[IO Islamic 2631] Niżâmî's Mathnawîs

Niżâmî's Mathnawîs.

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 983 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 2631 here with notations and hyperlinks].

983

Four mathnawîs by Niżâmî.

This copy contains:

1.The first part of the Iskandarnâma, on fol. 1b; the date of completion, A.H. 597, on fol. 118a, l. 7.

2. Haft Paikar, on fol. 119b; the date of completion, A.H. 593, 14th of Ramaḍân, on fol. 208b, ll. 11 and 12.

3. Makhzan-alasrâr, on fol. 209b; the wrong date, A.H. 559, 24th of Rabî’-alawwal, on fol. 248b, ll. 10-12 in the margin-column. 4. Khusrau u Shîrîn, on fol. 249b; the date of completion, A.H. 576, on fol. 356a, l. 7 in the margin-column. Dated A.H. 1024 (A.D. 1615), see ff. 118a, 208b, and 248b. Bibliotheca Leydeniana.

No. 2631, ff. 360, 2 centre-coll., each ll. 15, and a third on the margin, ll. 28; small, but clear Nasta’lîḳ; splendid illuminated frontispiece on ff. 1b, 119b, 209b, and 249b; the first two pages of each mathnawî neatly embellished with borders in gold and other colours; excellent eastern binding with flowers on gold ground; size, 83/8 in. by 43/4 in.