Ibn al-Wardī, Sirāj al-Dīn Abū Ḥafṣ ʻUmar ابن الوردي، سراج الدين أبو حفص عمر Kharīdat al-ʿajāʾib wa-farīdat al-gharāʾib خريدة العجائب وفريدة الغرائب [‎59r] (129/567)

Content

A work of cosmography, natural history and eschatology focused on Egypt, compiled by Sirāj al-Dīn Abū Ḥafṣ ʻUmar ibn al-Wardī (سراج الدين أبو حفص عمر بن الوردي, d. 1457), sometimes mistakenly attributed to the earlier poet and historian Zayn al-Dīn ʻUmar ibn al-Muẓaffar ibn al-Wardī (زين الدين عمر بن المظفر بن الوردي, d. 1349).

The text is largely drawn from two works: Jāmiʿ al-funūn wa-salwat al-maḥzūn (جامع الفنون وسلوة المحزون) by Najm al-Dīn al-Ḥarrānī (نجم الدين الحراني, active c. 1332), and Kitāb badʼ al-khalq wa-al-taʼrīkh (كتاب بدء الخلق والتأريخ) by Muṭahhar ibn Ṭāhir al-Maqdisī (مطهر بن طاهر المقدسي, active c. 966).

The present copy lacks the first folio, beginning near the end of the preface (see f. 3r, lines 1-5, transcribed below). A replacement first folio does not bear the missing text, but rather a description of the geography, history and political administration of the Sultanate of Khāndīs (Khandesh), a Deccani sultanate annexed in 1601 by the Mughal Emperor Akbar (1542-1605).

A contents table on f. 16r lists fifteen sections (فصول) followed by a conclusion (خاتمة). The manuscript contains two paintings: a world map in green, yellow, red and black on ff. 4v-5r, and a representation of the Kaʻbah indicating the direction of prayer from different cities on f. 59r.

The text is followed by two short sections 'On the computation of the victor and the vanquished' along with a table (جدول فيه حساب الغالب والمغلوب; ff. 272r- 272v); and verses on the subject of chess (فصل في موضوع الشطرنج; ff. 272v-273v). The copy is apparently also missing its final folios as the text breaks off abruptly and there is no colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. .

Begins (f. 3r, lines 1-5):

...القائل زويت لي مشارق الأرض ومغاربها كشفًا

واطلاعًا بسره وعيانه صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وأصحابه

وأنصاره وأعوانه صلاة تبلغ من آمن به غاية أمنه

وأمانه وتسكن روعته في الدارين بعفو الله وغفرانه

وسلم تسليمًا كثيرًا...

Ends (f. 273v, lines 16-17):

فإن رأيتَ النصر قد لاح لكا فلا تقصر واحترز أن تهلكا...

أضعف قوى الخصم فإن ضعفه بدني وإن طال مراه حتفه...

Extent and format

Codex A collection of pages, usually gathered into quires, and bound between covers. ; ff. iii+273+iv

Physical characteristics

Material: Eastern laid paper

Dimensions: 208 x 147 mm leaf [139 x 83 mm written]

Foliation: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Library foliation in pencil; intermittent previous (erroneous) foliation in pencil, some crossed out or erased; quire Collection of papers folded in half and stitched together to form a gathering of folios. marks in Eastern Arabic numerals in red ink throughout (quinions except ff. 70-78, quaternion), mark missing on f. 158r.

Ruling: Misṭarah ; 17 lines per page; vertical spacing 12 lines per 10 cm

Script: Naskh throughout except for text on more recent replacement folio (f. 1v, nastaʻlīq )

Ink: Black ink with rubricated headings

Decoration: Two paintings in green, yellow, red and black (ff. 4v-5r and 59r)

Binding: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. binding with marbled boards, fragments of previous spine removed during conservation work are contained in box with manuscript

Condition: Fore-edges repaired with paper at beginning and end of volume; tidemarks to tail edge margins; paint flaking and tears to paper especially at tail edge on ff. 4v-5r.

Marginalia: few, except ff. 159v, 163r and 198r.

Seals: ff. 2r, 3r and 273v

Written in

Arabic in Arabic script

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