There is a considerable number of anecdotes concerning, the lives and sayings and
exhortations of various holy men.
Pt. I, ch. iii, anecs. 79—118 are entirely devoted to biographical sketches of the Ṣúfís.
Pt. I, ch. xv, anecs. 788—837 are also noteworthy as giving memorable aphorisms and
detached accounts of pious persons.
Besides these, many others are spread over the vast range of chapters.
2. Theologians and Judges.
A considerable number of such anecdotes is found throughout the entire work.
Pt. I, chs. xi, xv, xvi are worthy of mention. The last chapter, specially devoted to
the Qádhís, contains 66 anecs., concerning the Imám Abú Ḥanífa, the Imám Abú Yúsuf,
the Imám Muḥammad b. Ḥasan, and the Imám Sháfi‘í, all Sunní theologians.
3. Heresiarchs and pseudo-prophets.
There are about 15 anecdotes.
Pt. III, ch. viii, anecs. 1619—1627 are entirely devoted to the accounts of the great
heresiarchs.
VI. Accounts of Secular and other Eminent Persons.
1. Kings and rulers of various countries.
Pt. I, chs. vi, vii, viii, ix, x, anecs. 363—564 are chiefly devoted to the civil, judicial,
executive and legislative methods of these rulers.
Pt. II, chs. iii and iv, also reveal partially the methods of government employed by
various princes.
Pt. IV, chs. i and ii, are also important for ascertaining the position of state officials
under absolute rulers. Most chapters exhibit the peculiar traits of various rulers and
illustrate to some extent the history of the political institutions that existed in the
East, from the days of Núshírwán, the Just, to the last of the ‘Abbásid Caliphs, in
various Islamic states and under various Muḥammadan dynasties. All historical
accounts are recorded in section IV.
2. Wazírs.
Pt. I, ch. xiv, anecs. 736—787 contain 52 anecdotes of the ministers of different countries,
with copious illustrations of their statesmanship, and of the chief political events
that happened during their administration. The range of this chapter also is very
wide. It includes Buzurjmihr, the Barmecides, and their successors in the office of
ministership under the early ‘Abbásids, and gives an account that of other famous
Wazírs like the Ṣáḥib Ismá‘íl b. ‘Abbád, the Niẓámu’l-Mulk, and Abu’l-Fadhl
Bal‘amí.
Besides this special chapter, there are many other anecdotes in Pt. IV, chs. vi and vii,
that are interesting, as they depict the dramatic changes of ministry in the latter
period of the decline of the ‘Abbásid Caliphate.
3. Secretaries.
Pt. I, ch. xviii, anecs. 987—1023 are important. They contain several important historical
documents written by famous secretaries, e.g. Abu’l-Qásim Iskáf and Mu‘ínu’d-Dín
al-Aṣamm. Besides these there are other accounts of important secretaries and state-officials
in pt. II, ch. xxv.
4. Favourites and boon-companions.
Pt. I, ch. xix, anecs. 1024—1040 are specially devoted to the accounts of agreeable
companions on occasions of conviviality. The Ṣáḥib Ismá‘íl b. ‘Abbád’s remark on
wine is recorded, and accounts are given of Ibráhím b. Mahdí, Ḥasan-i-Dhaḥḥák,
Isḥáq-i-Mawṣilí, Abú Dulaf Khazrají, and Ḥammádu’r-Ráwiya.
5. Physicians.
Pt. I, ch. xx, anecs. 1041—1055 are devoted to wonderful cures of strange diseases.
Accounts of Hippocrates, Rhazes, Qaṭí‘, Aristotle, Minúbal, Sarnáb or Sarbát and
Mání-i-Muwaswas are given. Most of these are taken from at-Tanúkhí’s al-Faraj,
and have been discussed by Browne in his excellent Arabian Medicine.
6. Poets.
Pt. I, ch. xxiii, 1107—1125 contain short accounts of the extempore verses composed by the
following poets on one occasion or another: Marwán b. Ḥafṣa, Ḥasan Dhaḥḥák, Zuhayr
b. Ṣurad, Abu’l-‘Atáhiya, Ṭurayḥ b. Ismá‘íl ath-Thaqafí, Abú Tammám, Abu’sh-Shamaqmaq,
Badí‘uz-Zamán Hamadhání, Ma‘rúf of Balkh, al-Akhṭal, Ibnu’r-Rúmí,
al-A‘shá, Ru’ba and Farrukhí. (There are a few other anecdotes about poets like
Di‘bil of Khuzá‘a and others in different places and in a different connection.)
7. Astrologers.
Pt. I, ch. xxii, 1090—1106.
Predictions of Fadhl b. Sahl the Wazír, Abú Ma‘shar (al-Balkhí), Mání-i-Muwaswas,
and Sa‘du’z-Zamán (?) are recorded.
8. Oneiromancers.
Pt. I, ch. xxi, 1056—1089.
Interpretations of Ibn-i-Sírín, Buzurjmihr, Ya‘qúb-i-Kashsháfí and Bayánu’l-Ḥaqq on the
dreams of different persons.
9. Clairvoyants and shrewd persons.
Pt. I, ch. xi, 565—612.
Illustrations of the sagacity and foresight of various classes of people are mentioned
in this and other chapters. Among the theologians Imám Sháfi‘í, the Qádhís Iyás,
Shurayḥ and Sharík, and among the philosophers Polemon are worthy of note.
10. Wise persons.
Pt. I, chs. xv, xvi, xxv contain accounts and sayings of various sages and eminent
personalities.
11. Artful persons.
Pt. I, ch. xiii, 676—735.
Wiles and strategems of various rulers and generals, e. g. ‘Amr b. al-‘Áṣ, Ya‘qúb b.
Layth, Sa‘d b. Abí Waqqáṣ, Qutayba b. Muslim and Mu‘áwiya.
12. Witty and humourous persons.
Pt. I, ch. viii, 444—482 contain pithy sayings of the rulers.
Pt. IV, ch. xxv, 2075—2113 contain humorous pieces and anecdotes of the litigants
before Qádhís in public courts.
13. Women.
Pt. III, chs. xxii—xxv, 1742—1789.
Account of various types of women: clever, pious, unchaste and artful.
VII. Ethics.
Pts. I and II deal with Virtues and Vices, Illustrated from the accounts of historical
personages. There is no systematic study of ethics. Under each virtue or vice incidents
of various rulers and eminent persons are collected. All such historical anecdotes are
arranged in sections IV, V and VI of this Re-classification.
VIII. Encounters and exciting occurrences.
Pt. IV, chs. iii—xiii, anecs. 1809—1934. These anecdotes of “Relief after Distress” are
taken from at-Tanúkhí’s al-Faraj ba‘da’sh-Shidda, and have been completely analysed
in the Table of Contents and elsewhere. Other historical material connected with
the eminent personalities is arranged in section IV.
IX. Geography and the Wonders of the World. Pt. IV, chs. xvi—xviii.
1. A sketch of the Seven “Climes” and “Routes”. (Anecs. 1963—1964).
2. A description of China. (Anec. 1965).
3. On the various Turkmán tribes. (Anecs. 1966—1967).
4. An account of old Byzantine civilization. (Anec. 1968).
5. An account of the Arabian Peninsula. (Anec. 1969).
6. A short account of India. (Anec. 1971).
7. An account of the Abyssinians. (Anecs. 1972—1975).
8. An account of the inhabitants of the Jazá’ir or the Isles on the Caspian Sea. (Anec. 1976).
9. Monuments and remarkable buildings. Antiquities. (Anecs. 1977—1986).
X. Physical properties of objects, Natural History and other Curious Phenomena. Pt. IV, chs.
xiv, xv, xix—xxiii.
1. Curious properties of stones and other natural objects. IV, xx, anecs. 1996—2008.
2. The long-lived persons. IV, xv, anecs. 1945—1962.
3. Human Monstrosities. IV, xiv, anecs. 1935—1944.
4. Temperament of Animals and their curious effects. IV, xxi—xxiv, anecs. 2009—2066.
5. Curious birds and their peculiarities. IV, xxiv, anecs. 2067—2074.