The The Jawámi‘ as a mine of information, during the vii-xiv centuries of the Hijra. name of al-‘Awfí has always been associated in Persian literature with the Jawámi‘u’l-Ḥikáyát alone; perhaps the Haft Iqlím, (composed in 1002 A. H.) is the earliest work that acknowledges the Lubábu’l-Albáb also. The influence which the Jawámi‘ exerted on historical, biographical, anecdotal and cosmographical works, can be estimated by the accounts borrowed from this work, directly or indirectly, and by the number of Turkish translations, abridgements and adaptations of this book, and excerpts utilised for critical studies at different times and in different countries.

Soon Its traces in the Ṭabaqát-i-Náṣirí. (vii). after al-‘Awfí, Minháj-i-Siráj, a younger contemporary of his, famous as the author of the Ṭabaqát-i-Náṣirí, compiled his history in 650 A. H. = 1260 A. D. Traces of the influence of the Jawámi‘ are found in places, although without any acknowledge­ment on the part of Minháj. The following anecdote which is found in only one Ms. [Add. 16,862 Br. Mus.] is common to both. Cf. (J. f216a. II. vi. 1300); M.T.N., pp. 282-5). It describes the ideal training of a prince, at the hands of an excellent preceptor who punished the prince very severely, at the end of his probation, in order that he might realise the pains of his victims, when he should become a king.

In In the ‘Ajá’ib-u’l-Makhlúqát. (vii). a similar manner we find that Zakariyyá al-Qazwíní, in his ‘Ajá’ibu’l-Makhlúqát* (composed in 1263 and 1276 A. D.), relates the story of the Israelite hermit Barṣíṣá and the temptation of the Devil, which is also common to both and classified under the same heading; but it cannot be ascertained whether he actually borrowed from al-‘Awfí. Cf. (D. f255b. III. xvii. 1711); Q.A.M., pp. 368-9).

The Citations in the Tajáribu’s-Salaf. (viii). earliest citations* from the Jawámi‘ with due acknowledgement are found in the Taiáribu’s-Salaf, the enlarged Persian version of the Kitábu’l-Fakhrí of Ibnu’ṭ-Ṭiqṭaqa (composed 701 A. H. = 1302 A. D.) by Hindúsháh b. Sanjar al-Kírání aṣ-Ṣáḥibí, for the prince Nuṣratu’d-Dín Atabek of Luristán in the year 724 A. H. = 1324 A. D.. There are three direct quotations from the Jawámi‘; in Nos. (1) and (3) the laqab of the author al-‘Awfí as Sadídu’d-Dín is given (see above, p. 5). The parallel references are to [Browne Or. G. 3.].

A Citations in the Nuzhatu’l-Qulúb, (viii). little later Ḥamdu’llah Mustawfí of Qazwín, makes a passing mention of the Jawámi‘, as shown above (p. 5, ll. 14-23), but in the geographical part of his Nuzhatu’l-Qulúb (composed in 740 A. H. = 1340 A. D.) at least ten direct quotations are traceable. Mr. Guy Le Strange has commented in his preface to the Persian text of the Nuzhat (p. xv) on the inaccuracy of Ḥamdu’llah in the use of the Fársnáma, and the case is the same with the Jawámi‘. All these quotations are cut short, and sometimes disranged and misquoted, but for our purposes it is important to note that as early as the eighth century A. H. the Jawámi‘ had shown its influence on important writers. As the end of the book derives its special interest from the stories of ‘Marvels’, Ḥamdu’llah has utilised it in this connection. Parallel references are given below to the Persian text of the Nuzhat edited by Mr. Guy Le Strange. (= H.N.Q.)

Likewise In the Zubdat u’t-Tawáríkh and Átháru’l-Wuzará’, (ix). we find two other authors utilising the Jawámi‘ in the ninth century A. H., the first being Ḥáfiẓ Abrú who composed the Zubdatu’t-Tawáríkh for the prince Báysunqur in 829 or 830 A. H. = 1426 or 1427 A. D. The very first anecdote of the Jawámi‘, on the origin of idolatry, is cited word for word without any acknowledge­ment. Cf. (A. f22a. I. i. 1), [Or. 2774 Br. Mus.]* f24b. The next author who is greatly indebted to al-‘Awfí is Sayfu’d-Dín Ḥájí b. Niẓám al-‘Aqílí. In the first nine chapters of his Átháru’l-Wuzará’ (composed about 883 A. H. = 1478/9 A. D.), besides acknowledging the Jawámi‘ as one of his main sources, he has incorporated a considerable number of anecdotes from the accounts of the wazirs and secretaries in the Jawámi‘. See [Or. 4107 Br. Mus.]. f4a, f7a, f10a, f11a, f12b, f16a, f24a, f37b, f41b, ff111-4. The last reference, though without acknowledgement, is important. It contains the epistle written by Mu‘ínu’d-Dín al-Aṣamm, the secretary of the Sultan Sanjar in response to the appeal for redress sent by the Muslim captives in Byzantium*. (A. ff220. I. xviii. 1003) = ff111-4.

The In the works of Mír Khwánd and Khwánd-amír (x). most wide-spread influence of the Jawámi‘ is seen in the tenth century A. H.. At least ten authors who wrote in various parts of Máwará’u’n-Nahr, Khurásán, Asia Minor and India, on history, biography and cosmography quote this work. In the Khátima of the Rawdhatu’ṣ-Ṣafá of the historian Mír Khwánd (d. circa 903 A. H.) occur four direct citations of the same type as in the Nuzhatu’l-Qulúb, noticed above. (See M. R. S., pp. 1467, 1468, 1470). But the works of his illustrious grandson Khwánd-amír, who wrote mostly in Herát, are directly influenced by the Jawámi‘. A few resemblances are found in his earlier works, the Ma’áthiru’l-Mulúk and the Khuláṣatu’l-Akhbár, while his Dastúru’l-Wuzará’, (composed in 915 A. H. = 1509/10 A. D.) contains at least twenty citations. This Manual of the Wazírs, like its predecessor the Átháru’l-Wuzará’, is indebted to the wealth of biographical material, scattered throughout the anecdotes of the Jawámi‘, which is indispensable for a thorough under­standing of the Eastern method of administration. See [Or. 234 Br. Mus.] f11b, f12a, f15a, f17b, ff18, f19a, f20a, f21a, f22b, f29a, f36a, f37a, f38b, f39a, f50a, f110a. Then in his Ḥabíbu’s-Siyar composed in 930 A. H. = 1523/4 A. D. two long anecdotes are quoted verbatim in the account of the Barmecides. (1) How a scribe forged a letter and incidentally healed the breach between ‘Abdu’llah b. Málik al-Khuzá‘í and Yaḥyá b. Khálid the Barmecide. (D. f180a. II. xxiii. 1503) = Kh.H.S. Vol. II, juz’ iii, pp. 18-9. (2) The proscription by the Caliph Hárún of the lamentation over the Barmecides, and the account of Mundhir b. Mughíra concerning their generosity. (D. f146a. II. xiv. 1411) = Kh.H.S. Vol. II, juz iii, p. 24.

Then In the Laṭa’if­u’ṭ-Ṭawá’if and Ta’ríkh-i-Abu’l-Khayr Khání (x). ‘Alí, the son of Ḥusayn al-Wá‘iẓ al-Káshifí, modelled his Laṭá’ifu’ṭ-Ṭawá’if (composed in 939 A. H. = 1532/3 A. D.) on the lines of the Jawámi‘. Although he has surpassed al-‘Awfí in systematic classification of the groups, the material has lost much of historical accuracy in transition. Two direct quotations from the Jawámi‘ as the work of Sadíd-i-‘Awfí are found in [Add. 18,408 Br. Mus.] on f19b and 35b, but in every chapter the Jawámi‘ has constantly been used, barring those taken from other sources and added by the author himself. And again in the Ta’ríkh-i-Abu’l-Khayr Khání written by Mas‘úd(í) b. ‘Uthmán Kúhistání for the Uzbek ruler ‘Abdu’l-Laṭíf Khán of Samarqand after 947 A. H. = 1540/1 A. D., an extract, from the anecdote of the tailor, the tyrannical chief, the significance of the former’s prayer-call at unusual hours, and a rape, is given in an altered form. This story also occurs in the Faraj, and the Siyásat-náma; a comparison of the text of each will perhaps show the changes which anecdotes undergo in transmigration. Cf. T.F.S., pt. II, pp. 17-9, N.S.N.*, pp. 45-54, (A. f126a. I. vi. 399) = [Add. 26,188 Br. Mus.] f66b.

In In the Ta’ríkh-i-Nigáristán, Ta’ríkh-i-Ílchí -i-Niẓámsháh, and Mir’át u’l-Adwár, (x). the latter half of this century three other writers acknowledge the importance of the Jawámi‘. The Qádhí Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Ghaffárí of Qazwín, like most of the previous historians, refers to our author in connection with the Jawámi‘ in his Nusakh-i-Jahán Árá composed in 972 A. H. = 1564/5 A. D., [Or. 141 Br. Mus.] f118b; but in his Ta’ríkh-i-Nigáristán composed earlier in 957 A. H. = 1551/2 A. D., at least 10 direct quotations can be discovered. These are of the nature of those in the Nuzhat mentioned above. Short parallel references are given to the Bombay lithographed edition of the Nigáristán published in 1829 A. D.

Then Khwarsháh b. Qubád al-Ḥusayní in his Ta’ríkh-i-Ílchí-i-Niẓámsháh, composed in 917 A. H. 1511/2 A. D. for Ibráhím Quṭbsháh of Golkunda (now under the territory of H. E. H. The Niẓám of Ḥaydarábád Dakan), besides acknowledging the Jawámi‘ as one of its sources in [Add. 23,513 Br. Mus.] on f3a and referring to our author on f183a, bears traces of its influence on f55a, f56a, f57a, f206, though without mention. One instance, the appearance of Zoroaster in the reign of Gushtásp on f55a, is striking as it exhibits a twofold source. Cf. (A. f60a. I. iv. 141), Jámi‘u’t Tawáríkh-i-Rashídi [Add. 7628 Br. Mus.] f250a. Similarly the Mir’átu’l-Adwár of Musliḥu’d-Dín al-Lárí composed about 974 A. H. = 1566/7 A. D. bears a few traces. In the case of two anecdotes about Abú Sa‘íd b. Abi’l-Khayr the source is not mentioned. Cf. M.A.T., pp. 70, 141-2, (A. ff45. I. iii. 111-112), Mir’at [Add. 7650 Br. Mus.] f119a. With this account we close the survey of the influence of the Jawámi‘ on the tenth century writers.