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Art. XVIII.—The Chahár Maqála (“Four Discourses”) of Nidhámí -i-'Arúḍí-i-Samarqandí

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Extract

In my article on The Sources of Dawlatsháh, which appeared in the January number of the Journal, I have already spoken of the excellent work which I now have the pleasure to present in English dress. For my translation I have used the Tihrán lithographed edition of a.h. 1305, which I have carefully collated throughout with the older of the two British Museum MSS. (Or. 3,507, dated a.h. 1017), and, in all doubtful passages, with the second MS. (Or. 2,955, dated a.h. 1274) also. These MSS. are fully described in Rieu's Persian Supplement, pp. 244–245 and 265, Nos. 390 and 418. It remains only to say a few words concerning the author and the book.

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Original Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1899

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References

page 615 note 1 p. 31 is by mistake omitted in the pagination, which, for convenience of reference, I have followed without correction.

page 619 note 1 L. has , “without the intervention.”

page 620 note 1 This Prince belonged to the Bámiyán line of the Ghúrid Dynasty, was the son of Fakhru'd-Dín Mas'úd, and brother of Shamsu'd-Dín Muḥammad, and flourished in the latter part of the sixth century of the hijra.

page 620 note 2 L. has , “from perils,” instead of .

page 620 note 3 See Ṭabaqát-i-Náṣirí (ed. Lees, Nassau), p. 101 et seqqGoogle Scholar. The correct reading is found only in A. B. has , L. .

page 621 note 1 Qur'án, xiv, 7.

page 621 note 2 A. has , “umbrella,” for , “firmament.”

page 621 note 3 Fakhru'd-Dín Mas'úd b. 'Izzu'd-Dín Ḥasan, a.h. 550 (a.d. 1155).

page 621 note 4 L. om. “ten.”

page 622 note 1 A. adds: .

page 622 note 2 Ḥusayn, 'Alá'u'd-Dín, called Jahán-súz, “the World-consumer,” a.h. 544556Google Scholar.

page 622 note 3 L. for has , “his glory.”

page 622 note 4 L. om. [].

page 623 note 1 Qur'án, iv, 62.

page 624 note 1 I here follow L., which has: . A. has , “the Prophets of the human race have said.”

page 624 note 2 Qur'án, xxviii, 88.

page 624 note 3 This is the lowest or innermost of the nine celestial spheres which environ the earth. Concerning the Muslim Cosmogony, see Dieterici's, Makrokosmos, p. 178 et seqqGoogle Scholar.

page 624 note 4 This outermost, or ninth, celestial sphere is the Primum mobile of the Ptolemaic system, the Falaku'l - Aṭlas or Falaku'l - Aflák of the Muslim philosophers.

page 625 note 1 The author alludes either to petrifaction and the formation of stalactites, or to ice.

page 625 note 2 A., B., , “on [all] parts.” L. has , which seems to me to be nonsense.

page 625 note 3 A., B., L. add , a word of which I have been unable to ascertain the meaning.

page 627 note 1 The Pearl, however, seems generally to be placed higher. See Dieterici's, Mikrokosmos, p. 11Google Scholar.

page 627 note 2 See Dieterici's, Mikrokosmos, p. 25Google Scholar.

page 627 note 3 A species of Dolichos. See Lane's Arabic Lexicon, s.v.

page 627 note 4 By the ‘Seven Fathers above’ and the ‘Four Mothers below’ the seven planets and the four elements are intended.

page 628 note 1 See my Year amongst the Persians, pp. 144, 145.

page 630 note 1 Cf. Dieterici's, Mikrokosmos, p. 43Google Scholar.

page 630 note 2 A. reads , B. , L. .

page 630 note 3 The term nasnás either denotes a real animal or a fabulous monster. In the first sense it is used of various kinds of monkeys, e.g. the orang-outang and marmoset; in the latter it is equivalent to the Shiqq or Half-man (which resembles a man cut in two vertically) of the Arabs, and the Dív-mardum of the Persians. See Qazwíní's, 'Ajá'ibu'l-Makhlúqát, p. 449Google Scholar; and my Year amongst the Persians, pp. 165, 267.

page 630 note 4 See Qazwíní's, A'tháru'l-Bilád, p. 275Google Scholar.

page 630 note 5 The meaning of this word is conjectural. The sentence runs in A . B.has , otherwise the same as A. In L. the sentence runs: .

page 631 note 1 Or perhaps “races,” The word is .

page 635 note 1 i.e. “once and for all,” with such clearness as to leave no ambiguity, or ground for future dispute.

page 635 note 2 , i.e., “Tit for tat, and the aggressor is most to blame.”

page 636 note 1 .

page 636 note 2 .

page 636 note 3 .

page 636 note 4 See the Yatímatu'd-Dahr (ed. Damascus, ), vol. iii, pp. 31112Google Scholar; De Slane's, Ibn Kallikán, vol. i, pp. 212217Google Scholar. L. omits “and Ṣábí.”

page 636 note 5 Composed by Kayká'ús b. Iskandar b. Qábús b. Washmgír in a.h. 475 (a.d. 1082–3). See Pertsch's, Cat. of Berlin Persian MSS., pp. 302–3Google Scholar.

page 636 note 6 See Von Kremer's, Culturgesch., i, pp. 269, 270Google Scholar.

page 637 note 1 See Von Kramer's, Culturgesch., ii, pp. 470476Google Scholar; Brockelmann's, Gesch. d. Arab. Litt., pp. 9394 and 276–278Google Scholar.

page 637 note 2 See Rieu's, Persian Catalogue, vol. ii, pp. 747–8Google Scholar, where a very fine old MS. of the Maqámát-i-Ḥamídí, written in the thirteenth century of our era, is described.

page 637 note 3 Abú 'Alí Muḥammad al-Bal'amí (d. a.h. 386).

page 637 note 4 The Ghaznavid Minister, Aḥmad b. Ḥasan of Maymand (d. a.h. 424), is probably meant.

page 637 note 5 See De Slane's, Ibn Khallikán, vol. iii, pp. 290295Google Scholar.

page 637 note 6 Probably Muḥammad b. Manṣúr al-Ḥaddád. See H.Kh., No. 1,729.

page 637 note 7 Abú 'A'ṣim Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-'Abbádí (see Rieu's, Arabic Suppl., p. 755)Google Scholar, who died a.h. 458, is probably intended.

page 637 note 8 See Von Kremer's, Culturgesch., ii, pp. 380, 381Google Scholar; Brockelmann's, Arab. Litt., pp. 8689Google Scholar.

page 637 note 9 See Brockelmann's, Arab. Litt., p. 253Google Scholar; and the Yatíma, vol. iv, pp. 25 and 62–64, where mention is made of two Abíwardís.

page 637 note 10 Brockelmann, op. cit., p. 253. A., however, reads .

page 637 note 11 See Ethé's monograph, and also his article on Rúdagí in the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

page 637 note 12 See especially Noeldeke's, D. Iranische Nationalepos in vol. ii (pp. 130211)Google Scholar of Geiger and Kuhn's Grundriss d. Iranischen Philologie.

page 637 note 13 See Ethé, in the same Grundriss, pp. 224, 225Google Scholar.

page 637 note 14 Abu'l-Qásim 'Alí b. Muḥammad al-Iskáfí. See Yatíma, vol. iv, pp. 29–33; iii, 4.

page 638 note 1 This seems to be an error (though it stands thus in all three copies) Manṣúr b. Núḥ (Manṣúr I), who reigned a.h. 350–366; for Núḥ b. Manṣúr (Núḥ II) reigned a.h.366–387, and Alptagín died in a.h. 352 or 354. Concerning the Díwánu'r-Rasá'il, see Von Kremer's, Culturgeschieht. d. Arab., i, pp. 174, 200Google Scholar; and Kazimirski's, A. de B.Menoutchehri, pp. 36 and 43Google Scholar. According to Ibnu'l-Athír (Buláq ed. of a.h. 1303, vol. viii, p. 179), Alptagín's. revolt took place in a.h. 351.

page 638 note 2 See Defrémery's, Hist, des Samanides, pp. 260, 261Google Scholar.

page 638 note 3 Concerning this general, see Defrémery's, Hist, des Samanides, p. 248Google Scholar.

page 638 note 4 A. has both here and in 1. 4 of the next page, and in the second place adds 'Alí b. Muḥtáj after Abu'l-ḥasan.

page 639 note 1 Qur'án, xi, 34.

page 640 note 1 The chronological difficulties involved in these two stories are considerable, for the rebellion of Mákán b. Kákí occurred in a.h. 329, towards the end of the reign of Naṣr II b. Aḥmad, i.e. long before the rebellion of Alptagín (see n. 1 on p. 638, supra). See Defrémery's, Samanides, pp. 248 and 263–4Google Scholar.

page 640 note 2 Better known as Qúmis, the Arabicized form of the name. See de Meynard's, B.Dict. Géogr., Histor., et Litt. de la Perse, pp. 464–5Google Scholar. For the three other towns mentioned, see the same work, pp. 213, 317, and 318.

page 642 note 1 .

page 642 note 2 The substance of this anecdote is given in the Táríkh-i-Guzída, and is cited by Defrémery, at pp. 247–8 of his Histoire des Samanides (Paris, 1845)Google Scholar.

page 643 note 1 Qur'án, cxii.

page 643 note 2 Qur'án, cxi.

page 643 note 3 For an account of this great minister and generous patron of literature, see De Slane's, translation of Ibn Khallikán, vol. i, pp. 212217Google Scholar, and n. 4 on p. 636, supra.

page 643 note 4 So B. Both A. and L. have .

page 644 note 1 . I have endeavoured to preserve, feebly enough, the word-play in the original.

page 644 note 2 Or Lámaghán. See de Meynard's, B.Dict. Géogr. do la Perse, p. 503Google Scholar; de Courteille's, PavetMém. de Baber, ii, pp. 120, 121Google Scholar.

page 644 note 3 The texts differ considerably in this sentence. I follow A., which has:

page 645 note 1 See n. 4 on p. 637, supra.

page 645 note 2 This I take to be the meaning of .

page 646 note 1 There appears to be a confusion here between the two brothers. Ḥasan ibn Sahl was the father of Púrán, al-Ma'mún's bride, while Faḍl bore the title of Dhu'r-Riyásatayn. See De Slane's, Ibn Khallikán, vol. i, pp. 268272 and 408–409Google Scholar; vol. ii, pp. 472–476. Also the Laṭá'ifu'l-Ma'árif of ath-Tha'álibí (ed. De Jong, ), pp. 73, 74Google Scholar, where a full account is given of this marriage.

page 646 note 2 See De Slane's, Ibn Khallikán, iv, pp. 3351Google Scholar.

page 647 note 1 The exact nature of most of these fabrics I have been unable to ascertain. The list runs as follows: , [A., B., ]

page 647 note 2 This sentence is not quite clear. It runs: [A., B. om. ] [L. om. ] [L. ] [A. ].

page 647 note 3 A., B. have . L. reads .

page 648 note 1 This sentence, again, is not clear. It runs:

page 648 note 2 A., B: L. has

page 648 note 3 i.e., in the Persian fashion, on the heels, with the knees together in front.

page 649 note 1 Qur'án, xvi, 1. Cf. De Slane's, Ibn Khallikán, vol. i, p. 270Google Scholar.

page 649 note 2 The twenty-ninth 'Abbásid Caliph, reigned a.h. 512–529.

page 649 note 3 This happened in a.h. 529. See Houtsma's, Recueil de Textes relatifs à l'Histoire det Seldjoucides, vol. ii (1889), pp. 174178Google Scholar.

page 650 note 1 Fargadayn, two bright stars near the Pole-star, β and γ of Ursa Minor. See vol. ii of my Traveller's Narrative, p. 125, n. 2.

page 650 note 2

page 650 note 3 See Mírkhwánd's, History of the Seljúqs, ed. Vullers, , pp. 176180Google Scholar. Professor Ross has pointed out to me that Gúr Khán is a generic title. See History of the Moghuls of Central Asia, by Elias, and Ross, , p. 287 et seqqGoogle Scholar. See also Schefer's, Chrestomathie Persane, vol. i, p. 34 et seqqGoogle Scholar.

page 650 note 4 So L., agreeing with Schefer, op. cit., p. 29, where a.h. 536 is given as the date of this event. For Alptagín A. and B. read throughout.

page 650 note 5 L. has , A. (uncertain), B. , but I cannot identify the name.

page 651 note 1 For , A. and B. have , “and the son of Burhán.

page 651 note 2 Name uncertain. L. has Zanján, which is quite unsuitable; A., (not clearly legible); B., .

page 651 note 3 A. has, instead of (L.'s reading), ; B., .

page 652 note 1 Qur'án, xi, 46.

paeg 652 note 2 L. has . In the margin stands as a variant on . A. and B. have and for .

page 653 note 1 Qur'án, xlix, 13.

page 653 note 2 Qur'án, lviii, 12.

page 653 note 3 Here A. has and B. , though they agree with L. above and below.

page 655 note 1 “Khujistan.—In the mountains near Herát. From this country issued Aḥmad b. 'Abdu'lláh al-Khujistání, who revolted at Níshápúr and died in a.h. 264.” (de Meynard's, BarbierDict. Géogr., Histor., et Litt. de la Perse, p. 197Google Scholar.) The learned editor points out, however, that, according to Ibnu'l-Athír, Aḥmad was assassinated in the month of Shawwál, a.h. 268, after having reigned at Níshápúr for six years. See the Journal Asiatique for 1845, p. 345 et seqq. of the second half.

page 655 note 2 See Ethé's, Rûdagî's Vorläufer und Zeitgenossen, pp. 3840Google Scholar, where these verses, and others by the same poet, are cited.

page 655 note 3 Brother of Ya'qúb b. Layth, the founder of the short-lived Ṣaffárí dynasty. 'Amr reigned from a.h. 265 to a.h. 287.

page 656 note 1 See de Meynard's, BarbierDict. Géogr., Hist., et lift, de la Perse, p. 487Google Scholar. B. and L. have “of Merv.”

page 656 note 2 Ibid., pp. 213, 214.

page 656 note 3 The text and sense are both very doubtful. A. (f. 12b) has while the lithograph has

page 656 note 4 The MSS. have plainly while the lithograph has . I cannot, however, find mention of the village.

page 656 note 5 The lithograph reads “a thousand.”

page 656 note 6 Concerning Ibn Salám, the author of a Ṭabaqátu'th-Shu'ará (d. a.d. 845–6), who is probably intended, see J.R.A.S. for January, 1899, p. 48, footnote.

page 657 note 1 i.e., when he comes to die.

page 657 note 2 B. omits the poet's name altogether. L. has Majdi.

page 657 note 3 al-'Awfí's Lubáb, part ii, No. 7.

page 657 note 4 Ibid., No. 8, and , Horn's ed. of the Lughat-i- Asadí, p. 24Google Scholar, first paragraph. L. has and A. (f. 12b) .

page 657 note 5 Ibid., No. 25, and Asadí, p. 28.

page 657 note 6 Ibid., No. 10.

page 657 note 7 The lithograph omits this name and the next; A. (f. 13a) has I suppose for , “enfant nourri d'un lait étranger”; while B. has .

page 657 note 8 'Awfí, No. 29.

page 657 note 9 See Ethé's monograph, Die Lieder del Kitâ'î.

page 658 note 1 Well-known contemporaries of Firdawsí. Mention is made of the first and last (of whose poems lithographed editions have been published at Tihrán) further on.

page 658 note 2 Abu'l-Ḥasan 'Alī of Sarakhs. See Majma'u'l-Fuṣaḥá, vol. i, p. 173.

page 658 note 3 Zaynatí-i-'Alaví-i-Maḥmúdí-i-Khurásání. See M.F., vol. i, p. 241.

page 658 note 4 Qásim b. Ibráhím b. Manṣúr. See M.F., vol. i, p. 66.

page 658 note 5 Or Mudhaffarí, of Panj-dih. See M.F., vol. i, p. 505.

page 658 note 6 Abú Sa'íd Aḥmad b. Muḥammad of Samarqand. See M.F., vol. i, p. 506.

page 658 note 7 See the edition of his Díván by A. de Biberstein Kazimirski.

page 658 note 8 Mas'údí of Ray, (see M.F., i, p. 503)Google Scholar, another Ghaznavid poet, is apparently intended.

page 658 note 9 L. substitutes Ghadá'irí. For Qaṣárámí see Horn's, Asadi, p. 27Google Scholar.

page 658 note 10 Of Merv or Ghazna. See 'Awfí's, Lubáb, ch. x, No. 21, and M.F., vol. i, pp. 8385Google Scholar.

page 658 note 11 See M.F., i, pp. 70–78.

page 658 note 12 Abu'l-Fakhr Mas'úd b. Sa'd b. Salmán of Ghazna (died a.h. 515 or 525).; See Horn's, Lughat-i-Furs of Asadí, p. 28Google Scholar, and M.F., i, p. 514.

page 658 note 13 L. has Majd-i-Náṣir. I can find no particulars concerning him.

page 658 note 14 See M.F., i, pp. 68–70. He was of Ghazna, and also bore the laqab of Shihábu'd-Dín.

page 658 note 15 See Dawlatsháh's, Tadhkira (pp. 93, 94 of my forthcoming edition), Ṭabaqa ii, No. 8Google Scholar.

page 658 note 16 A. adds “Mawjúd,” an error for “Majdúd.” See Dawlatsháh (pp. 95–99), Ṭabaqa ii, No. 9; M.F., i, pp. 254–274.

page 658 note 17 L. omits this name and the next. Najíbu'd-Dín Jurbádhakání (i.e. of Gulpáyagán) is meant. See M.F., i, pp. 634, 635.

page 658 note 18 See Dawlatsháh (pp. 69, 70), Ṭabaqa i, No. 18.

page 658 note 19 See Dawlatsháh (pp. 64–67), Ṭabaqa i, No. 15; M.F., i, pp. 345–350.

page 658 note 20 See Horn's, Asadi, p. 18Google Scholar.

page 658 note 21 See Anecdote xix, infra; and Horn's, Asadi, p. 81Google Scholar.

page 658 note 22 The second word is very uncertain. L. has A., or B., but lower (Anecdote xix), A. has (i.e. or ), which I take to be the correct form.

page 658 note 23 L. omits. B. has In both MSS. the first word is written which may stand for or possibly the correct reading is Bashthár-i Marghazí. See M.F., i, p. 171.

page 659 note 1 See 'Awfí's, Lubáb, ch. viii, No. 30Google Scholar; M.F., i, pp. 244, 245; but the identity is uncertain.

page 659 note 2 Called “the goldsmith” (Zargar). See Dawlatsháh (pp. 118–121), Ṭabaqa, ii, No. 18.

page 659 note 3 Very doubtful. L. omits. A. has B., .

page 659 note 4 Noticed in ch. x of 'Awfí's Lubáb; M.F., i, pp. 344, 345.

page 659 note 5 M.F., i, pp. 494–601.

page 659 note 6 Both MSS. have .

page 659 note 7 The father of Mu'izzí. Both are mentioned in Anecdote xvi, infra.

page 659 note 8 M.F., i, pp. 79, 80.

page 659 note 9 Kamálu'd-Dín 'Amíd of Bukhárá. See M.F., i, pp. 486, 487.

page 659 note 10 Shihábu'd-Dín Aḥmad b. Mu'ayyad of Nasaf, near Samarqand. M.F., i, pp. 310, 311.

page 659 note 11 M.F., i, pp. 477, 478.

page 659 note 12 M.F., i, pp. 220, 221.

page 659 note 13 L. has .

page 659 note 14 L. has Qá'iní for Fálí, and omits Búrkala.

page 660 note 1 Quṭbu'd-Dín Muḥammad and Sayfu'd-Dín Súrí, both killed by Bahrámsháh the Ghaznavid, towards the middle of the sixth century of the Flight. From his devastation of Ghazna (a.h. 550, A.B. 1155–6) 'Alá'u'd-Dín Ḥusayn the Ghúrid received the title of Jahán-súz (“the World-consumer”).

page 660 note 2 This sentence is obscure in the first portion. It runs as follows in A.:—