[IO Islamic 929] كلّيّات قدسى

Kulliyyât-i-Ḳudsî

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 1552 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 929 here with notations and hyperlinks].

Ḳudsî (Nos. 1552-1557).

1552

Kulliyyât-i-Ḳudsî(كلّيّات قدسى).

A collection of epical and lyrical poems by Ḥâjî Muḥammad Jân Ḳudsî of Mashhad, who went to India in the fifth year of Shâhjahân’s reign, A.H. 1041, 1042 (A.D. 1631, 1632), and was greatly favoured by that monarch. The Kalimât-alshu’arâ (A. Sprenger, Catal., p. 113), the Khulâṣat-alkalâm, No. 57 (col. 299 in the Bodleian Cat.), and the Khulâṣat-alafkâr, No. 214 (ib., col. 309), assert that he rose to the dignity of a king of poets at Shâhjahân’s court, but this is denied by the author of the ‘Amal-i-Ṣâliḥ (see above, Nos. 332-336), who says, that he was forestalled by Abû-Ṭâlib Kalîm (see further below, Nos. 1563-1570). He died, according to the best authorities, A.H. 1056 (A.D. 1646), either in Lâhûr, as is stated in Safînah, No. 728 (col. 236 in the Bodleian Cat.), and in the Khazâna-i-’âmirah, No. 96 (ib., col. 258), or in Kashmîr.

Other, less trustworthy, dates of his death are A.H. 1055 (A.D. 1645) in the Khulâṣat-alafkâr, and after A.H. 1069 (A.D. 1659) in the Mirât-alkhayâl, No. 69 (col. 209 in the Bodleian Cat., the latter date being quite impossible, as Abû Ṭâlib Kalim, who died A.H. 1061 or 1062=A.D. 1651, 1652, wrote an elegy on Ḳudsî’s death, see below, No. 1569); compare besides Bodleian Cat., Nos. 1102-1111; Rieu ii. p. 684a sq., and iii. p. 1001b; W. Pertsch, Berlin Cat., pp. 917 and 918; A. Sprenger; Catal., pp. 90, 128, 151, and 536.

Contents:

A.Epic poetry:

1.Preface in prose or encomium of Ḳudsî, by Jalâl-aldîn Muḥammad Ṭabâṭabâ’î, who came from Iṣfahân to India in A.H. 1044 (A.D. 1634, 1635), and became a court-chronicler of Shâhjahân, see Rieu i.p. 258. He Finished this preface in Âgra, the 11th of Rabî’-alawwal, A.H. 1048 (A.D. 1638, July 23). Beginning, on fol. 1b:

سخن آفرينى كه بحكم اقتضاى حكمت مدار تكوين پرکار آفرينش الخ .

2.Żafarnâma-i-Shâhjahân-i-Pâdishâh (ظفرنامۀ شاهجهان پادشاه), or simply Żafarnâma-i-Shâhjâhanî (ظفرنامۀ شاهجهانى), a mathnawî in honour of the exploits of emperor Shâhjahân, comprising about 8,000 baits, beginning, on fol. 5b:

بحمد خدائى زبانم گشود

كه شد منحصر در وجودش وجود

This mathnawî was left unfinished by the author; according to the Makhzn-algharâ’ib, No. 2067 (col. 365 in the Bodleian Cat.), Abû Ṭâlib Kalim completed it, but see Rieu ii. p. 686.

3.A second mathnawî, apparently a ساقى نامه , on fol. 147b, beginning:

بنام خدائى كه روز نخست

به پیمانه ام کرد پیمان درست

4.A third mathnawî, in praise of Kashmîr, entitled, according to other copies: در تعريف کشمير دلپذير ( comp. Bodleian Cat., No. 1104), beginning, on fol. 190b:

بنام پادشاه پادشاهان – سرافرازی ده صاحب کلاهان

It ends on fol. 206b and was completed A.H. 1044 (A.D. 1634, 1635), according to the chronogram: سرير پادشاه بزم آراى. The portion from fol. 202a margin to 205b centre appears as a separate poem in the Bodleian Cat., No. 1105, beginning: تعالى الله ازين باغ دل افروز, but a comparison with this copy as well as with No. 1102 in the Bodleian Cat., fol. 8b sq., shows that it is only a continuation of the تعريف كشمير دلپذير . Some mathnawî-baits at the end of this poem, on fol. 206b, in praise of a princely mansion in the same metre, are probably also an appendix to the poem on Kashmîr.

5.A fourth mathnawî, on human frailty, entitled, according to the Bodleian Cat., No. 1107, ff. 1-5a, در ضعف و ناتوانى, beginning, on fol. 207a:

مسلمانان فغان زين ناتوانى

كه دارد در گمانم زندگانی

6.A fifth mathnawî, on fol.208b margin, beginning:

زنده دلى بهر تماشاى هند

رفت زكشمير باقصاى هند

The same is found in the Bodleian Cat., No. 1102, fol. 45b sq., and No. 1107, fol. 21b sq.; a portion of it, viz. ff. 210a-213a, is repeated in the lyrical poetry, on fol. 301b sq., beginning:دوش برسوا شدن عالمى الخ.

B.Lyric poetry:

7.Another preface, in prose, as introduction to the dîwân, beginning, on fol. 214b, with two baits, the first of which runs thus:

جلّ من لا اله الاّ هو – لا نقل كيف هو ولا ما هو

The prose-text commences thus: جائى كه ديباچۀ کلام قدسی الخ.

This preface is dated A.H. 1117 (A.D. 1705, 1706).

8.Ḳaṣîdas, in alphabetical order, beginning, on fol. 218a:

من آن نيم كه كنم سركشى زتيغ جفا

چو شمع زنده سر خويش ديده ام در پا

9.Tarkibbands, beginning, on fol.277a: اى دل چه شوى شاد كه ايّام بهار است الخ.

On ff. 301b-306b the above mentioned portion of the fifth mathnawî is repeated.

10.Ghazals, in alphabetical order, with a series of rubâ’îs at the end, beginning, on fol. 307a:داده عشقم بادۀ نابی که ميسوزد مرا الخ.

No date.

No. 929, ff. 354, 2 coll., each ll. 17, and a third column on the margin of ff. 26a-212b, ll. 24; Nasta’lîḳ; small illuminations throughout; size, 91/2 in. by 65/8 in.