As this book has been in course of publication since 1925 and fresh information has accumulated about different points, the present writer intends here to give in brief a chronological account of the hitherto unexamined MSS. of the Jawámi‘ which he has met with in Vienna, Constantinople, and Ḥaydarábád (Deccan) and a few others in the catalogues of the Hamburg and Bankipore libraries.
The Núr 2 or [Núr-i-‘Uthmániyya 3273, Constantinople]* abridged and supplemented version of the Jawámi‘ by Muḥammad b. As‘ad b. ‘Abdu’llah al-Ḥanafí at-Tustarí, who lived in the reign of Sultan Uljáytú, 1305—16 A.D.
Folios 311; size 34 by 22 cm., 27 lines per page; dated 723 A. H. = 1323 A. D.; margins and rubrications; collations and occasional marginal notes, probably a contemporary MS.; bold, beautiful, clear Naskh; archaic spellings, but no Dháls for Dáls; bears seals of Sultan ‘Uthmán Khán (IIIrd, ruled 1168—1171 A.H.) b. Sultan Muṣṭafa Khán and was given up to the Núr-i-‘Uthmániyya Library, inaugurated in 1169 A. H.; contents, abridged text: Pt. I begins on f4a and ends on f163a; Pt. II ff163a=218b; Pt. III ff218b—265b; Pt. IV ff265b—311a; colophon dated 723 A. H.
A close examination of all the available abridgements of the Jawámi‘, amongst which this one is very important, shows clearly that from the beginning of the 8th century A. H. or the 14th A. D. a gradual process of short recension, complete abridgement, revision, supplementing, redaction and plagiarism was going on. The earliest instance of slight abridgement is B* dated 717 A. H. Then comes this MS. which is a thoroughly abridged, revised and supplemented edition by Muḥammad b. As‘ad, dated 723 A. H. This MS. gives an interesting clue and helps in the identification of other MSS. e. g. F*, J*, the Áṣafiyyah MS. [Qisaṣ, Fársí 129] and the Hamburg codex, [Orient. 191 (CCXLVII)]. All these have been copied out with slight alterations from Muḥammad b. As‘ad’s version in different places and in different epochs. One thing is certain, that the huge bulk of the original work was always felt tiresome by the readers of the Jawámi‘ and that they preferred to have it reduced to a portable size. But no excuse can be accepted from unscrupulous redactors like Majdu’d-Dín*.
Folios Núr 1 or [Núr-i-‘Uthmániyya 3272] 344; size 35 ȕ 26.5 cm; 33 lines per page; dated 964 A. H. but transcribed much earlier; frontispiece, rubrications; archaic spellings; beautiful clear Naskh; a few folios are missing after f142b, and a lacuna occurs at Pt. I, xiv, Anec. 786—xvii, Anec. 977. Contents: Pt. I, ff1b—160b; Pt. II, ff160b—222a; Pt. III, ff223b—282a; Pt. IV, ff282b—344a with a colophon dated 964 A. H. = 1556/7 A. D. Folios 1—4 in the beginning and ff342—344 at the end are supplied by a later hand. The original transcript is of an earlier date and can be estimated to belong to the later 14th century A. D. It does not contain the additional anecdotes found in A; but on collation with A and D it appears that the text is fairly correct and reliable. In order of textual merit it comes after A and D and is undoubtedly better than G.
This I or [Persisch 422] Vienna is also a copy of an abridgement by Muḥammad b. As‘ad and not a complete or a reliable MS as it has been described previously on p. 118.
A [Bankipore 727] full description of this MS. is given in the catalogue of that Library, Vol. VIII, p. 171. It appears to be a fairly good MS.
A [Orient. 190 (ccxlv) Hamburg] full description of this MS. is given by Brockelmann in his Katalog der Orientalischen Handschriften der Stadtsbibliothek zu Hamburg, Teil I, p. 105, No 204.
Folios [Kutub-Khána-i-‘Umúmí 5021, Constantinople] about 377; 20 lines per page; undated; frontispiece, rubrications, margins; clear Nasta‘líq; bequeathed to the library by the mother of the Sultan ‘Abdu’l-Majíd Khán; white paper. Contains Pt. I chs. i—xxv only; probably belongs to the 16th century A. D. Text is mediocre.
Abridged [Áṣafiyyah, Qiṣaṣ, Fársí 129, Ḥaydarábad, Deccan] version similar to B. Folios about 444; size 10.2 by 6.7; 21 lines per page; rubrications, margins; undated; small clear Nasta‘líq; water-stained; unpaginated; Pt. I ends in the middle of the volume, Pts. II—IV in the other half. In a short preface the name of the abridger appears as Muḥammad b. Ismá‘íl (most probably As‘ad) b. ‘Abdu’llah al-Ḥanafí at-Tustarí. The MS belongs apparently to the 16th century. Text is poor.
Folios [Sir Sálár Jang collection No. 6881, Ḥaydarábád-Dn] 273; size 11 by 7.7 inches; 29 lines per page; undated, bears a seal of a servant of the Mughal Emperor Jahángír at the end on f273b: “Muḥammad Ṣafiyyu’d-Dín banda-i-Sháh Salím”; small clear Nasta‘líq; frontispiece on f2b, and the opposite folio contains the doxology in a small square; illumined margin, painting all round in beautiful Shíráz style; no archaic features of spelling; contains Pt. I only; belongs to the 17th century A. D. Text is fair and helpful. The present writer is indebted to the present Nawwáb Sir Sálar Jang for his courtesy in allowing the use of the two MSS.
An [Orient. 191 (ccxlvii) Hamburg] abridged version dated 1057, probably a retranscript from Muḥammad b. As‘ad’s abridgement. See for a description Hamburg Cat. mentioned above, P. 136, No. 205.
Folios [Sir Sálár Jang Collection No. 6882, Ḥaydarábád-Dn.] 405; size 12.7 by 7.3 inches; 25 lines per page; dated 1140 A. H.; bears the seal and endorsement of the prime-minister of Ḥaydarábád, Ḥaydar Yár Khán entitled Muníru’l-Mulk Bahádur d. 1189 A. H. = 1775 A. D; illuminated frontispiece; versified colophon with a chronogram (1140) and an account of the presentation of the MS. to “Khán b. Khán Muḥammad Ismá‘íl”; bold, beautiful, clear Nasta‘líq, corrections and additions in original hand on the margin; contains Pt. I only; text mediocre.
Ṣáliḥ [Núr-i-‘Uthmániyya 3274]* b. Jalál’s Turkish translation. Unpaginated; size 21 by 15 cm.; 17 lines per page; dated 1066 A. H. = 1655 A. D.; rubrications; Naskh; from the Awqáf of the Sultan ‘Uthmán Khán b. Sultan Muṣṭafá Khán (ruled 1168—1171 A.H.); contents: Pt. I, chs. i—x in one volume. The translator states that he prepared it at the request of Prince Báyazíd* b. Sulaymán I in 957 A. H. = 1550 A. D. during the reign of Sulaymán and embellished his version with a few suitable verses from the Qur’án.
The [Núr-i-‘Uthmániyya 3232] same Turkish version, dated 1088 A. H. = 1677 A. D.; contains Pt. I chs. i—xi. It is not certain whether this translation was ever completed.