[IO Islamic 2507] Majâlis-alnafâ'is

<strong>Majâlis-alnafâ’is .</strong> <strong>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 664 in the India Office collections.</strong> <strong>[metadata:</strong> <strong>Hermann Ethé</strong><strong><em>, </em></strong><strong><em>Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office,</em></strong> <strong>2 vols. (Oxford: India Office, 1903): volume 1,</strong> <strong>number 2507 here with notations and hyperlinks]</strong>. 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, 5^eSérie, 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<em> </em> (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. 274^a . 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. 3^b , 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. 5^b. 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. 18^b, 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. 46^a, last line, beginning with Jâmî. 4.Fuḍalâ, or men of letters, who composed occasionally verses, on fol. 66^b, first line, beginning with Pahlawân Muḥammad. 5.Nobelmen of Khurâsân, who excelled in poetical composition, on fol. 84^b, beginning with Daulatshâh. 6.Poets and ingenious men of other countries, on fol.89^b, beginning with Aḥmad Ḥâjîbeg. 7.Poetry and witticisms of Sulṭâns and princes, on fol. 97^a, 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. 101^b . No. 2507, ff. 1-110, ll. 13; Nasta’lîḳ; size, 8^1/2 in. by 5^1/4 in.