin, Leipzig, 1809. 3.Lailâ u Majnûn ( ليلى و مجنون), composed A.H. 584 (A.D. 1188), and dedicated to Sulṭan Abû-almużaffar Shirwânshâh. It begins, on fol. 126b: اى نام تو بهترين سرآغاز بى نام تو نامه كى كنم باز Edited Lucknow, 1870 (see Trübner’s Record, No. 65, p. 81) and 1888. Translated into English by J. Atkinson, 1836. 4.Haft Paikar (هفت پيكر), composed A.H. 593 (A.D. 1197), and dedicated, as it seems, to the Atâbeg Nûr-aldîn Arslân (who ascended the throne of Mauṣil A.H. 589=A.D. 1193). It begins, on fol. 193b: اى جهان ديده بود خويش از تو هيچ بودى نبود پيش از تو This poem is sometime styled قصّۀ بهرام گور, see Bodleian Cat., No. 585. Lithographed Bombay, 1849; Lucknow, 1873; comp. also F. v. Erdmann, ‘Behramgur und die russische Fürstentochter,’ Kasan, 1844. 5a.The first part of the Iskandarnâma, here styled Iḳbâlnâma-i-Sikandarî (اقبالنامۀ سكندرى); the usual titles are شرفنامۀ سکندرى or سكندر نامۀ برّى (but see on the conflicting statements respecting the proper titles of the first and the second part, Rieu ii. pp. 568 and 569; Fleischer in Zeitschrift der D. M. G. vii. p. 412, Anmerkung; Bodleian Cat., col. 489, and A. F. Mehren, p. 35 note. It was probably composed A.H. 597 (A.D. 1200, 1201), and dedicated to Nuṣrat-aldîn, the successor of the Atâbeg Kizil Arslân (who died A.H. 587=A.D. 1191). It begins, on fol. 267b: خدايا جهان پادشائى تراست زما خدمت آيد خدائى تراست Part of the text was printed 1810, Calcutta, in ‘Selections for the Use of the Students of the Persian Class,’ vol. iv, 2nd ed. 1828; also A.H. 1269; an edition with a selection from the best commentaries by Badr ‘Ali and Mîr Ḥusain ‘Alî appeared in Calcutta, 1812, reprinted 1825; lithographed edition besides in Bombay, A.H. 1277 and 1292, Lucknow, A.H. 1266, 1282, with glosses, 1879 and 1888; another edition (with the commentary of Muḥammad Ghufrân), Lahore, 1889. Extracts in German translation by Fr. Rückert in ‘Frauentaschenbuch,’ Nürnberg, 1824; English translation by H.W. Clarke, London, 1881; comp. also F. v. Erdmann, De Expeditione Russorum Berdaam versus, Kasan, 1826-1832; Charmoy, Expédition d’Alexandre contre les Russes, St. Petersburg, 1829; F. Spiegel, Die Alexandersage etc., Leipzig, 1851, pp. 33-50; and Ethé, Alexanders Zug zum Lebensquell in ‘Sitzungsberichte der bayrischen Academie, histor.-philol. Classe,’ 1871, pp. 343-405. 5b. The second part of the Iskandarnâma, here styled Sharafnâma (شرفنامه); the usual titles are خردنامۀ سکندرى, اقبالنامۀ سكندرى, or اسكندرنامۀ بحرى (see above in 5a). It was dedicated to Malik ‘Izz-aldîn Mas’ûd, and begins, on fol. 369b: خرد هر كجا گنجى آرد پديد زنام خدا سازد آنرا كليد Edited by A. Sprenger, Calcutta, 1852 and 1869; lithographed, Bombay, A.H. 1277 (A.D. 1860), and Lucknow, 1879; comp. also W. Bacher, Nizâmî’s Leben und Werke, pp. 101-171. Good old copy, collated and dated the 21st of Muḥarram, A.H. 894 (A.D. 1488, Dec. 25), By Maulânâ Ḥâjî Muḥammad aldurustâḳî albadakhshî. Fol. 261b is left blank. No. 402, ff. 422, 4 coll., each ll. 17; small Nasta’lîḳ; illuminated frontispiece at the beginning of each mathnawî; some small miniature paintings, for the greater part effaced, on ff. 49a, 50a, 164b, 183b, and 203b; size, 9 in. by 5½ in.